Adam Lambert took time out from his regular job fronting Queen to return to his roots last night.

He served as a mentor on American Idol, 10 years after a runner-up finish on the televised singing contest. Appropriately, the Top 8 finishers each performed a Queen song.

Walter Burroughs sang "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," after receiving some tips on loosening up on stage from Lambert. Madison VanDenberg, who sang “The Show Must Go On,” earned particular praise from Lambert: “Your voice is nuts.” Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon also changed the arrangement on “Who Wants to Live Forever” with some encouragement from Lambert.

Alejandro Aranda tackled “Under Pressure,” while Laine Hardy selected “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Lambert focused on phrasing before Laci Kaye Booth's performance of “Love of My Life.” Wade Cota updated “We Are the Champions.” Lambert praised Alyssa Raghu's “natural theatricality” during a solo performance of “Somebody to Love.”

The finalists began the evening with Queen's "We Will Rock You." Burroughs and Raghu were later eliminated.

You can watch a clip below.

Lambert initially rose to fame – and connected with his future bandmates in Queen – on the Season 8 finale of American Idol in 2009, when Brian May and Roger Taylor joined him for a show-closing performance of "We Are the Champions." Lambert ended up coming in second to Kris Allen that night, but impressed May and Taylor enough that they recruited him to join Queen.

The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, a new documentary detailing their lengthy collaboration, premieres tonight on ABC. An already sold-out U.S. Rhapsody tour with Queen follows in July and August.

 

 

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