The tragic death of Freddie Mercury left a massive void in Queen. Before Adam Lambert was tapped to join the band, there were rumors that George Michael was set to front Queen following his incredible performance at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. But is there any truth to those rumors?
Roger Taylor said in a new interview with Classic Rock, “I remember hearing the rumors, but it wouldn’t have suited us.”
Taylor added, “George wasn’t really used to working with a live band. When he heard the power he had behind him in rehearsal [for the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert], he couldn’t believe it. He thought he was on Concorde or something.”
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness took place on April 20, 1992. The concert was held at Wembley Stadium before a massive crowd of 72,000. Proceeds from the show went towards launching The Mercury Phoenix Trust, an organization founded by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach that has helped fund numerous projects in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
