Robbie Williams reveals he was asked to join Queen
Robbie Williams says he was asked to front Queen by Brian May and Roger Taylor in the early 2000s.
Last updated 11th Mar 2020
The Take That singer turned solo star recorded a new version of Queen’s 1977 anthem ‘We Are the Champions’ with Roger Taylor and Brian May in 2001 for the movie ‘A Knight’s Tale’, starring the late-great Heath Ledger.
Appearing on SiriusXM VOLUME earlier this week, Robbie Williams was asked if there was any talk of him fronting Queen. He replied. “Yeah there was, yeah. They asked me to do it.”
Explaining that he turned down the opportunity, Robbie said: “Even though I’m very confident here on the microphone, I have suffered from very low self-esteem.
“And I just thought I’d save them the audacity of me even trying to step on a stage and be in the same echelon as Freddie Mercury. Because he, to me, is angelic. He’s godlike. It was just too scary.”
Williams quipped that he didn’t want to share the wages too, adding: “I was doing stadiums myself at the time. I didn’t want to have to split it three ways, but that’s another story.”
Three years after the Williams collaboration, Queen went on to join forces with Paul Rodgers from 2004 to 2009. Queen + Paul Rodgers released one album together, September 2008’s ‘The Cosmos Rocks.’
Queen + Adam Lambert have been actively touring since 2011 and they play a series of UK arenas in 2020 as part of The Rhapsody Tour.
Heaping praise Queen’s current vocalist, Williams added: “Adam Lambert – if he wasn’t such a lovely person, which he is – I would just be terrified of him because of his pure talent. His voice is absolutely incredible.
“And he’s an incredible performer, and a lovely person to boot. I’m really pleased when I meet people that I’m just overawed by their talent – he gives me a talent hard-on – and they’re nice.”
Commenting on working with Brian May and Roger Taylor in 2001, Williams enthuses: “It was amazing that I’m in the recording booth with Roger (Taylor) and Brian (May) and the band and we re-recorded ‘We Are The Champions’.
“I got to do the backing vocals with them, and how intricate they were those backing vocals and how many parts it took to get that sound (was amazing). And to be in the room with real history – proper history – just felt absolutely incredible.”
Queen + Adam Lambert play the following shows:
JUNE 2020 London The O2 – Tue 2nd London The O2 – Wed 3rd London The O2 – Fri 5th London The O2 – Sat 6th London The O2 – Mon 8th London The O2 – Tue 9th Manchester Arena – Thu 11th Manchester Arena - Fri 12th Arena Birmingham – Sun 14th Arena Birmingham – Mon 15th London The O2 – Wed 17th London The O2 – Thu 18th London The O2 – Sat 20th London The O2 – Sun 21st