Mary Lambert: I consider Madonna my friend, she’s wonderful

Update #1: Interview with Pride Source & EW added
Update #2: Interview with Dallas Voice added

Mary Lambert, who performed with Madonna at the Grammy Awards, sat down with Queerty to talk about the huge event…

Queerty: At the Grammys you got to perform the “Same Love” chorus as a duet with Madonna. Was she already familiar with you and the song?
Mary Lambert: Yeah, which was crazy. She knew the song. I’m still processing what that means. That’s my life now.

Queerty: Did you two chat?
Mary Lambert:Yeah, totally. We had two days of rehearsals together. I consider her a friend now. I was very emotional, not just from the song but from the fact that people were getting married during the song and Madonna was singing my lyrics. There was a moment when I was crying and she wiped my tears away. She’s wonderful.

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She also gave an interview about the event to Michigan website PrideSource…

PrideSource: What was it like being part of the wedding ceremony?
Mary Lambert: Honestly, that was the most emotional part. Being in rehearsal and hearing Madonna sing my words and hearing the choir come in, that was emotional, but being in the dress rehearsal at the Grammys and watching the couples come in, I couldn’t get through the song for almost every rehearsal. I wasn’t sure how I was gonna perform because it was so beautiful. You saw on their faces how much it meant to them, and I knew how much it would mean to the viewer. How do you process that? It’s the most beautiful thing that exists in the world.

PrideSource: What were rehearsals with Madonna like?
Mary Lambert: We had long rehearsals – and I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we got to know each other’s mannerisms and how we operate. I consider her a friend. She was very kind to me, and because we had to work together, I had to be like, “Hey, this is how I sing the song.” (Laughs)

PrideSource: Is it weird telling Madonna how to sing?
Mary Lambert :Uh yeah! Everybody froze when I was like, “Hey, Madonna, do you think you could try singing it like this – the way I sing it?” (Laughs)

PrideSource: Were you at all intimidated by that?
Mary Lambert:I was a little shaky when I first met her because her entourage came in and she said, “I’m Madonna.” But, I think it was during dress rehearsal, she had her leather gloves on and I’m sobbing watching these people who are about to exchange their vows and she leans over – and she’s wiping the tears from my face with her leather gloves and looking at me! I’m like, “What the fuck is my life?” Like, what do you do? You just let Madonna wipe your tears, that’s what you do. (Laughs)

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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said…

When the gospel choir started singing during rehearsals, I couldn’t stop crying, like I worried that something was broken.
Madonna goes, ‘should I be crying for the performance too?’
As the couples were coming forward to practice the ceremony, one of them mouthed ‘thank you’ at me. I think I might have flipped him off. Really, dude? Now I’m crying again and Madonna is going to have to sing my part.

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Mary Lambert sat down with Dallas Voice‘s Chris Azzopardi to discuss the Grammy performance, her new EP and what it’s like having Madonna dry your tears.

Dallas Voice: You must be pinching yourself. What was your Grammy experience like?

Mary Lambert: It was really emotional from start to finish. I already feel like Cinderella because I was bartending last year and didn’t know how I was gonna pay rent. Now I’ve been nominated for a Grammy — and I took my mom, which was a dream of mine — but then to be able to do this song, and to do it on this magnitude with this beautiful choir and fucking Madonna and Queen Latifah, are you kidding me? It’s just stupid, dude. If I really think about it, I lose it.

Dallas Voice: You cry?

Mary Lambert: Yeah, like, “I don’t deserve this.” I’m still working on my positive self-talk.

Dallas Voice: What was it like being part of the wedding ceremony?

Mary Lambert: Honestly, that was the most emotional part. Being in rehearsal and hearing Madonna sing my words and hearing the choir come in, that was emotional, but being in the dress rehearsal at the Grammys and watching the couples come in, I couldn’t get through the song for almost every rehearsal. I wasn’t sure how I was gonna perform because it was so beautiful. You saw on their faces how much it meant to them, and I knew how much it would mean to the viewer. How do you process that? It’s the most beautiful thing that exists in the world.

Dallas Voice: What were rehearsals with Madonna like?

Mary Lambert: We had long rehearsals. I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we got to know each other’s mannerisms and how we operate. I consider her a friend. She was very kind to me, and because we had to work together, I had to be like, “Hey, this is how I sing the song.”

Dallas Voice: Is it weird telling Madonna how to sing?

Mary Lambert: Uh. yeah! Everybody froze when I was like, “Hey, Madonna, do you think you could try singing it like this — the way I sing it?”

Dallas Voice: Were you at all intimidated by that?

Mary Lambert: I was a little shaky when I first met her because her entourage came in, and she said, “I’m Madonna.” But, I think it was during dress rehearsal, she had her leather gloves on, and I’m sobbing watching these people who are about to exchange their vows and she leans over – and she’s wiping the tears from my face with her leather gloves and looking at me! I’m like, “What the fuck is my life?” Like, what do you do? You just let Madonna wipe your tears, that’s what you do.