Freddie Mercury Replacement: Why George Michael Was Not Tapped To Front Queen Despite Rumors Revealed

After Freddie Mercury's death, Queen members decided not to replace the frontman with anyone else.

In the past years, Queen and its fans always thought nobody could ever replace Mercury. Although the remaining active members have been touring with Adam Lambert, they did not officially welcome someone as the new frontman.

There were rumors that George Michael would be asked to become the new vocalist, as even Roger Taylor said he was magnificent. However, Queen thought the singer was not "suitable" to replace the late musician.

Why Queen Did Not Want George Michael To Become Its New Frontman

During Queen's 1992 Wembley tribute, musicians attended the biggest night to pay respects to Mercury. At that time, Michael performed three songs with Queen: "Somebody to Love," "These Are the Days of Our Lives," and "39."

Brian May applauded Michael and noted how fans thought he got the closest voice to Merury's range, especially in "Somebody to Love."

This sparked rumors that he would take over as the new Queen frontman. However, Taylor explained why it never happened.

"I remember hearing the rumors, but it wouldn't have suited us. George wasn't really used to working with a live band," he said. "When he heard the power he had behind him in rehearsal, he couldn't believe it. He thought he was on Concorde or something."

Queen Also Said Paul Rodgers Was Not "A Great Fit"

Aside from Michael, Queen also sparked rumors that it would select Paul Rodgers as Freddie Mercury's replacement. The band asked him to sing with them during the European tour in 2004.

From there, they toured from 2005 to 2006 under the name "Queen + Paul Rodgers." Despite having him as the frontman, the remaining members reportedly had the name since they did not want Mercury to be replaced by anyone else.

Per May, Mercury was also a fan of Rodgers. But the collaboration did not last long since Rodgers knew the collaboration was not permanent.

After Rodgers' exit, May picked Adam Lambert and performed with him under the name "Queen + Adam Lambert." The "American Idol" alum caught their attention after singing a Queen's song.

With that, fans can expect that Queen will never name someone as Mercury's replacement.