In 2011, Marc Martel posted a video covering Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” This week the clip resurfaced online, with former NBA star and popular Twitter personality Rex Chapman praising the two-minute performance.
Videos by American Songwriter
Martel recorded the Queen song as part of an audition for Queen’s official tribute show, The Queen Extravaganza. And after watching the footage, it’s unnecessary to say, but he got the gig.
Not only that, Martel was asked to record some of the vocals imitating Queen frontman Freddie Mercury for the award-winning biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Check out Martel singing below.
Today, according to Martel’s website, he is a comedian and musician living in Nashville.
His bio reads, “Long before his YouTube videos went viral, spawning an appearance on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ and a performance with the surviving members of Queen on ‘American Idol,’ Marc Martel spent 13 years recording and touring the globe with Canadian rockers downhere.”
“I grew up believing a lie that I had to have one sound as a singer, but after I put that false belief aside, I realized I can have as many sides as I want,” Martel said. “I’m having the best time of my life as a professional musician right now where I’m involved with so many different things it’s impossible to get bored. Between anything Queen-related, my own recordings and these fun little side projects, I’m more diverse and happier as an artist than I’ve ever been!”
As for Queen, the band, along with recent frontman Adam Lambert, have talked about hitting the road for one final tour, perhaps even next year.
The band’s Brian May says he and bandmate Roger Taylor have been discussing the idea of touring again with recent frontman Adam Lambert. The tour, May says, could be the remaining members’ final stint on the road, with Lambert or anyone.
“There’s a strong possibility that we’ll be going out together again. We’re talking about that as you and I speak, making those decisions,” May told Variety. “Now, it does get to be more of a decision as you get older. I’m not 35 anymore, and leaving home for two months is not easy. But we feel as like if we’re all fit and well, that we’d like to go out there one more time. It would probably be in the United States in 2023 at some point.”
Well, if Lambert can’t go, the British rock band knows they can likely tap Martel!
Photo Steve Jennings / Wire Image
