Queen guitarist Brian May has lavished praise upon Adam Lambert.

The British rockers and the vocal powerhouse announced on Thursday (March 6) that they will be touring North America this summer.

The group will play 19 shows in total across the US and Canada in what is a rare opportunity to see Queen on a sustained run of dates.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, axeman Brian May praised Lambert's abilities and his stage presence, saying:

"When you see Adam, you see a performer. He's performing from his heart. He's interpreting the song. I never had any question that he's the real thing. It's a rare thing to find someone with that much talent and the instrument to put it forward."

When asked if he first saw Lambert on YouTube, drummer Roger Taylor said:

"Yeah. A musician friend of mine in America was like, 'You've gotta check out this guy on Idol'. So we Googled you. His voice was phenomenal. I was just like, 'Wow'."

Lambert interjected: "Thanks guys!"

Taylor continued: "I said you had this sort of slight Elvis look going on. I just thought, 'Wow, what a voice! Those octaves!'. That was my first impression. It was just like anybody else hearing about someone with an extraordinary talent."

Watch Adam Lambert and Queen announce their tour below: