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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Queen Latifah Launches CW Singing Competition

The CW will launch their own singing competition show later this year featuring Gloria Estefan and John Rich as mentors. The program, tentatively titled The Star Next Door, will be produced by Queen Latifah and Dave Broome, the creator of The Biggest Loser on NBC. The network has ordered 10 episodes of the series for the summer season.

The Star Next Door will slightly tweak the formula of other popular singing competitions by placing an emphasis on the home towns of contestants. The show will begin with a nationwide talent search, and then the mentors will head to the top singers' homes and immerse themselves in the local culture.

Photos: Random Notes

The CW has not yet announced the show's full panel of mentors, or whether the show will feature a host, like American Idol and The X Factor.

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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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