Revolver asked Mlny Parsonz, the frontwoman of Royal Thunder, to select her favorite five vocalists of all time ahead of the band’s 2023 US tour, which is due to begin in July. So, while compiling her list, she revealed who she thought could fill Freddie Mercury’s shoes. The singer began by praising Mercury and his musical abilities, saying: “I admire this man’s tenacity. I understand that perfection does not exist outside of nature, yet Freddie Mercury’s was like a rocket flare penetrating through the water and ejecting from the water, erupting into a wild fiery firework display, which may transform into snow on its way down. That motherf-cker had a great voice.”
Then, mentioning George Michael, she highlighted how the two gave off similar vibes: “No one could fill Freddie Mercury’s shoes, but I believe (and he did at one point) that George Michael could fit into them and walk the miles.” I’ll never forget that booty-shakin’, blue-jean-wearing absolute hottie that lit up my TV screen in the 1980s.
He, too, had this assurance, and he walked with such ease from one note to the next, much like Freddie. He spun around the instruments like a ballroom dancer who thought no one was watching. But I noticed him. He was a wizard.” In 1992, Michael played with Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He performed the songs ’39,’ ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives,’ and ‘Somebody to Love’ with the band. These performances sparked speculation about whether the ‘Careless Whisper’ singer would take over for the late vocalist, with some industry heavyweights supporting the idea. Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, for example, told Classic Rock in 2006:
“All those brilliant singers, and none of them could do everything he could.” That’s why I believe Queen should have brought in both Paul Rodgers and George Michael… between them, they could cover the most of what Freddie performed on his own!” Despite these ideas, George Michael did not become a member of Queen. He had a distinct career until his death in 2016, and his last performance was in October 2012 at London’s Earls Court.