| Adam Lambert | |
|---|---|
Adam Lambert at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards (2010) |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adam Mitchel Lambert |
| Born | January 29, 1982 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Origin | Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego |
| Genres | Pop,[1] pop rock[1] |
| Occupations | Musician, singer-songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | 19, RCA |
| Website | adamofficial.com |
Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and stage actor. Born in Indianapolis, yet raised in San Diego, Lambert had dreamed of becoming a performer after appearing in numerous amateur productions in his childhood. His passion overtook him when deciding to drop out of college, pursue his career, and perform in various professional theatrical productions across the world.
Lambert came to prominence following his appearance on the eighth season of American Idol.[2] Although he was runner-up, Lambert launched a music career after signing with 19 Recordings in a joint venture with RCA Records. The release of his debut studio album For Your Entertainment (2009)[3] proved notable after debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 198,000 copies in the United States in its first week,[4][5] and reaching the top ten of several countries worldwide. His achievement on the album led to international success for its singles "For Your Entertainment", "Whataya Want from Me" and "If I Had You"; the release of an extended play Acoustic Live! (2010) and a live album Glam Nation Live (2011); and allowed him to embark on his first headlining worldwide concert tour, Glam Nation, making him the first American Idol contestant to do so in the year following his Idol season. He is currently working on his second studio album Trespassing (2012), which was preceded by lead single "Better Than I Know Myself".[6]
Influenced by a number of artists before him, Lambert has become recognized for his flamboyant, theatrical and androgynous contributions to the music industry. He has accrued numerous awards, received a 2011 Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and has sold 1.2 million albums and 4.2 million singles worldwide.[7] The Times identified Lambert as the first openly gay mainstream pop artist to launch a career on a major label in the United States[8] while The LA Times ranked him 5th in their list of the top 120 American Idol contestants.[9]
Contents |
Adam Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to parents Leila, an interior designer, and Eber Lambert, a program manager for Novatel Wireless.[10] He has a younger brother, Neil.[11] His father is of "mostly Norwegian" descent[12] and his mother is Jewish; Lambert was raised in his mother's religion[13][14][15] and has since performed in Hebrew at Jewish events, singing songs such as "Shir LaShalom" at a 2005 tribute concert to assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin[13][16] and attending the Temple of the Arts in San Diego in addition to performing at the Kol Nidre service on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.[17] Lambert also performed in Jewish-themed The Ten Commandments: The Musical as Joshua.[18]
Lambert's family moved to California shortly after his birth and he was raised in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego.[19] He attended Deer Canyon Elementary School and began performing with Metropolitan Educational Theatre network from the age of 9 alongside voice lessons.[19] By 10, he had appeared as Linus in a local production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.[20] He continued his passion for performing at Mesa Verde Middle School, where he was a winner in the Airband competition with Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Still thrilled by the stage, Lambert appeared in more musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, Hello, Dolly!, Chess, Camelot, The Music Man, Grease and Peter Pan, where he played played Captain Hook, Big River and The Secret Garden through his childhood.[21][22][23] When he studied at Mount Carmel High School (MCHS), he became heavily involved with theater and choir, and frequently performed vocals with the school's jazz band called MC Jazz.[24] Some of his memorable MCHS performances included Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and "It's Only a Paper Moon" with MC Jazz. After graduating in 2000, he moved to Orange County to attend college. Shortly after enrollment Lambert had a change of heart, and decided that his real desire was to perform. He left school after only five weeks[21] and moved to Los Angeles. "I just decided that what I really wanted to do was try to work in the real entertainment world," he said. "Life is all about taking risks to get what you want."[24]
Aged 19, he toured Anita Mann Productions and worked on a cruise line for ten months[22] before performing in light opera in Orange County, California. At 21, he was cast in a European tour of Hair for six months. That was when he dyed his hair black. In Germany, he started smoking pot and tried Ecstasy.[25] In 2004, he appeared in the Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) production of Brigadoon[26] and a Pasadena Playhouse production of 110 in the Shade,[27] before being cast in the role of Joshua in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer.[28] Lambert was one of the few actors in the play that garnered a positive review.[27] After the casting director for the musical Wicked had heard of Lambert, he was hired as the understudy of the role of Fiyero in addition to being an ensemble member in the first national touring production of the musical from 2005 and the Los Angeles production from 2007. He finished his time with the musical in 2008.[27] In his time between performing in Wicked, Lambert briefly moonlighted as the front man for underground rock band The Citizen Vein with Steve Sidelnyk, Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman.[29][30] Beginning in 2004, he regularly performed at the Upright Cabaret and the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls.
Lambert auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco, California. In a Rolling Stone interview he said his decision to audition for the show came after a week at Burning Man where he experimented with "certain funguses." He went on to say that "I had a psychedelic experience where I looked up at the clouds and went, 'Oh!' I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen."[31]
During his initial audition, he sang "Rock With You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Lambert had cited several musical influences, including Madonna, Queen, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin.[32][33][34] 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.[35]
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.[36] The following week, Lambert sang a version of "Ring of Fire". While Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Abdul all liked his performance, Simon Cowell called it "indulgent rubbish".[37] 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 Michael Andrews and 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.[38] 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".[39] In the Top 4, Lambert was the first to sing, performing "Whole Lotta Love". Cowell commented, "that was one of my favorite 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 romantically kissing another man surfaced while he was competing on American Idol. Initially shown and discussed by commentators on The O'Reilly Factor, the panel agreed that the images would likely have no impact on the competition.[40] Lambert confirmed that the photos were of him, stating he had nothing to hide and has always been open about his life.[41] Mainstream media speculation centered on Lambert's sexuality; presuming he was gay, he would be the first gay American Idol.[42][note 1] Much of the media focus regarded the readiness of American Idol voters for an openly gay winner.[42] Asked by Rolling Stone whether the speculation surrounding his sexual orientation impacted the final vote, Lambert laughed and said "probably".[43] He confirmed that he was gay in a Rolling Stone cover story interview shortly after he was named the American Idol runner-up.[44]
For the top three show, in which each of the three remaining contestants does a hometown visit and performance, Lambert sang both Michael Jackson's "Black or White", and the Michael Andrews / Gary Jules version of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" at his alma mater, Mt. Carmel High School.[45][46] Afterwards, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared May 8, 2009 "Adam Lambert Day."[47]
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. Before the results were announced, Allen and Lambert joined together with Queen’s original guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor to perform the anthem "We Are the Champions".[48]
Upon winning, Allen said, "Adam deserved this." Explaining this remark later, 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."[49]
The LA Times has ranked Lambert 5th in their list of the top 120 American Idol contestants, selected from seasons 1 to 9 of the show.[9]
| Week # | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "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 (1982) | "Mad World" | Tears for Fears | 8 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Songs from the Cinema | "Born to Be Wild" – Easy Rider | Steppenwolf | 3 | Safe |
| Top 7A | Disco | "If I Can't Have You" | Yvonne Elliman | 5 | Safe |
| Top 5 | Rat Pack Standards | "Feeling Good" | Cy Grant | 5 | Bottom 2 |
| Top 4 | Rock and Roll Solo Duet |
"Whole Lotta Love" "Slow Ride" with Allison Iraheta |
Led Zeppelin Foghat |
1 6 |
SafeB |
| 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 |
In May 2009 Billboard magazine confirmed his solo album was expected to be released in November 2009. Lambert stated that he would love to work with Slash, stating "When I was working with Slash I felt at home." He also stated that his solo album would be eclectic, having a variety of sounds.[50] Rock group Queen, with whom Lambert performed on the season finale, were at one point rumored to be considering asking Lambert to be their new frontman.[51] Lambert was a guest on Larry King Live (guest-hosted by Ryan Seacrest) along with Kris Allen, judge Paula Abdul, and the rest of the top ten finalists. In that appearance, he stated that he planned to create a pop-rock, multi-genre album fused with electronic production.[52] Lambert stuck to those intentions; the album he subsequently released conformed highly to his description of the album he planned to make.[53]
Adam Lambert worked with producers Greg Wells, Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, Sam Sparro, RedOne,[3] Dr. Luke, and Linda Perry, among others, in the run-up to the release of his debut album, For Your Entertainment. Aimee Mayo stated on Twitter that she wrote at least two songs for Lambert,[54] one co-written with Ryan Tedder and Chris Lindsey and, another with Ferras, the latter of which was not included for selection. Lady Gaga also reportedly wrote a song that they spent some time recording.[55] On October 28, 2009, Lambert announced via Twitter that his lead single from his debut album would be "For Your Entertainment", a song that was produced by Dr. Luke.[56]
Lambert was recruited to record the soundtrack "Time for Miracles" for the disaster movie 2012 that was released on October 20, 2009 as a side project single. The song was lauded ahead of its release by Queen's guitarist, Brian May, who described himself as being "completely blown away" upon hearing the track.[57] The track "Time for Miracles" also appears on For Your Entertainment.[58]
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.[59] The album's first single is "Want."[60] 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."[61]
Lambert won two awards in 2009: the Young Hollywood Award for Artist of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Male Reality/Variety Star.[62][63] Lambert participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 with his fellow Top 10 contestants; the tour visited 50 cities in the United States and Canada from July 5 to September 15, 2009.
In November, Lambert performed "For Your Entertainment" at the American Music Awards of 2009. The performance showed Lambert kissing a male bassist, grinding a dancer's head against his pelvis, and grabbing the crotch of another. Lambert told Rolling Stone magazine, "Female performers have been doing this for years—pushing the envelope about sexuality—and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out. We're in 2009—it's time to take risks, be a little more brave, time to open people's eyes and if it offends them, then maybe I'm not for them. My goal was not to piss people off, it was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom."[64] In response to his performance, the Parents Television Council, a conservative decency campaigning group,[65] urged viewers to complain to the FCC.[66] The performance, the final one of the night, was broadcast "outside the FCC's usual 6am-10pm time frame prohibiting the broadcast of indecent material".[67] ABC received about 1,500 telephoned complaints and announced he would not perform on Good Morning America on November 25 as planned.[68][69] CBS subsequently invited Lambert to perform instead on The Early Show, on the same date in New York City.[70]
In the months surrounding his album release, Lambert appeared on the cover of a number of high profile magazines including Entertainment Weekly in May 2009,[71] Rolling Stone in June 2009[72] and Details in November 2009.[73] In his Details shoot he was photographed with a nude woman, sparking controversy.[74] His Rolling Stone cover story became the magazine's best selling issue of the year.[75] He appeared on the cover of Out magazine in their "Out 100" issue (11/09),[76] again sparking controversy when Out's publisher issued him an open letter questioning the "gayness" of his image.[77] The Canadian website and magazine Rockstar Weekly published an Adam Lambert fan magazine in February 2010 featuring fun and inspirational stories from Lambert fans around the world. The issue sold-out quickly in its limited first run and was re-issued in October 2010 with extra pages.[78] In April it was revealed that Lambert had been chosen one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People 2010.[79] He appeared on the cover of Japan's May 2010 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, after his single "For Your Entertainment" reached its fifth consecutive number one spot on their radio airplay charts.[80] In November 2011, Lambert appeared on the cover of The Advocate, which included an in-depth interview about his upcoming album and other topics.[81] The issue immediately became a sought after item, since the magazine is available by subscription only.[82]
To support the release of his album, Lambert performed a number of concerts in 2009 and 2010, both in North America and internationally. These included radio-sponsored events, live concerts, and on-line/TV events. In December 2009, he hosted and performed at a number of radio-sponsored Jingle Balls, in New York, Miami, and Tampa, Florida.[83] And, to ring in the New Year, he headlined the Gridlock New Year's Eve 2010 festival at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The event, hosted by Pamela Anderson, benefited the American Red Cross.[84]
In February 2010, Lambert reunited with fellow American Idol contestants Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta for a special "Idols Rock My Town" concert. The free concert was held at the Highline Ballroom in New York City, the winning host city in the national contest sponsored by On Air with Ryan Seacrest and radio station Z100.[85] On February 13, 2010, AOL Music unleashed a special, intimate, five-song mini-concert performed by Adam Lambert on AOL Sessions. He performed, "Whataya Want from Me", "Fever", "Strut", "If I Had You" and "Soaked".[86] On February 15, 2010, he performed another intimate acoustic concert for IHeartRadio, sponsored by Clear Channel Radio and P. C. Richard & Son. At one point, during the singing of "Whataya Want from Me", Lambert stopped the performance to ask an audience member to stop talking on her cell phone.[87]
On February 27, 2010, Lambert performed his first official solo concert, held at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.[88] Lambert played to a sold-out audience of 3,500 fans, some of whom came from as far as Thailand and Australia to attend the concert.[89] On March 31, 2010, Lambert performed a set in Berns, Stockholm, Sweden.[90] In April 2010, he performed two concerts in British Columbia, Canada; the first on April 8 in Coquitlam, BC, and another concert at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond B.C. the following night.[91]
Lambert kicked off his first solo tour on June 4, 2010. The Glam Nation Tour played throughout the United States, with Allison Iraheta and Orianthi. In fall 2010, he took the Glam Nation Tour internationally, and performed throughout Europe and Asia. His concert in Malaysia on October 10, 2010 went ahead as planned, despite protests from an Islamist political party. Lambert performed more than 110 shows in total, nearly all of them sold out.[92][93]
On December 6, 2010, Lambert released an acoustic EP, titled Acoustic Live!, recorded in various countries. The disc included versions of “Whataya Want from Me,” “Music Again,” “Aftermath”, “Soaked” as well as “Mad World”. The EP garnered excellent reviews, and the New York Daily News called it "electrifying".[94][95][96]
On March 22, 2011, Lambert released Glam Nation Live, a CD/DVD recorded at his Indianapolis, Indiana show in August 2010.The package included a 13-track CD and a DVD which featured the concert as well as behind-the-scenes footage.[97]It was well reviewed, with Entertainment Weekly saying that it "sizzles" with the energy that Lambert's vocals bring in a live concert setting.[98] Glam Nation Live debuted at number 1 on the SoundScan Music Video chart.[99] It landed in the number 12 spot on Billboard's year end chart for Music Video sales, 2011.[100]
On May 28, 2011, Lambert performed at the Maxidrom Festival in Moscow, Russia to an estimated crowd of 50,000 people.[101] On July 29, 2011, Lambert performed at the Ste Agathe en Feux Festival in Quebec, Canada. During his set, he premiered a stripped down version of "Outlaws of Love", a song to be released on his untitled second album.[102][103] On August 5, 2011, it was announced that Lambert changed management from 19 Entertainment to Direct Management Group.[104]
On November 6, 2011, Lambert was invited to join the legendary band Queen as lead singer for a special performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the band was honored with the Global Icon Award. In a "spectacular" performance that closed the show, Lambert and Queen presented a medley of the classic hits “The Show Must Go On”, "We Will Rock You", and "We Are the Champions".[105]
On November 18, 2011, Lambert announced his second studio album will be titled Trespassing with a Spring 2012 release date.[106] The title track was co-written with Grammy Award winning Pharrell Williams.[107] As promised, the next morning he tweeted the name of the album's first single, "Better Than I Know Myself", a collaboration with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly.[108] Anticipation for Trespassing's release has been considerable.[109]
On December 9, Roger Taylor was quoted as saying they are in talks with Lambert about fronting some more live shows for Queen, calling the artist "a really great performer with an astonishing voice."[110]
On December 15, 2011, it was announced that Lambert's second studio album Trespassing will be released on March 20, 2012.[6] The lead single, "Better Than I Know Myself", was released on December 20 to all digital retailers.[6]
Lambert has made numerous television appearances since leaving the American Idol stage.
In May 2009, he performed outdoors at the Fifth Avenue studios of CBS' The Early Show with his rendition of “Mad World.”[111] The following morning, he was interviewed on Live with Regis and Kelly, and again performed “Mad World.”[112]
He was interviewed for a segment of the ABC News magazine show 20/20 in June 2009, which was promoted as the first televised discussion by Lambert of his sexuality. The interview reviewed much of his musical career, leading into the up-coming 2009 Idol Tour.[113]
In August 2009, he appeared with fellow Idols David Cook and Kris Allen on the Good Morning America televised concert series held in Central Park, New York City. He sang a nearly acoustic version of Muse’s “Starlight,” which had become part of his set list for the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009, then running concurrently.[114][115]
On November 25, 2009, Lambert performed his single "Whataya Want from Me" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Earlier that day, he had debuted the song live on The Early Show, where he also sang "Music Again" from the newly released For Your Entertainment album. The appearances provided a segue from his controversial American Music Awards performance, that had occurred only days earlier.[116]
Lambert began December 2009 with an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The interview segment covered his AMA performance as well as the newly released For Your Entertainment. Lambert later performed his new single "Whataya Want from Me",[117] which he reprised in an acoustic version on Ellen’s February 10, 2011 show, soon after being nominated for a Grammy Award for his vocal performance of the song.[118] In May 2010, he returned to perform a new single, "If I Had You".[119]
Lambert was chosen for Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009, and appeared on the December 10 show to be interviewed by Walters.[120] That same morning, he appeared on The View, another interview format which also included a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".[121] Both the Barbara Walters special and The View are ABC shows: the same network which had reacted by banning Lambert after receiving complaints following his November American Music Awards appearance. As a result, the performance on The View was pre-recorded.
Lambert appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on December 14, 2009 and performed his single.[122] He provided another live performance two days later on the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Appearing with other superstar artists, Lambert's "Whataya Want from Me" stole the show, according to an MTV review. Earlier that day, he appeared on Chelsea Lately, with host Chelsea Handler.[123]
Lambert appeared for the first time on The Jay Leno Show on December 21, 2009, giving a lengthy interview and performing "Whataya Want from Me".[124] He was invited back in March 2010 to close the second episode of The Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno, with a performance of the song "Sleepwalker" from his debut album.[125] Lambert performed his newly released single "If I Had You" on Leno's May 21, 2010 show.[126]
Lambert began 2010 with a January interview and performance of "If I Had You" on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[127] A few days prior, he was interviewed for the Fuse TV "On the Record" segment.[128] In February, he could be seen as Grammy correspondent on the Red Carpet for Entertainment Tonight.[129] In March, as part of his swing through Australia to promote his album, he performed on "So You Think You Can Dance", as well as the popular morning show "Sunrise".[130] Lambert also did a series of television appearances in Japan,[131] as part of his Asian and European promotional tour.
In the same month, Lambert was selected to inaugurate the newly resurrected award winning VH1 Unplugged concert series, for which he interviewed as well as performed stripped down versions of five songs from For Your Entertainment.[132] March 2010 also saw him as a featured artist on the ABC News Nightline "Playlist" segment, in which he discussed his musical influences and favorite tracks.[133]
In April 2010, Lambert returned to American Idol as the first former contestant to mentor during an Elvis Presley themed week, followed by a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".[134] His contributions drew praise, including from then Idol musical director Rickey Minor.[135] In May, continuing his swing though Europe, he gave a guest interview for Finland X Factor 's the "Chaos Tube," also performing "Whataya Want from Me" on the show.[136]
Lambert appeared on Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards on June 20, 2010, picking up the UR Fav International Video award for "Whataya Want from Me" which he also performed.[137]On November 11, 2010 he was the subject of his own E! True Hollywood Story, which included in-depth interviews with family members, friends, music journalists and others.[138]In December, Lambert was the subject of another in-depth interview for CNN Talk Asia, which he recorded while on the international leg of his tour.[139]
Lambert walked the 2011 Grammy Awards red carpet on February 13, 2011 in honor of his nomination in the Best Male Pop Vocal category for "Whataya Want from Me". He was also one of five participants in the Grammy Social Media Rock Stars Summit, which kicked off a three day online Grammy event preceding the show. Other participants included senior executives from Facebook, Pandora and Foursquare, and Grammy award winner Chamillionaire. The summit focused on issues relevant to music and its interface with social and new media platforms. [140][141]
In the February 19, 2011 episode of MTV’s “10 0n Top”, Lambert was interviewed during a limo ride to the Grammy Award event, where he discussed his nomination, fashion and favorites for the evening. The show focusses on the ten “most texted and talked about young celebs at the moment.”[142][143]
Lambert returned to the American Idol stage for the March 10, 2011 results show, singing an acoustic version of his song "Aftermath", accompanied only by guitar. The track appears in its original form on his debut album For Your Entertainment. After the performance, a dance remix version was made available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting The Trevor Project.[144]
Lambert was profiled in an episode of VH1's celebrated Behind the Music series, which premiered on August 7, 2011. The hour-long documentary featured never-before-seen home video, as well as interviews with friends, family, and music industry experts. Lambert revealed details about a broad range of topics, including early struggles with his sexuality, his experience in the theater, the circumstances that led to his American Idol audition, and the events surrounding the release of his debut album For Your Entertainment.[145]
MTV's "Talk@Playground" presented Lambert with an opportunity to fuse two of his passions, fashion and music. In a piece that aired internationally in September 2011, Lambert was paired with friend and founder of Skingraft Designs, Jonny Cota, to discuss their growth as artists as well as what inspires them creatively. Lambert had worn Skingraft designs on American Idol and his Glam Nation Tour.[146][147]
On September 22, 2011, Lambert again put his flair for fashion and music to work as guest judge on Project Runway. Contestants were charged with designing attire for the Rolling Stone cover shoot of emerging rock band The Sheepdogs. Lambert offered constructive critique that was well received by both contestants and judges.[148]
Lambert donned his mentor cap on November 13, 2011 when he appeared as a "Major" in an episode of The Hub TV Network's Majors & Minors. As they rehearsed and performed his platinum hit "Whataya Want from Me", the young singing contestants were provided with expertise focused on the importance of stage presence and emotional engagement with the audience.[149]
On November 20, 2011, after a two year absence, Lambert returned to the American Music Awards, introducing a performance by the group OneRepublic. Rejecting claims that the singer was banned from the show in 2009, Executive Producer Larry Klein said that he's anticipating future Lambert performances: “Adam Lambert is a friend of ours, he's talented and I like everything about him."[150]
Lambert made his third fashion-related television appearance of Fall, 2011 when he appeared on the Sundance Channel program All on the Line with Joe Zee on December 9. Fast becoming a fashion icon himself, Lambert was chosen as the subject around which the show's young designers created a suitably modern look, which was then critiqued by Lambert and the hosts.[151][152]
Since his appearance on American Idol, Lambert has supported various charity organizations and raises money by receiving donations from fans. As of October 2011, these donations reached $1,000,000.[153] In January 2009, Lambert asked fans to donate in his name to DonorsChoose.org, an online education charity that allows the public to directly donate to school projects instead of giving him gifts for his 28th birthday. 2,435 fans showed their support, donating $322,700, which provided resources and supplies to nearly 332,527 students.[154] In June 2010, Lambert again teamed up with charity and asked fans to join his Glam A Classroom campaign to support music and arts programs in high-need public schools. By the end of the campaign, 3,020 fans had donated $208,590, reaching 284,672 students,[155] and bringing total contributions for DonorsChoose to $531,290. In October 2010, Lambert collaborated a second Signature Collection design with The Pennyroyal Studio, the Infinity pendant, which raised an additional $43,092 for the DonorsChoose charity. The pendant design was retired in October 2010.[156]
Lambert has also contributed to the MusiCares charity when he and The Pennyroyal Studio collaborated the design of an Eye of Horus pendant. The sale of this Eye of Horus pendant raised $32,000 in 7 days. The pendant design was retired in August 2009.[157] In January 2011, he started a campaign to raise $29,000 for charity: water to commemorate his 29th birthday. Funds raised by charity: water go towards bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Fans surpassed the goal set by Lambert in less than five hours, and donations reached $60,000 by the end of the next 24 hours. On Lambert's birthday, more than $115,000 in donations came in. According to the charity, that amount broke the record for most donations in a single day, and crashed their servers. By the end of the campaign, Lambert's fans had raised $323,803, which helped 16,190 people receive clean water.[158]
Lambert, himself openly gay, has contributed to the advancement of social acceptance towards LGBT people and was presented, by Sam Sparro, the Equality Idol award at Equality California Los Angeles' annual Equality Awards for being an exemplary role model for the LGBT community[159] in addition to being honored at a PFLAG National Los Angeles event where he presented with an inverted triangle which makes up part of the PFLAG logo that represents parental and familial love and support for LGBT people.[160] Lambert has also received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Music Artist in 2010. The same year, he lent his voice to a one-and-a-half minute video message on YouTube for the "It Gets Better" campaign – a project created by columnist Dan Savage in response to school bullying and a rash of suicides among young LGBT people aiming to "provide hope to youth struggling with their identity." Recorded while Lambert was touring, the clip shows Lambert encouraging viewers to have pride in themselves and not allow bullies to win.[161]
The following March, he released a Billboard remix version of his For Your Entertainment song "Aftermath" with a portion of the proceeds going to support The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBT youth.[162] He raised an additional $43,500 for The Trevor Project after collaborating with The Pennyroyal Studio to make his own Peace pendant.[163] In October 2011, he raised another $2,100 from donations given on behalf of the Adam Lambert Glambert Fan Army for the MTV Dance Party Marathon. This raised funds to combat bullying in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month and was split between the LGBT charities GLSEN, It Gets Better Project, GSA, HRC, The Trevor Project and GLAAD.[164][165]
Lambert is in a relationship with Finnish reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen.[166] On December 22, 2011, Lambert and Koskinen were arrested after brawling with each other outside of a bar in Helsinki around 4 am. Both men were taken into custody for questioning and were facing a total of four possible assault offenses, but they were released shortly thereafter since neither party was injured.[167][168]
| Year | Title | Type | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 | General Hospital | TV Series - Unknown episodes; Franco's theme song | "Mad World" |
| 2010 | 2012 | Film, Film trailer | "Time for Miracles"[169] |
| America's Got Talent | TV series episode: 515 | "For Your Entertainment"[170] | |
| Dancing with the Stars | TV series episode: "Week Four, Dances" | "For Your Entertainment"[171] | |
| The Hills | TV series episode: "Loves Me Not" | "If I Had You"[172] | |
| TV series episode: "Rumor Has It" | "Whataya Want from Me"[173] |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Adam Lambert | Top Artist | Nominated |
| For Your Entertainment | Top 200 Album | Nominated | |
| "Whataya Want from Me" | Top Hot 100 Song | Nominated | |
| Top Radio Song | Nominated | ||
| Top Digital Song | Nominated | ||
| Top Adult Contemporary Song | Nominated | ||
| Top Canadian Hot 100 Song | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Top Pop Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Whataya Want from Me" | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Adam Lambert | Best International Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Best International Male Singer | Won |
| "Whataya Want from Me" | Best International Single | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | People's Choice | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Entertainer of the Year | Won |
| Sexiest Male Celebrity | Won | ||
| 2011 | Male Musician of the Year | Won | |
| Male Fashion Icon of the Year | Won | ||
| Male Twitterer Icon of the Year | Won | ||
| Good News of the Year | Won | ||
| Male Star of the Year | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | For Your Entertainment | International Modern Pop/Rock Album of the Year | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Whataya Want from Me" | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Adam Lambert | Must-Follow Musician on Social Media | Pending |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Adam Lambert | Must Follow Artist on Twitter | Won |
| Adam Lambert | Fan Army FTW | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Whataya Want from Me" | UR Fave International Video | Won |
| Adam Lambert | International Video of the Year – Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Break-Out Musical Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Adam Lambert | Choice Male Reality/Variety Star | Won |
| American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 | Choice Summer Tour (shared with American Idol top 10) | Nominated | |
| Adam Lambert | Choice Red Carpet Icon – Male | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Adam Lambert | Choice Music: Male Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Adam Lambert | Do Something Music Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Adam Lambert | Artist of the Year | Won |
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