Adam Lambert, Queen, and Creativity

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My buddy, composer/producer Steve Ouimette (who I recently sat on a panel with at the 2012 NAMM show), initiated a conversation a week or so ago on Facebook about the legendary rock band Queen. In particular, he referred to the recent rumors that eighth season American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert might be fronting a few upcoming gigs for the group.

The reaction to this news, as you might imagine, has been mixed. While Lambert certainly has a fanbase, the majority of comments are coming from longtime Queen fans, and especially fans of the late Freddie Mercury, the band's original lead vocalist and co-writer of some of Queen's greatest hits. Upon the news breaking in a UK newspaper two weeks ago, people all over the globe have weighed in on the social webs, calling Lambert's alleged appointment everything from "sacrilegious" and "an absolutely horrible choice", and making statements like, "Freddie is rolling over in his grave."

This raucous is not dissimilar to when Arnel Pineda was hired by Neal Schon to front Journey (and before him, Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto), replacing Journey's iconic Steve Perry. The bombs of dissension that followed that announcement were very much akin to those being lobbed at Lambert: "No [Steve] Perry, no Journey!" "Steve Perry IS Journey!" I even saw some people react with the assertion that Neal Schon is now "old" and needs so badly to carry on his Journey glory days that he'll "do anything for a buck". (This particular reasoning is flawed even if you know a fraction about what kind of money Schon and Co. make every year just from the royalty rights to "Don't Stop Believing". Neal and the boys — Perry included — ain't hurting for cash, trust me.)

Creatives Never Stop Creating

In my mind, people are missing a key point to this whole conversation: Creatives don't stop creating because someone dies or leaves the band. And actually, true Creatives never stop, no matter the circumstances. The entire world could implode on itself… Creatives will keep making stuff. This is evidenced by the sheer number of quality pieces of music that have been authored during some of the more tumultuous times in world history. Art, it seems, loves a good conflict.

Creatives have to create. If you are a Creative, or are in a place to observe one, you know this is true. I'm not a religious guy, but if I were to entertain the thought of a God in heaven who created the Universe, then I would have to assume that there is life on other planets. Why? Because as a Creative, He wouldn't just "throw in the towel" after seven days of what the Bible would have you believe was apparently pretty effortless work for Him.

For Creatives, making stuff is simply in us. We have to do it. Brian May and his band are all creative people. They need to create. The ecology by which the majority of their creative output has been realized came about by a delivery mechanism that included a capable singer/showman at center stage. Why would we even question that formula from a group of men who perfected that to their degree with a guy who is no longer around? Creatives don't just "quit" the business of making things because a creative partner passes away or decides not to carry on the partnership any longer. In fact, usually those kinds of losses only serve to fuel the creative fire and push harder the drive to create in the first place.

"Creator" vs. "Createe"

If I may be so bold, I believe that the people who are bemoaning Adam Lambert's alleged affiliation with Queen are overlooking something really big in their hasty rushes to judgement: Sometimes, the business of creating is not about the recipients of the creative work. Not even by a long shot. Sometimes it's more about the satisfaction an artist gets from simply creating something for himself or herself. Sometimes, we just need to keep going, whether you like what we're putting out or not. Sometimes, it just doesn't matter at all if you like it. And sometimes, we don't give a damn if it ever does.

You may hate Adam Lambert's guts and feel that his potential addition to Queen will ruin a great thing.

So what.

Hate to burst your bubble, but this one's probably not about you.

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