Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum Repeat Wins at ACM Awards

Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert hug in the audience during the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards. Kevin Winter/ACMA2012/Getty Images for ACM

Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum all won top awards at last night's 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. All three acts repeated past victories, with Swift honored as Entertainer of the Year, Lambert winning for Female Vocalist and Lady Antebellum taking the prize for Vocal Group of the Year. Other honorees included Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson winning Single Record and Vocal Event of the Year for their duet "Don't You Want to Stay," Blake Shelton winning his first Male Vocalist award and American Idol winner Scotty McCreery as Best New Artist.

All of country music's top stars were on hand, but other non-country acts were part of the show as well. KISS appeared to present the Vocal Group award to Lady Antebellum, comedian Steve Martin joined Rascal Flatts for a tribute to banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, Bono introduced Dierks Bentley's performance of "Home" and Train frontman Pat Monahan performed a duet of his band's song "Marry Me" with Martina McBride as a couple was married on stage.

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Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum Repeat Wins at ACM Awards

Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert hug in the audience during the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards. Kevin Winter/ACMA2012/Getty Images for ACM

Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum all won top awards at last night's 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. All three acts repeated past victories, with Swift honored as Entertainer of the Year, Lambert winning for Female Vocalist and Lady Antebellum taking the prize for Vocal Group of the Year. Other honorees included Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson winning Single Record and Vocal Event of the Year for their duet "Don't You Want to Stay," Blake Shelton winning his first Male Vocalist award and American Idol winner Scotty McCreery as Best New Artist.

All of country music's top stars were on hand, but other non-country acts were part of the show as well. KISS appeared to present the Vocal Group award to Lady Antebellum, comedian Steve Martin joined Rascal Flatts for a tribute to banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, Bono introduced Dierks Bentley's performance of "Home" and Train frontman Pat Monahan performed a duet of his band's song "Marry Me" with Martina McBride as a couple was married on stage.

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Sonisphere Cancellation Nixes Adam Lambert and Queen Gig

Adam Lambert performs with Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast.

The Sonisphere Knebworth festival, which was to host performances by Kiss, Marilyn Manson and a version of Queen fronted by Adam Lambert, has been cancelled. According to organizers, plans for the event – which was to be held in Stevenage, England on July 6-8th – were scrapped due to unforeseen difficulties.

"It is with very heavy hearts and much regret that we announce the cancellation of Sonisphere Knebworth 2012," reads a statement on the festival's website. "Putting the festival together in what is proving to be a very challenging year was more difficult than we anticipated. Unfortunately circumstances have dictated that we would be unable to run the festival to a standard that both the artists and that Sonisphere's audience would rightly expect."

Other Sonisphere festivals, including events in Poland, Spain and Swizterland, will go on as planned with Metallica as a headliner. It is unclear how the cancellation of the festival will affect the touring plans of other bands on the bill, which also included Evanescence, Faith No More, Flogging Molly, Mastodon, Andrew W.K., Incubus and the Darkness.

The Sonisphere Knebworth festival is the only date scheduled for a Queen performance featuring Lambert. As of yet, neither Lambert or Queen have commented on the possibility of making alternate plans.

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Sonisphere Cancellation Nixes Adam Lambert and Queen Gig

Adam Lambert performs with Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast.

The Sonisphere Knebworth festival, which was to host performances by Kiss, Marilyn Manson and a version of Queen fronted by Adam Lambert, has been cancelled. According to organizers, plans for the event – which was to be held in Stevenage, England on July 6-8th – were scrapped due to unforeseen difficulties.

"It is with very heavy hearts and much regret that we announce the cancellation of Sonisphere Knebworth 2012," reads a statement on the festival's website. "Putting the festival together in what is proving to be a very challenging year was more difficult than we anticipated. Unfortunately circumstances have dictated that we would be unable to run the festival to a standard that both the artists and that Sonisphere's audience would rightly expect."

Other Sonisphere festivals, including events in Poland, Spain and Swizterland, will go on as planned with Metallica as a headliner. It is unclear how the cancellation of the festival will affect the touring plans of other bands on the bill, which also included Evanescence, Faith No More, Flogging Molly, Mastodon, Andrew W.K., Incubus and the Darkness.

The Sonisphere Knebworth festival is the only date scheduled for a Queen performance featuring Lambert. As of yet, neither Lambert or Queen have commented on the possibility of making alternate plans.

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Adam Lambert Confirms He Will Sing With Queen

Adam Lambert performs at the Q102 iHeart Performance Theater in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Adam Lambert has confirmed through Twitter that he will be performing with Queen this summer. The American Idol star will join guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor on July 7th, as Queen headlines the second day of the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth Park in England.

Lambert has long expressed his admiration for Queen and their late frontman, Freddie Mercury. For the American Idol finals in 2009, Lambert was backed onstage by the band’s surviving members for "We Are the Champions." In November 2011, Lambert performed several songs with them at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast.

Although reports came out earlier this month that Lambert would be performing again with Queen, the singer and his label, Hollywood Records, would not confirm any guest appearances until today.

"As many suspected, I can finally confirm: I have been invited by Queen to sing one very special concert! Sonisphere at Knebworth July 7th!" Lambert tweeted this afternoon. "Sorry to be coy about the details the past few weeks, but I made a promise to keep it under wraps as best I could. Gonna be a surreal night!"

Freddie Mercury’s final performance with Queen took place at Knebworth Park in 1986. 

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Adam Lambert Confirms He Will Sing With Queen

Adam Lambert performs at the Q102 iHeart Performance Theater in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Adam Lambert has confirmed through Twitter that he will be performing with Queen this summer. The American Idol star will join guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor on July 7th, as Queen headlines the second day of the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth Park in England.

Lambert has long expressed his admiration for Queen and their late frontman, Freddie Mercury. For the American Idol finals in 2009, Lambert was backed onstage by the band’s surviving members for "We Are the Champions." In November 2011, Lambert performed several songs with them at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast.

Although reports came out earlier this month that Lambert would be performing again with Queen, the singer and his label, Hollywood Records, would not confirm any guest appearances until today.

"As many suspected, I can finally confirm: I have been invited by Queen to sing one very special concert! Sonisphere at Knebworth July 7th!" Lambert tweeted this afternoon. "Sorry to be coy about the details the past few weeks, but I made a promise to keep it under wraps as best I could. Gonna be a surreal night!"

Freddie Mercury’s final performance with Queen took place at Knebworth Park in 1986. 

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Adam Lambert to Sing With Queen

Adam Lambert performs with Queen onstage during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast.

Adam Lambert is reportedly singing with Queen, replacing the American Idol winner's own late idol, Freddie Mercury. Lambert broke the news to the U.K.'s Daily Star.

"The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some fucking great songs," he said. "It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would've been proud of." Queen previously toured with former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers taking Mercury's place.

Speculation has been high since Lambert was joined by surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor during his Idol finals appearance in 2009. In November, they performed together at the MTV EMAs in Belfast.

Lambert said he had no intention of replacing Mercury, who died in 1991. "That's impossible," he said. "The way I'm choosing to view it is that it's a great honor and one I'm in no way going to shirk." Lambert's second solo album, Trespassing, is due in March.

A representative for Hollywood Records tells Rolling Stone, "The Daily Star item only mentions that Adam may perform with Queen at Sonisphere. This is not confirmed. Nothing has been signed. However, if this were to happen, Queen would be returning to the setting of their final concert with Freddie Mercury, which took place in 1986."

Lambert took to Twitter to clarify his comments. "Them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context ... I haven't confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the EMAs," he tweeted. "That being said, I'm truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions."

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Adam Lambert to Sing With Queen

Adam Lambert performs with Queen onstage during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast.

Adam Lambert is reportedly singing with Queen, replacing the American Idol winner's own late idol, Freddie Mercury. Lambert broke the news to the U.K.'s Daily Star.

"The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some fucking great songs," he said. "It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would've been proud of." Queen previously toured with former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers taking Mercury's place.

Speculation has been high since Lambert was joined by surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor during his Idol finals appearance in 2009. In November, they performed together at the MTV EMAs in Belfast.

Lambert said he had no intention of replacing Mercury, who died in 1991. "That's impossible," he said. "The way I'm choosing to view it is that it's a great honor and one I'm in no way going to shirk." Lambert's second solo album, Trespassing, is due in March.

A representative for Hollywood Records tells Rolling Stone, "The Daily Star item only mentions that Adam may perform with Queen at Sonisphere. This is not confirmed. Nothing has been signed. However, if this were to happen, Queen would be returning to the setting of their final concert with Freddie Mercury, which took place in 1986."

Lambert took to Twitter to clarify his comments. "Them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context ... I haven't confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the EMAs," he tweeted. "That being said, I'm truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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