Robbie Williams Rejected Queen’s Offer to Join the Band

(Photo by Felipe Trueba – Pool/Getty Images)

Robbie Williams shared that he was once invited to join Queen, but denied the offer because he felt like he couldn’t replace Freddie Mercury.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Williams said he received the offer back in 2001 when he re-recorded “We Are the Champions” with Queen for the soundtrack of A Knight’s Tale. Recalling the recording process, Williams said it was amazing to be “in the recording booth with Roger [Taylor] and Brian [May]. … And to be in the room with real history – proper history – felt absolutely incredible.”

The recording process apparently went so well that the band asked Williams to join the band. The singer ended up declining though, saying “even though I’m very confident here on the microphone,” he has “very low self-esteem.

I just thought I’d save them the audacity of me even trying to step on a stage and be the same echelon as Freddie Mercury,” he continued. “He, to me, is angelic. He’s godlike. It was just too scary.”

Watch the full interview below.