It has been almost a week since Kris Allen was crowned the latest winner of “American Idol,” but so far, the majority of the news seems to be about the runner-up Adam Lambert.
Clay Aiken had some not so nice things to say about the second place finisher in his blog, which only paying members can access. Right after the finale, Aiken said that Lambert’s version of the Johnny Cash classic “Ring of Fire” was “awful,” “contrived,” and “slightly frightening.” He also wrote that while listening to the performance, he thought his ears would bleed. He also went on to say that he felt Idol put its focus on Lambert and that the show loved polished contestants rather than those with raw talent.
After an outrage by some fans, Aiken offered his version of an apology. He said “I obviously meant it as a colorful statement to imply that I did not enjoy what I heard. Any performer hopes that their music will appeal to all people, but no singer realistically expects it to.” He also went on to say his opinion is his opinion and that the bloggers who claim to dislike him sure do spend a lot of time writing about him.
Finally, Aiken said, “I do apologize to Adam for my colorful (and negative) choice of words. I hope he can forgive me. I imagine he doesn’t give a damn!”
Hum, given that Lambert is on top of the world right now and Aiken was just released from RCA, Lambert may really not care what Aiken says.
However, he may care what Brian May says. May and Roger Taylor, original members of the band Queen, performed with Lambert on the finale and apparently were impressed with what they saw. The band’s legendary front man Freddie Mercury died in 1991, but the band wasn’t quite ready to quit rocking. They chose Paul Rodgers in 2004 as their new lead singer, but recently ended that relationship with him.
Now rumors are swirling that Lambert may be chosen to replace Rodgers with Queen. May said, “Amongst all that furor, there wasn’t really a quiet moment to talk,” May told Rolling Stone magazine. “But [drummer Roger Taylor] and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point. It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn’t that easy. But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.”
Personally, as a long time Queen fan who thought no one could ever replace Freddie Mercury, I’d love to see them give Lambert a shot. I think he has just the theatrics and singing chops to do the job.