Adam Lambert has revealed he made a lot of money touring with Queen.
Speaking on The Man Who Believed in Me podcast, the 44-year-old singer said performing with Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor since 2012 has shaped him both personally and professionally.
He said: “It was amazing. They taught me a lot, both directly and indirectly…being on stage next to them, playing these iconic pieces of music, by osmosis. It rubs off on you, the seriousness of it.”
Adam says his years with Queen were filled with surreal experiences.
He recalled opening the Queen’s anniversary performance on the steps of Buckingham Palace, calling it “so crazy” and playing Rock In Rio to almost a million people. His very first performance with the group – a large-scale open-air concert in Kyiv – brought together millions of people throughout the city, who watched it on huge screens.
He admitted: “I was very nervous about it.”
In addition to his career success, Adam recognized the financial benefits of joining one of the greatest bands in history.
He said, “Yeah, I will say that Queen did put a few coins in the bank, which was nice… I feel like I earned the money that I did.”
The American Idol alum said his priority was always making sure viewers got what they came for.
He said: “I really want everyone to have fun… I really care about the audience. I’ve always cared about that.”
The same mindset is present in his solo work: the musician, who released his latest album Adam on his own label this month, says he’s always thinking about how each song will make the listener feel.
He said, “Let’s zoom out. How will this make the listener feel? What do I want the listener to feel or understand?”
The interview comes after drummer Roger said Queen’s new tour would feature guitarist Sir Brian.
The last time the rock legends performed with Adam was as part of The Rhapsody Tour, which ended in 2024.
The last time guitarist Brian and drummer Roger performed live together was in September 2025, when they performed Bohemian Rhapsody at the Last Night of the Proms, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the hit single.
In 2024, Brian suffered a stroke that temporarily left him without full control of his left arm. Since then he has improved significantly, but understandably takes things easier.
Speaking on BBC Radio 2’s The Rock Show With Shaun Keaveny, Roger said regarding their live future: “Well, it’s a big machine to get going, if you know what I mean. But yeah, really, I think it’s more up to Brian (May, Queen guitarist) than me. I love playing live. I like it, I always have. That’s really how he feels about it. You see, never say never. We’ve been working with singer Adam Lambert for a while now, who has the most incredible voice.”