Childhood & Early Life
Adam Lambert was born on 29 January 1982, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, to Leila and Eber Lambert. Soon after his birth, his family relocated to San Diego in California. Lambert started performing in theaters under the aegis of ‘Metropolitan Educational Theater’ network when he was nine years old.
He continued performing under ‘MET2’ while studying in ‘Mount Carmel High School’ and ‘Mesa Verde Middle School.’ He came up with brilliant performances as an active member of Mount Carmel High School’s jazz band, theater, and choir groups. He went to ‘California State University’ in Fullerton after passing out of high school in 2000.
Lambert was only 19 when ‘Anita Mann Productions’ contacted him to perform as a singer temporarily. Starting from 2004 to 2008, he performed in numerous theatrical productions, notable amongst these being ‘Brigadoon,’ ‘The Ten Commandments,’ and ‘110 in the Shade.’
During this period, Adam fronted ‘The Citizen Vein’—a non-mainstream rock band—as well as performed as a demonstration vocalist and as studio musician.
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Career
In 2009, Adam Lambert was in his elements while auditioning for ‘American Idol Season 8’ in San Francisco. By singing highly popular original tracks like ‘Believe, ‘Rock with You,’ ‘Some Kind of Wonderful,’ and ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,’ he made it to the last 13 with ease.
In the subsequent stages of ‘American Idol,’ where episodes were broadcast live across the US, he made an indelible impression on the judges by singing hit singles of Michael Jackson, ‘U2,’ ‘Aerosmith,’ and ‘Led Zeppelin.’
Lambert’s rendition of ‘If I Can’t Have You’ was praised by DioGuardi, one of the judges, as his “most memorable performance.” His recitals of the tracks ‘One’ and ‘Cryin’ ensured his place in the finale.
Adam’s immaculate rendition of three solo tracks, ‘Mad World,’ ‘A Change is Gonna Come,’ and ‘No Boundaries’ impressed the judges, so much so that they almost declared him the winner. Unfortunately, despite his superlative performances, he lost to Kris Allen who believed that Lambert deserved the title as much as he did.
Adam embarked on the ‘American Idols LIVE! Tour’ in July 2009. In the same year, he received the ‘Teen Choice Award’ for ‘Male Reality/Variety Star’ and the ‘Young Hollywood Award’ for ‘Artist of the Year.’
Lambert partnered with a host of celebrated singers, songwriters, and producers, including Linda Perry, Lady Gaga, Matthew Bellamy, Max Martin, and Rob Cavallo for his debut studio record ‘For Your Entertainment.’ The album, which released on 23 November 2009, opened at the third position on ‘US Billboard 200’ and notched up record sales.
‘For Your Entertainment’ received rave reviews and ‘Whataya Want from Me,’ the album’s second single, moved to the 10th spot on ‘Billboard Hot 100,’ making it his topmost charting single at the time.
In June 2010, Lambert commenced on his first global musical tour titled ‘Glam Nation Tour.’ By the end of the journey, he had performed in a total of 113 shows in Europe, USA, and Asia.
His second album ‘Trespassing’ was launched on May 14, 2012, and was a big commercial and critical success. It debuted at number one on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart.
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Lambert debuted on the small screen by portraying Elliot ‘Starchild’ Gilbert in the fifth season of the TV series ‘Glee’ in 2013. ‘Forbes’ magazine voted him as the joint third-highest earning ‘American Idol’ performer in 2013.
‘Legacy Recordings’ released ‘The Very Best of Adam Lambert’ in 2014, which featured commercial recordings from ‘Glee’ and ‘American Idol’ as well as tracks from his first two studio records. Adam, along with the British rock band ‘Queen,’ performed in 35 shows in New Zealand, Australia, North America, Japan, and Korea in 2014.
In 2015, ‘QAL’ (Queen + Adam Lambert) entertained a number of fans in a total of 26 shows, staged in 11 countries in Europe. In the 10th annual staging of the ‘Classic Rock Roll of Honor Awards,’ ‘QAL’ was bestowed with the ‘Band of the Year’ honor.
In 2015, Adam Lambert substituted for Keith Urban in the 14th season of ‘American Idol,’ becoming the first ‘ex-American Idol’ contestant to feature as a judge on the show.
‘Warner Bros Records’ promoted, released, and distributed Lambert’s third studio album ‘The Original High’ on 21 April 2015. The album debuted at the third position on ‘Billboard 200.’ He then went on a tour, visiting countries in Asia, Europe, and the US, performing in television and radio programs.
After releasing a single titled ‘Another Lonely Night’ in 2015, Lambert starred in the television remake of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ He then appeared as one of the judges in the eighth season of ‘The X Factor Australia.’
He continued his tour with ‘QAL’ and announced a worldwide arena tour in 2017. The troupe then appeared in various shows, including ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ where in they released their new track ‘Two Fux.’
In 2019, ‘QAL’ became the first rock band to open at the ‘Oscars’ and continued on their extended ‘The Rhapsody’ tour. He then released his next single ‘New Eyes’ from his next studio album ‘Velvet.’
Personal Life & Legacy
Adam Lambert is a self-proclaimed gay. He considers ‘Led Zeppelin,’ ‘Aerosmith,’ ‘Queen,’ Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and Madonna as his inspiration.
He was in a relationship with Finnish reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen from November 2010 to April 2013. He is currently dating a model named Javi Costa Polo.
He has performed shows for charities as well as donated millions of dollars for charitable causes.
He is a strong advocate of LGBT rights and social activism. He has served as the speaker at the ‘Los Angeles Pride March.’
Facts About Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert has a keen interest in interior design and has been known to redecorate his living spaces frequently to reflect his evolving style and tastes.
In addition to his successful music career, Adam Lambert has also lent his voice to several animated TV shows and movies, including "Phineas and Ferb" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again."
Adam Lambert is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has used his platform to raise awareness and support for various organizations and initiatives in the community.
Despite his larger-than-life stage persona, Adam Lambert is known for being down-to-earth and humble in his interactions with fans and colleagues, often taking the time to connect with them on a personal level.
Adam Lambert has a deep appreciation for fashion and has been praised for his bold and unique sense of style, often experimenting with avant-garde looks that push the boundaries of traditional gender norms.