Adam Lambert felt "intimidated" when he was first asked to join Queen on tour.
The 34-year-old singer started touring with the rock legends – Brian May and Roger Taylor – in 2012 after the Queen + Paul Rodgers incarnation ended in 2009, and Lambert admits it was a big challenge to take on board the legacy of great late frontman Freddie Mercury – who died in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, he admitted: "I’ve always been honoured and understanding of the weight and legacy of the band. In the beginning, I was pretty intimated by that. I tried not to let it show.
"Can I handle all this? Am I going to be able to do it justice? Is the audience going to accept me? Is the band going to accept me? Am I going to be a pain in the ass?.
"I learnt to finesse it a little bit more."
Queen + Adam Lambert have just announced an extensive tour of North America kicking off on June 23 in Phoenix, Arizona and concluding in Houston, Texas on August 5.
It comes after guitarist Brian May, 69, was forced to axe a series of concerts across the UK in December with singer Kerry Ellis, due to "persistent illness".
However, Lambert told BANG Showbiz in December that May was in "great spirits" and teased that a tour announcement was coming soon.
At the time, he said: "I spoke to him the other night and he is in great spirits and he is so excited for potentially doing some more performances next year. I can’t really say more than that. But he is in a really good place."
Adam Lambert was ‘intimidated’ by Queen shows at first
