I've watched this tour announcement vid several times (cos there's so much of Adam in it) but it was only yesterday that I realised something I hadn't known before - that Queen were actively looking for a singer in order to continue.
I wasn't around when they first got together with Adam but I'd always thought that it came about when they met him quite by chance on Idol, but no, Roger's story about Spike's wife and the "get in here" when Adam was singing Whole Lotta Love followed by Spike's email to Roger made it clear that this wasn't the case.
No, Spike clearly knew that Roger and Brian were looking for someone or he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of emailing from across the Atlantic to tell them to check out this fantastic singer. It also fits in with the story of them trying to get in touch with him right after Idol but he was too busy with his album.
Presumably after the Paul Rodgers collaboration they wanted to go the Journey route and find a singer with no history, someone who they wouldn't have to share a back catalogue with and concentrate purely on Queen.
I don't think this is quite the way to read these comments.
From all indications, once their relationship with PR had become tiresome (and that is the impression many got as to what happened. It was just not fun enough and did not have enough perspective to it, that they wanted to keep going), so once that was over, B&R assumed that their touring life was over, and I think they had accepted that. With sadness, for sure, but that was their realistic assessment.
But Queen, on occasion, gets called to do something as a one off, the EMA was such a situation, so was the Olympics or the Queen's birthday, and so on. So having a standing relationship with a few qualified singers was still essential. They were certainly willing to look for additional people who could fill such a request, and were open to discovering new singers at any time.
But did they assume that they would find someone with whom they would travel the world and sell out arenas. No way. They did not dare to dream that.
In fact, Roger started his Extravaganza project, trying to find cover bands that are actually decent and can carry the catalog forward for a next generation. Roger developed that project right during 2009. Little did he know.
When Spike told B&R about Adam he could not have possibly dreamed of two worldwide tours. He was just thinking that Adam had the voice to cover a Queen song well. Then came the invitation to come to the finale, and they met there.
But at that time, Adam was not all that hot on the idea of singing with Queen. He wanted to get an album out and be known as a current pop star. So whenever the question about Queen came up, and it did, because many noticed how good a match that could be, then Adam downplayed things. But then his second album challenges made him reconsider a bit, and he took the offer to sing at the EMA's, and the rest is history.
I-heart was quite a bit later, and only after the 6 concert tour in 2012. Adam is one fast learner, and they noticed. Kiev was a stretch even for Adam, but nobody on this planet outside of Adam could have pulled off what he did that concert. And then he improved with every concert, and they noticed, and by the time they did the Hammersmith concerts, Adam was in top form and was able to be playful and engage the audience, like truly be a frontman. It really took only about three shows to get him to that level, it was astounding.
But then there was a break, and they each could assess the situation, and Adam got his next album out. And then came i-heart, and I guess, Adam was in a different place, and B&R had some time to reflect on everything, and they noticed the reaction they got in America, and it just whetted their appetite for more. And they also noticed how much fun they were having, which I think was an important factor for B&R. They loved it again, and that they had not felt in earlier years with others like PR.
And when the first US tour became such a success, then everyone realized, including they themselves, that their career had just entered a new phase they never thought they would have, and Adam is now their second frontman.
So, this is how I would read the development of this relationship, including its start during idol.
