i understand that you are a fan of the lated fromy mercury from the -- late freddy mercury from rock'n' roll fame. can you explain that? >> i wasn't really a fan but in his obituary i read he was a farsi, i come from a really small minority in india, freddy mercury, balsara, a very common farsi name. he is a great performer. i'm not at home with his music. which is not also a criticism, it's just not my stuff. but he's a really great performer. and i'm sorry, i didn't meet him. >> rock 'n' roll you described as predictable. but what do you make of how popular it is and the effect it has on pop culture? >> while it has had a pretty long life, when it first started some of us didn't think it would last but it has lasted. but recently in new york, i went to a theater where i saw a musical, dedicated 90 minutes to jazz. now, jazz is a style which has been dying out. and people like winton marsalis has reinvigorated this old style. 90 minutes of jazz, i was in heaven. that was the pop music that i grew.with. when i was a student in vienna i would go to concerts of louis armstrong and sudd

british band played with lambert in the past and he's always been a really big fan of the late freddie mercury991, one of the greatest rock singers of all time. some very, very big shoes to fill there. and the tour kicks off june 19th in chicago. >> man, oh, man, trying to fill freddie mercury's shoes. you know what, you just don't. >> do your own style. >> if you try to imitate him, forget it. >>> now a look at today's celebrity birthdays. actor and march martial artist, tough guy, chuck norris, 74. >> beautiful sharon stone turns 56 today. looking fabulous. >> "mad men's" john hamm celebrates his 43rd birthday. >> singer carrie underwood turns 31. >> and actress olivia wilde turns 31. happy birthday, everyone. happy birthday, everyone. e turns 31. happy birthday, everyone. at ai. fresh coastal waters and silver lotus is a part of our limited edition national park collection. air wick. the craft of fragrance. with tampax radiant -- whatever i want. [ female announcer ] tampax radiant protects 30% better. plus, it comes with a resealable wrapper for discreet disposal. you'll be ready to wear a

. >>> queen hits the road this summer with american idol alum adam lambert as their freddie mercury fill-insic icons, first footage from a jimi hendrix biopic hits the internet thursday. it looks at andre 3,000 in the lead role. always entertaining. >>> remember isaiah washington, he's making a one episode comeback in gray's anatomy. he was fired from the show in 2007 after on set clashes and anti-gay remarks. >> i didn't know it was still on tv. >> a series that has a lot of legs, my friend. >>> the new trailer for grace of monaco features nicole kidman doing her best impression of the hitchco hitchcock muse turned royalty. the princess of monaco. >> you think she can pull it off? >> i think she can. it is a story that everybody in america loves to talk about. >> she has the grace. everyone loves a -- >> and looks good, so far. we'll see how it turns out. i'm richard lui. this is "early today." we hope it is just your first stop of the day right here on nbc. [ male announcer ] v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from tea packed with real juice from delicious fruits and veggies. it's wh

mercury. >> i'm sorry. freddie. that this was a dream come true. >> it is. >> we saw, in fact, sing a little queen in the audition process for "american idol." >> yeah. >> and it feels like it fits. what, though, about this filling freddie's shoes really resonates with you? >> to get onstage with these two amazing rock royalty members, yes, royalty -- >> oh, gosh. >> honestly it's -- queen is one of the quintessential rock bands of all time. they have formed like music that no one has ever heard before and they've influenced bands for years to come. to be able to bring these songs to life on stage. >> and we feel that adam is one of the few singers that actually can deliver our songs. >> probably the only singer. >> so, hey, guys -- >> absolutely. >> all right. so, again, it is a tour that will be kicking off later this summer, north american summer tour. june 19th in chicago. again, my congratulations to you, adam. >> come see us. it's going to be amazing, you guys. amazing summer tour. >> it's going to be terrific