Martel - The Mercurotti

Clip recap:

Marc Martel. A duet of two of my favorite musical influences, Freddie Mercury and Luciano Pavarotti. This is one continuous performance from start to finish, shot in one take, using two cameras. No audio has been cut or replaced. (I added the “Pavarotti” harmony for "Vincero, Vincero!" afterwards, since I have yet to master singing in both voices simultaneously. Stay tuned, though.)

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

Adam Lambert To Tour With Queen

ABC News reports:

Singer Adam Lambert, who gained fame when he appeared on “American Idol,” will join the classic rock band, Queen, in a North American tour this summer, Lambert and original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor announced today in an appearance on “Good Morning America.” “Queen is one of the quintessential rock bands of all time…they’ve influenced bands for years to come,” Lambert said today in a live appearance on “GMA,” adding that it’s a dream come true “to be able to bring these songs to life on stage” with “rock royalty members.” The legendary British band has performed with Lambert on a number of occasions in recent years, both in the U.S. and overseas, but the band has never actually toured with the former “American Idol” finalist in North America.

Ben Whishaw To Play Freddie Mercury

Openly gay British actor Ben Whishaw has been cast to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic to be directed by Dexter Fletcher.

Mercury died in 1991 of complication from AIDS, but it is said his last days will not be the subject of the film. Sacha Baron Cohen was due to play the Queen frontman but left the production in July over “creative differences” with the band. The Borat star reportedly wanted to make a gritty “tell-all” about the gay singer, while the band wanted a more family-friendly film. Whishaw, who starred in BBC TV series The Hour, is due to reprise his role as Q in Bond 24 in 2015. He will also star as Herman Melville in The Heart of the Sea, a Warner Bros film about the whale attack that spawned Moby Dick.

The film will reportedly end with Queen's legendary Live Aid performance in 1985.

Daniel Radcliffe: I Won't Play Freddie

"There is no truth to it at all. It's one of those very, very funny things: it came out of a story in the Daily Star and then you see newspapers like The Guardian using The Star as their source, and it grows and grows [until] it's 'Dan Radcliffe is playing Freddie Mercury!', which I was never going to do. Everyone on the internet who I presume is saying I'm totally wrong for that part is correct. I AM completely wrong for that part! If I'd seen a rumour about me playing Iggy Pop, I'd think, 'Hey, I'd have a go at that - that'd be fun!', but Freddie Mercury? No." - Daniel Radcliffe, speaking to Empire.

Daniel Radcliffe As Freddie Mercury?

The Guardian reports:

Daniel Radcliffe is the latest name in the frame for the planned film biopic of the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury, it has been reported. The Daily Star claimed a source told the paper: "Daniel has been told the part is his if he wants it." Radcliffe's possible casting follows the news in July that original star Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the project, citing a clash between his desire to make a "racy" biopic in contrast to Mercury's erstwhile bandmates, who are said to want a more "family-friendly" approach.

Others that have been suggested for the role include Hugh Jackman, Adam Lambert, Russell Brand, Ewan McGregor and James Franco. But Johnny Depp is said to be the favorite of the bookies who take bets on these sorts of things.