Queen died when Freddie Mercury died.

Numbers of people have tried to revive the feeling. Brian May and Roger Taylor tried to keep the spirit going. Paul Rodgers of Bad Company tried to save it, but nothing has brought the feeling back.

Last week, Rolling Stone reported that the British group had found a new lead singer — Adam Lambert.

WIL PETTY

As soon as I heard the news, I was in shock. I grew up with “Radio Gaga” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” I got numerous headaches head-banging to the heavier parts of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and lost count of the number of times I stomped to “We Will Rock You.”

So I, like other millions of fans, am immediately skeptical of this replacement. There’s no need for Queen to become tarnished.

I’ll put it like this: what’s next? Big Brother & the Holding Company with Britney Spears? Are Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl going to reform Nirvana with the surviving member of Milli Vanilli?

There is bound to be a shortcoming on the part of Lambert. These are some big shoes to fill, son.

My fear is that the other musicians in Queen are trying to remain relevant. And the last thing we need is another Chickenfoot or a “Chinese Democracy.” Or, most likely to occur, having some watered down generic pop that barely breaks the top 40 from a band who was once on top of the world.

But is Queen even going to start recording new material? Can Lambert do Mercury justice? Does he have the mix of the onstage persona and vocal talent that Mercury had?

Oh, yeah, of course. After all, he was a runner-up on “American Idol” and had one song that reached No. 10 in the top 40 charts.

Mercury had such a major influence on pop music. He made stadium anthems what they are. He created elaborate ballads which no one can try to topple.

Who do you think made ballads what they were? Roxy Music? Oh no, I bet it was Cinderella or Whitesnake.

You can accuse me of jumping to conclusions or of being a music snob, and I will own up to it.

I am also aware of the outcries of “Adam is not trying to be Freddie” and “Queen is not trying to be what it was in the ‘80s.” Yet, the members keep the name.

And if I turn out to be wrong, I will eat my own words and admit the band still has it.

Of course, I sincerely doubt that will happen.

It’s just in all honesty, it’s time to move on and hang it up.

Queen had its heyday and it’s something the band will never get back.

It’s time for the rest of the members to let it go and break free.

Why? Because Queen died when Freddie died.

—  Wil Petty is a junior from Loganville majoring in journalism