Adam Lambert Biography

 Adam Lambert is an American singer best known for 
his finalist position in the eighth season of American 
Idol in 2009. His huge vocal range and glam-rocker style 
made him a standout. Lambert came in second place.

Synopsis
 Adam Lambert is an American singer born on January 
29, 1982, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His childhood stage 
experience positioned him well to compete in the eighth 
season of American Idol in 2009. His tremendous vocal 
range and theatrical flair made his performances memorable, 
and he finished second. His first post-Idol album, For Your 
Entertainment, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Early Life
 Adam Lambert, born on January 29, 1982 in Indianapolis, 
Indiana, is the eldest of two siblings. He and his family 
moved to San Diego, California, soon after Lambert was born. 
Lambert dreamed of being an entertainer at the age of 
10—around the time that he was cast in his first role, as 
Linus in the Lyceum Theater's production of You're a Good
 Man, Charlie Brown in San Diego.

 Thrilled by the stage, Lambert took private voice 
lessons and later appeared in more musicals at local 
theatres, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor 
Dreamcoat, Grease and Chess. His voice coach, Lynne Broyles, 
along with Alex Urban, artistic director of the Children's 
Theatre Network, were influential mentors for Lambert during 
this time.

 Lambert attended San Diego's Mt. Carmel High School, 
where he participated in theater, choir and jazz band. After 
high school, he moved to Orange County to attend college. 
Shortly after enrolling, however, he had a change of heart, 
and decided that his real desire was to perform; he left 
school after only five weeks.

Early Career
 The aspiring singer and performer moved to Los Angeles, 
California, where he cobbled together a living from odd jobs 
while trying to make it in the theatre. He also tried his 
hand at music, performing in a rock band and doing studio 
session work.

 By 2004, Lambert was making a name for himself in the 
Los Angeles area. He played a small role in The Ten 
Commandments at the Kodak Theatre, alongside film actor Val 
Kilmer. He also began regular performances in The Zodiac Show, 
a touring revue of live music and talent that was co-created 
by Carmit Bachar of the band Pussycat Dolls. During his 
time with Zodiac, Lambert wowed fellow performers with his 
vocal range. He also began writing his own music with the 
revue; one particular original song, "Crawl Through Fire," 
was written in collaboration with Madonna's guitarist,
 Monte Pittman. In 2005, Lambert landed an understudy spot as 
Fiyero in the play Wicked, first with the touring cast and 
then with the Los Angeles cast of the production.

American Idol
 Lambert stepped into the national spotlight in 2009, 
when he became a finalist on the eighth season of the popular 
vocal competition show American Idol. His performance of 
Gary Jules's 2001 arrangement of "Mad World" earned a standing 
ovation from the show's harshest critic, Simon Cowell. 
Lambert's vocal range, along with his jet-black hair and 
heavy mascara, earned him comparisons to glam rockers like 
Freddie Mercury and Gene Simmons.

 Lambert and two other contestants, Danny Gokey and Kris 
Allen, were the only finalists of Season 8 who were never 
ranked in the bottom three. Lambert was considered a 
front-runner in the competition, but was later beaten by 
dark horse candidate Kris Allen. Critics theorized that Lambert 
lost because of his openly gay lifestyle. Lambert denies this 
rumor, however, saying that Allen won because of his talent.

Recent Projects
 Despite his American Idol loss, Lambert's debut album, 
For Your Entertainment (2009), was a huge success, debuting at 
No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2010, Lambert was 
nominated for his first Grammy Award, for his hit 
             "Whataya Want From Me."

 In May 2012, Lambert released his second studio album, 
Trespassing, which met with wide acclaim; Trespassing landed 
at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, and more than 100,000 
copies of the alnum were sold by June 2012. In a Billboard 
review of the album, Lambert is noted for demonstrating "the 
raw energy that would make him a great frontman for a band like, 
say, Queen."

 Speaking of the famous glam-rock band, in early 2012, media 
reports began to circulate about Lambert teaming up with Queen 
to perform a summer concert series. The speculation soon proved 
to be true, and the pop star began performing with Queen—including 
guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor—in Europe in June, 
as part of a tour to honor the late Freddie Mercury and raise money 
for organizations dedicated to AIDS awareness. Following shows 
in Ukraine and Moscow, Lambert sang with Queen in Wroclaw, Poland, 
and is slated to give several London performances with the band 
throughout July 2012.


                            From Biography.com