Oscars 2019: Adam Lambert & Queen Rock Oscars Stage With Tribute To Freddie Mercury [VIDEO]

Instead of snarky jokes or a Billy Crystal-style clip montage as the opener, the audience was greeted by Adam Lambert, original Queen guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor performing “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.”

The audience was enraptured by the performances, rocking out to the music until a giant image of the late Freddie Mercury hovered over the stage, wrapping up the performances as the crowd stood for an ovation.

Lambert has a long connection with Queen, going back to his days on American Idol. He’s been touring with the band since 2011.

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Queen is the subject of director Bryan Singer‘s Bohemian Rhapsody, a Best Picture nominee and the most successful rock biopic in history. It stars Rami Malek as the eponymous lead singer, Freddie Mercury, which earned Malek a Best Actor win. The film also has a small cameo from Lambert.