Queen: How Freddie Mercury 'gave Adam Lambert PERMISSION' when he joined the band

In a new interview, Lambert credited the late, great Mercury for his “sense of fun and camp”.

Lambert now sings with Queen stars Brian May and Roger Taylor at various live shows – with a new huge jaunt, The Rhapsody Tour, set to kick off this summer.

Speaking to Glamour, the hitmaker said: “When I first become aware of Freddie Mercury in my 20s, I was really obsessed with the band and would watch old footage of him and his outfits.

“Freddie was really going for it and he clearly had a sense of humour.”

He added: “He was kind of taking the p*** out of himself. It was all ridiculous and that was part of the charm.

“He allowed people to feel the sense of fun and camp which I think is a sort of dying art but Freddie was spot on with it.

“He was camp and clever and witty with it which has massively inspired me.”

It was that style that spurred Lambert on when he first teamed up with May and Taylor.

“In a way when I started working with Queen, looking at Freddie and his style history, it’s sort of a free pass,” he said.

“There’s no line that’s too far and the audience get it.

“Freddie gives me permission to take it there.

“Also, I’m not going to stand up there and do a set with Queen in jeans and a t-shirt, that would be ridiculous and totally not the spirit of what they are.

“To me, it’s showbusiness, it’s performance, it’s supposed to be heightened.”

Lambert has continued to work on his own material, with new single New Eyes being released this week.

May hailed the song as a true grower, writing on Instagram: “BRAND NEW from Adam Lambert !!! NEW EYES !

“Strange – this took me a while to assimilate – wasn’t sure when I first heard it – but now definitely falling in love with this track. GO ADAM !!!”

The Rhapsody Tour begins in Vancouver, Canada on July 10; before heading to other North American locations over the subsequent two months.

In January next year it moves to South Korea and Japan, before visiting New Zealand and Australia in February.

As yet, no UK dates have been announced – but May indicated that should be on the way.

New Eyes by Adam Lambert is out now.