Queen’s Roger Taylor addresses rumours George Michael was going to replace Freddie Mercury
Rumours spread that George Michael could replace Freddie Mercury as the lead singer in Queen following Mercury’s death. (Pete Still/Redferns/Michael Putland/Getty)
Roger Taylor rubbished long-standing rumours Queen considered asking George Michael to replace Freddie Mercury after his tragic death.
Mercury passed away in 1991, aged 45, from AIDS-related complications. A year later, at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, George Michael gave an incredible rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love”.
Michael’s spectacular performance alongside the surviving Queen members quickly led to rumours that the “Faith” singer could replace Mercury full-time in the band – but Taylor has finally put those rumours to bed.
“I remember hearing the rumours, but it wouldn’t have suited us,” Taylor told Classic Rock magazine in February 2021.
“George wasn’t really used to working with a live band. When he heard the power he had behind him in rehearsal, he couldn’t believe it. He thought he was on Concorde or something.”
Taylor also reflected on Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose’s rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Elton John at the same concert, and revealed that it almost never happened.
“I do remember being determined that we’d get Elton singing with Axl, which was great, because Axl never turned up for rehearsal,” he said.
“It was really flying by the seat of our pants.”
Freddie Mercury tribute concert raised £20 million for AIDS charities
In recent years, Taylor and guitarist Brian May have toured Queen’s back catalogue with American singer Adam Lambert.
Speculation first mounted in the late 80s that Freddie Mercury was sick with AIDS as his appearance became increasingly gaunt.
It later emerged that the singer had been diagnosed with HIV in 1987. He denied that he had contracted the virus until 1991, when he finally confirmed that he had AIDS in a statement released less than 24 hours before his death.
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert saw some of the most famous faces of the day turn out to remember the late singer, and was televised to more than 1.2 billion people worldwide.
The concert famously raised more than £20 million for AIDS charities.
George Micheal passed away on Christmas day 2015.
