Brian May has heaped praise on Adam Lambert for doing "all the stuff" Queen frontman Freddie Mercury did "and more".
The ‘We Will Rock You’ hitmaker has paid the former ‘American Idol’ contestant the biggest compliment for his phenomenal work stepping in for the late great enigmatic singer.
And although he feels it’s impossible to compare the two stars, he admitted Adam has a "parallel set of equipment" to Freddie – who tragically died in 1991 aged 45 due to complications from AIDS – whilst he said the band treat him like he was the ‘Radio Ga Ga’ hitmaker.
In an interview with Guitar World magazine, the guitar legend said: "Adam can do all the stuff that Freddie did and more.
"It doesn’t matter what you throw at Adam — he can do it…
"He’s a born exhibitionist. He’s not Freddie, and he’s not pretending to be him, but he has a parallel set of equipment.
"We treat Adam exactly the same as we treated Freddie in almost every way."
Brian previously admitted Freddie would "love and hate" Adam, because he would be jealous of his "one in a billion" vocals.
He said: "Freddie would love and hate him, because Adam has a real gift from God.
"It’s a voice in a billion, nobody has that range, nobody that I’ve ever worked with, not just the range but the quality throughout the range. I’ve seen Adam develop just like I watched Freddie develop."
The 71-year-old musician – who has continued the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ band’s legacy alongside drummer Roger Taylor, 69 – also credited the 37-year-old star with their longevity.
He added: "In no way does he imitate Freddie but he provides that piece of the jigsaw puzzle. It’s stupendous, we would never be doing this now if it weren’t for Adam.
"Sometimes I stop playing because I think ‘what did he just do?’ He’s so free with his interpretations and it’s just spine-chilling. The sound he makes and way he interprets a song."
Adam joined the line-up after he sang with Queen during the ‘American Idol’ eight season finale – which saw him finish runner-up – and then joined them for an award show in Ireland and they’ve continued to tour as Queen + Adam Lambert ever since
Brian explained: "There was something about Adam, this chemistry was instant and it was like we were already in a band with him."
Brian May: Adam Lambert can do all the stuff that Freddie did and more
