UPDATE: Lambert tweeted that he was not confirmed to tour with the band, and that he was referring to a performance at the European Music Awards:
He added that he was "flattered" by the fact that the story was widely reported, but unfortunately for Lambert's fans, Queen has not adopted the "Idol" runner-up as its new frontman.
The original version of this article appears below.
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Adam Lambert has quite the pair of shoes to fill -- the "American Idol" runner-up claims he's replacing Freddie Mercury as Queen's frontman.
"The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some f*****g great songs," Lambert told the Daily Star. It's to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of."
While he's looking forward to teaming up with 64-year-old guitarist Brian May and 62-year-old drummer Roger Taylor, Lambert insists he'll be honoring Mercury's memory.
"There's no intention in my mind of replacing Freddie. That's impossible," Lambert said of Mercury, who died in 1991.
While this may come as a surprise to die-hard Queen fans, Taylor had spoken highly of Lambert back in December.
"He has grown into a really great performer with an astonishing voice with a range that's great," the drummer told Billboard. "There's nothing signed just yet but we're talking about live dates. It could be very exciting."
Spinner notes that this is not the first time someone has taken Mercury's place in the band -- Paul Rodgers did a five year stint with the band that ended in 2009 (the band went by the name of Queen + Paul Rodgers). Guitarist Brian May even flirted with the idea of Lady Gaga joining the famed rock group.
What do you think about Lambert joining Queen?
A previous version of this article said Lambert was referring to an upcoming performance. The European Music Awards performance Lambert refers to took place on November 6, 2011.
CORRECTION An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Lambert won "American Idol." The singer was a finalist in on season 8 of show.