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Adam Lambert

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Not to be confused with Adam Lamberg.

Adam Lambert

Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and actor residing in Los Angeles, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol.[2] Lambert is working on a solo debut album, due out in late 2009.[3]

Early life and education

Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana[4], and lived there for a year before moving out West to California. He grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos in northeastern San Diego and attended Deer Canyon Elementary School, Mesa Verde Middle School, and Mt. Carmel High School, where he was in theater, choir, and frequently performed with the school's jazz band.[5]

Lambert is Jewish[6] and has performed in Hebrew at Jewish events, singing songs such as "Shir LaShalom". He goes to Temple of the Arts in San Diego and has performed the Kol Nidre service on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur[7]. He joins Elliott Yamin as a Jewish front-runner on American Idol. Lambert also performed in The Ten Commandments: The Musical as Joshua, performing the song Is Anybody Listening?[8] to critical acclaim.

Early career

Lambert has been a stage actor since he was about ten years old; he was cast as Linus in San Diego's Lyceum Theater's production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.[9] He also played a part in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer.[10] He was the understudy for the part of Fiyero in the touring and Los Angeles casts of the musical Wicked.[10] Since 2004, he has regularly performed at the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls. He also performed at the Upright Cabaret.

American Idol

Lambert auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco, California. During his initial audition, he sang "Rock with You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Lambert had cited several musical influences, e.g. Queen, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.[1][11] In the semifinals, Lambert was voted into the Top 13, joining fellow Group 2 performers Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. Lambert and Allen became roommates in the Idol mansion, with Allen stating it was due to their neatness.[12]

During Michael Jackson week, he sang "Black or White" leading to praise from all four judges, with Paula Abdul predicting that he would go on to the finals.[13] The following week, Lambert sang a version of "Ring of Fire". While Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Abdul all liked his performance, Cowell called it "indulgent rubbish".[14] On Motown night, Lambert sang an acoustic version of The Miracles', "The Tracks of My Tears". The judges all liked it, and Smokey Robinson, the week's mentor and the original singer-songwriter, gave Lambert a standing ovation. For his Top 8 performance, Lambert sang the 2001 Gary Jules arrangement of "Mad World". Because the show had exceeded its time slot, only Cowell gave a critique, which he did by simply giving Lambert a standing ovation. During the results next night, the other judges agreed that a standing ovation was the best critique of Lambert's performance.[15] For his second Top 7 performance, Lambert sang "If I Can't Have You", delivering what DioGuardi described as his "most memorable performance", while Cowell described his vocals as "immaculate". Abdul was reduced to tears, with host Ryan Seacrest joking that Lambert had melted her into a "pool of Abdul".[16] In the Top 4, Lambert was the first to sing, performing "Whole Lotta Love". Cowell commented, "that was one of my favourite performances... nobody can top that now", while Abdul, punning on the song's title, described Lambert's performance as "a whole lotta perfect".

Photos of Lambert kissing a man surfaced in the middle of the Idol season; they were shown and discussed by commentators on The O'Reilly Factor; the panel agreed that the images would likely have no impact on the competition.[17] Lambert confirmed that the photos were of him, stating he had nothing to hide and has always been open about his life.[18] Mainstream media speculation centered on Lambert's sexuality; presuming he was gay, he would be the first gay American Idol.[19][note 1] Much of the media focus regarded the readiness of American Idol voters for an openly gay winner.[19] Asked by Rolling Stone whether the speculation surrounding his sexual orientation impacted the final vote, Lambert laughed and said "probably".[20][21] Lambert confirmed that he was gay in a cover story interview with Rolling Stone, stating that "I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear I'm gay... I'm proud of my sexuality. I embrace it. It's just another part of me."[22]

For the top three show, Lambert chose to sing at his alma mater, Mt. Carmel High School.[23] While there, he performed both Michael Jackson's "Black or White", and the Gary Jules version of Tears for Fears' "Mad World."[24] After his performance, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared May 8 "Adam Lambert Day."[25]

On May 20, 2009, Lambert was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol. Lambert performed a medley of "Beth", "Detroit Rock City", and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with rock band KISS during the final episode. His version of the winning single "No Boundaries" was later released on iTunes alongside American Idol winner Kris Allen's version.

Upon winning, Allen said "Adam deserved this." Explaining this remark, Allen said that he thought Lambert deserved to win as much as he did, and that Lambert "was the most consistent person all year. He was seriously one of the most gifted performers that I've ever met."[26]

Performances

Week # Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition N/A "Rock with You"
"Bohemian Rhapsody" 		Michael Jackson
Queen 		N/A Advanced
Hollywood First Solo "What's Up" 4 Non Blondes N/A Advanced
Hollywood Group Performance "Some Kind of Wonderful" Soul Brothers Six N/A Advanced
Hollywood Second Solo "Believe" Cher N/A Advanced
Top 36/Semi-Final 2 Billboard Hot 100 Hits to Date "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" The Rolling Stones 12 Advanced
Top 13 Michael Jackson "Black or White" Michael Jackson 11 Safe
Top 11 Grand Ole Opry "Ring of Fire" Anita Carter 5 Safe
Top 10 Motown "The Tracks of My Tears" The Miracles 8 Safe
Top 9 Top Downloads "Play That Funky Music" Wild Cherry 8 Safe
Top 8 Year They Were Born "Mad World" Tears for Fears 8 Safe
Top 7 Songs from the Cinema "Born to Be Wild" - Easy Rider Steppenwolf 3 Safe
Top 71 Disco "If I Can't Have You" Yvonne Elliman 5 Safe
Top 5 Rat Pack Standards "Feeling Good" Sammy Davis, Jr. 5 Bottom 3
Top 4 Rock and Roll Solo
Duet 		"Whole Lotta Love"
"Slow Ride" with Allison Iraheta 		Led Zeppelin
Foghat 		1
6 		Safe2
Top 3 Judge's Choice (Simon Cowell)
Contestant's Choice 		"One"
"Cryin'" 		U2
Aerosmith 		3
6 		Safe
Top 2 Contestant's Choice
Simon Fuller's Choice
Coronation Song 		"Mad World"
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
"No Boundaries" 		Tears for Fears
Sam Cooke
Kris Allen/Adam Lambert 		1
3
5 		Runner-up


  • Template:Fnb Due to the judges using their one save to save Matt Giraud, the Top 7 remained intact for an additional week.
  • Template:Fnb It was only announced that Allison Iraheta received the lowest number of votes this week. The other member(s) of the bottom two or three were never revealed, and the safe contestants were announced in random order.

Post-Idol

Billboard magazine confirmed on May 22 that Lambert is working on a solo album, which is expected to be released some time in 2009. He stated that he would love to work with Slash, stating "When I was working with Slash I felt at home." Lambert also stated that his solo album will have a variety of sounds.[27] Rock group Queen, with whom Lambert performed on the season finale, are said to be considering asking Lambert to be their new frontman.[28] Lambert was a guest in Larry King Live (guest hosted by Ryan Seacrest) along with winner Kris Allen, judge Paula Abdul, and the rest of the top ten finalists. He has said that he plans to create a multi-genre album calling it a "rock-pop-electronic-dance thing".[29] His debut single, "No Boundaries", was released on May 20, 2009, on iTunes with Allen's version. In his Rolling Stone magazine cover article, Adam confirmed that he is in fact gay, saying he never came out as gay because he was always openly gay.[30] It has been confirmed that Lambert will be working with producers Greg Wells and RedOne on his debut album, due this fall.[31]

On June 19, 2009, Hi Fi Recordings and Wilshire Records revealed that they would be releasing On With the Show, a compilation of songs Lambert had recorded prior to American Idol while working as a session musician.[32] The album's first single is "Want."[33]Lambert later issued a statement through 19 Entertainment stating, "Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on."[34]

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)
US AUS CAN GER UK
2009 On With the Show [35]

  • Songs recorded by Lambert prior to American Idol while working as a session musician
  • Released: Summer 2009
  • Label: Hi Fi/Wilshire

 — — — — —
  • RIAA: TBA
  • CRIA: TBA
  • US Sales: TBA
  • World Sales: TBA

TBA [35]

  • Debut album
  • Released: Fall 2009
  • Label: RCA/19

 — — — — —
  • RIAA: TBA
  • CRIA: TBA
  • US Sales: TBA
  • World Sales: TBA

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
U.S. CAN NZ UK
2009 "No Boundaries"A 72[36] 52[37] 38[38] 32 American Idol Season 8[39]
"Want" [35] — — — — On With the Show
  • A Current single.

Digital singles

These songs all charted from legal digital downloads.

Year Single Chart Positions Album
U.S. U.S. Pop CAN
2009 "Mad World" 19[40] 30[41] 10[42] American Idol
live performances
"A Change Is Gonna Come" 56[43] — 59[44]
"One" 82[45] — 84[46]
"Cryin'" 102[47] — 75[48]
"Slow Ride" (with Allison Iraheta) 105[49] — —
"The Tracks of My Tears" 117[50] — —
"Feeling Good" 121[51] — —

Digital albums

This album charted from legal digital downloads.

Year Album Chart Positions Sales
U.S U.S
2009 Season 8 Favorite Performances 33[52] 30,000+[53]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result
2009 Young Hollywood Awards Artist of the Year Awarded[54]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Male Reality/Variety Star TBA
Choice Summer Tour (shared with American Idol Top 10) TBA
Choice Red Carpet Icon - Male TBA

Notes

  1. ^ Clay Aiken, American Idol (season 2) runner-up came out as gay in 2008. Will Young, the 2002 winner of the inaugural Pop Idol contests on which all the other Idol series are based, pre-emptively came out as gay after he won.

References

  1. ^ a b Adam Lambert Biography Allmusic.com
  2. ^ American Idol
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ "Adam Lambert on Live With Regis & Kelly". 26 May 2009.
  5. ^ San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer (24 February 2009). "'Idol' hopeful banks on theatrics to snag a spot". Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Gil (2009-06-09). "Adam Lambert Talks About His Crush On Kris Allen". MTV.com. Retrieved 2009-06-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywoodjew/item/adam_lambert_the_jewish_american_idol_20090429/
  8. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvwcJUhIa0U
  9. ^ Rocchio, Christopher (2 March 2009). "Adam Lambert dishes on making 'American Idol's Top 12 finals". Reality TV World. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  10. ^ a b Broadway.com staff (26 February 2009). "Headlines: Wicked's Adam Lambert Makes American Idol Top 12". Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ "Idols move into the Idol Mansion". Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  13. ^ "MJs Top 13 Performances Recap & Review". Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  14. ^ "Psychotic State: American Idol". Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  15. ^ "Performances and Reviews". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  16. ^ "TV-Watch: Kris Allen "Works Hard" to "Stay Alive" on Disco Night". Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  17. ^ "Gay Talk Surrounds Adam Lambert of 'Idol'".
  18. ^ "Adam Lambert: America's First Gay 'Idol'?".
  19. ^ a b "Adam Lambert: Shaking Up 'Idol': He's the most exciting American Idol contestant in years: Huge voice, over-the-top theatrics...and that whole Is he gay? thing. He's a true original -- and just what the show needed." By Mark Harris, Entertainment Weekly,
  20. ^ "Adam Lambert Talks “American Idol” Finale, Sexuality, Katy Perry" Chris Harris, Rolling Stone. 5/22/2009.
  21. ^ "American Idol: Adam Lambert admits gay speculation hurt him" Reid Kerr, San Francisco Examiner. 25 May 2009.
  22. ^ Idol Adam Lambert 'comes out' in print, USA Today
  23. ^ "American Idol puts on a show for MC". Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  24. ^ "Adam Lambert Hits San Diego". Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  25. ^ "Adam Lambert Gets His Hometown Hurrah". Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  26. ^ "Kris Allen's Thoughts on Idol and the Future". Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  27. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/american-idol-runner-up-adam-lambert-thrilled-1003976209.story "'American Idol' Runner-Up Adam Lambert 'Thrilled' About The Future", Billboard Magazine, 22 May 2009.
  28. ^ [3] "Queen Considering 'Idol's' Lambert As Frontman", Billboard Magazine, 23 May 2009.
  29. ^ ]http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghUIXxEvFDqm_ZlsTiEOcRZ9x9TwD98E8M580]
  30. ^ Grigoriadis, Vanessa (June 9, 2009). "The Liberation of Adam Lambert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-06-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ [4]
  32. ^ [5]
  33. ^ http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS307&q=on%20with%20the%20show%20lambert&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=want+adam+lambert&hl=en&emb=1
  34. ^ Billboard article: "Adam Lambert Pre-'Idol' Debut Album Due This Summer"
  35. ^ a b c [6]
  36. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3108817&cdi=10213340&cid=06%2F06%2F2009
  37. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=793&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Canadian+Hot+100&ci=3108800&cdi=10212643&cid=06%2F06%2F2009
  38. ^ http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp
  39. ^ http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/06/american-idol-season-8-album-exclusive-track-listing.html
  40. ^ [7]
  41. ^ [8]
  42. ^ [9]
  43. ^ [10]
  44. ^ [11]
  45. ^ [12]
  46. ^ [13]
  47. ^ [14]
  48. ^ [15]
  49. ^ [16]
  50. ^ [17]
  51. ^ [18]
  52. ^ Billboard.com (2009-05-27). "Idols inundate Hot 100, but Glee gloats with top debut". Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  53. ^ USA Today (2009-06-17). "Jordin Sparks' 'Battlefield' this week's best-selling Idol download". Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  54. ^ http://www.hollywoodlife.com/Article.aspx?articlepath=RSS\Features\20090605\Young-Hollywood-Awards-Full-List-of-Winners.xml&cat=features&subcat=&pageid=1

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