Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert Bio

Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his dynamic vocal performances that combine his theatrical training with modern and classic genres. Lambert rose to fame in 2009 after finishing as runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol, and later that year released his debut album For Your Entertainment. He has built a global career through his solo recordings, high-profile collaborations, and a long-running partnership with the surviving members of Queen.

Since 2012, Lambert has performed internationally as the frontman for Queen + Adam Lambert, the reunion project featuring Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. His solo catalog includes the studio albums Trespassing (2012), The Original High (2015) and Velvet (2019), and the covers collection High Drama (2023). In 2024, he made his Broadway debut as the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret. He is also a prominent LGBTQ+ activist who founded the Feel Something Foundation.

Early Life and Background

Adam Mitchel Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 29, 1982, to mother Leila, a dental hygienist, and father Eber Lambert, a program manager. His father is of English, Norwegian, Irish, French, Danish and German descent, while his mother is Jewish with Romanian-Jewish roots. Lambert was raised in his mother’s religion. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to San Diego, California, where he grew up alongside a younger brother, Neil.

Lambert began performing at the age of nine with the Metropolitan Educational Theatre network, now known as MET2. He went on to study acting and vocal coaching while continuing to perform with MET2 and the Broadway Bound Youth Theatre Foundation, working his way through Mesa Verde Middle School and Mount Carmel High School. At Mount Carmel he became heavily involved in theater and choir, sang with the school’s jazz band, and competed in local Air Bands competitions. He also appeared in professional stage productions including Hello, Dolly!, Camelot, The Music Man, Grease, Chess and Peter Pan.

After graduating from high school in 2000, Lambert enrolled at California State University, Fullerton, where he majored in musical theater. He withdrew after only five weeks, choosing to move to Los Angeles and pursue a professional career in entertainment. He has cited his father’s large record collection of 1970s music as a key early influence, along with theatrical rock artists such as Queen, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith.

Path to Singer

At 19, Lambert landed his first professional job, performing on a cruise ship for ten months with Anita Mann Productions. He then performed in light opera in Orange County, California, and by 21 had signed with a manager and joined the European tour of Hair. In 2004 he appeared in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Brigadoon and a Pasadena Playhouse production of 110 in the Shade, before being cast as Joshua in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer.

Lambert came to the attention of the casting director for Wicked and was hired as the understudy for the role of Fiyero and an ensemble member in the first national touring production of the musical from 2005, and the Los Angeles production from 2007. He finished his run with the show in 2008. During the same period he briefly fronted the underground rock band The Citizen Vein, worked as a demo singer and session musician, and released a 2009 compilation of his 2005 recordings titled Take One.

In 2009, Lambert auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco, performing “Rock with You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Advancing to the live shows, his theatrical interpretations of songs such as “Ring of Fire”, “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Mad World” drew praise from judges and audiences. Simon Cowell gave him a rare standing ovation for “Mad World”, and Cowell later called his vocals “immaculate”. Lambert was named the runner-up in May 2009, losing the finale to Kris Allen.

Adam Lambert Career

Early Career (2001–2008)

Lambert’s first professional role came at age 19, performing for ten months on a cruise ship with Anita Mann Productions. He followed this with light opera in Orange County and the European tour of Hair by the time he was 21. His theater credits grew to include Brigadoon, 110 in the Shade, The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre with Val Kilmer, and an understudy stint as Fiyero in Wicked’s first national tour and Los Angeles production.

Between stage engagements, Lambert fronted the rock band The Citizen Vein and worked as a demo singer and session musician. A 2005 batch of those demo recordings was eventually released in 2009 as the album Take One, offering an early look at the vocal versatility that would later define his solo career.

Breakthrough (2009–2011)

Lambert’s breakthrough came in 2009 with his runner-up finish on the eighth season of American Idol. His debut album For Your Entertainment, released November 23, 2009, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold 198,000 copies in its first week. The single “Whataya Want from Me” became his highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 entry at number 10 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The album was eventually certified gold in the United States.

His 2009 American Music Awards performance sparked widespread debate and led to a short-lived ban from some ABC programs, though Lambert was welcomed back as a presenter at the 2011 ceremony. In 2010 he launched the Glam Nation Tour, his first headlining run of 113 shows across the United States, Europe and Asia. He received the Young Hollywood Award for Artist of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Male Reality/Variety Star in 2009.

Breakthrough (2012–2015)

Lambert’s second studio album Trespassing arrived on May 15, 2012, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making him the first openly gay artist to top the chart. The lead single “Never Close Our Eyes” was co-written by Bruno Mars and produced by Dr. Luke, while a remix package for the title track delivered Lambert his tenth number one Billboard entry. He shared the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist with Frank Ocean in 2013 and received the GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award that same year.

From 2012, Lambert began touring worldwide with Queen + Adam Lambert, opening with a two-hour performance in Kyiv on the eve of Euro 2012. He made his multi-episode acting debut on Glee in November 2013 as Elliot “Starchild” Gilbert. In 2015 he released The Original High, executive produced by Max Martin and Shellback, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and yielded the single “Ghost Town”. The same year, Queen + Adam Lambert was named Band of the Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

Breakthrough (2019–2024)

Lambert released his fourth studio album Velvet through the independent label Empire in 2019, preceded by singles “Feel Something”, “New Eyes”, “Comin in Hot” and “Superpower”. In 2020 he and Queen released Live Around the World, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. He founded the Feel Something Foundation in late 2019, focusing on LGBTQ+ education, the arts, mental health, suicide prevention and homelessness.

In 2023 he released High Drama, a covers collection that debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on Billboard’s Top Albums Sales chart. In 2024 he was announced as a judge on the thirteenth season of The Voice Australia, took over the role of Emcee in the Broadway revival of Cabaret on September 16, and received the Silver Clef Award for international artist at the Nordoff and Robbins awards ceremony.

Notable Works and Milestones

Lambert’s signature solo recordings include For Your Entertainment, Trespassing, The Original High, Velvet and High Drama, with the single “Whataya Want from Me” marking his most recognizable commercial success. His long-running Queen + Adam Lambert partnership produced the live album Live Around the World, the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the 91st Academy Awards opening performance, the Rhapsody Tour and the Platinum Party at the Palace. His 2024 Broadway debut as the Emcee in Cabaret marked his arrival on the New York stage, and his Feel Something Foundation has become a major vehicle for LGBTQ+ philanthropy.

Adam Lambert Award Nominations

Adam Lambert has earned multiple award nominations across his career. His single “Whataya Want from Me” received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. He was nominated for Outstanding Music Artist at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards in 2010 and again in 2020 for Velvet: Side A. His concept recording of Cinderella earned a nomination for Best Musical Theater Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, and his participation in Ratatouille the Musical drew a Drama League Award nomination. Lambert has also received attention from outlets such as Forbes, Rolling Stone and Billboard in year-end rankings and readers’ polls.

Adam Lambert Awards Won

Lambert has collected awards recognizing both his music and his activism. In 2009 he won the Young Hollywood Award for Artist of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Male Reality/Variety Star. In 2013 he shared the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist and received the GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award. In 2015 he was named Music Icon at the British LGBT Awards and won Best Foreign Artist at the Eska Music Awards in Poland. He has also been honored with the Equality Idol Award from Equality California, the Hope of Los Angeles Award, the Unity Award from the We Are Family Foundation, and the Silver Clef Award for international artist from Nordoff and Robbins.

Adam Lambert Family

Adam Mitchel Lambert was born to mother Leila Lambert, a dental hygienist, and father Eber Lambert, a program manager. His father is of English, Norwegian, Irish, French, Danish and German descent, while his mother is Jewish with Romanian-Jewish roots. Lambert has a younger brother, Neil. The family relocated from Indianapolis, Indiana, to San Diego, California, shortly after his birth, and he was raised in his mother’s faith.

Personal Life

Lambert confirmed he was gay in a Rolling Stone cover interview published in June 2009, after being outed on the internet during his American Idol run. He was in a relationship with Finnish entertainment reporter and reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen from November 2010 until April 2013, and from March to November 2019 he was in a relationship with model Javi Costa Polo. In November 2023, Lambert, in collaboration with Roger Taylor, Sarina Taylor, Bryan Patrick Franklin and Michael Solis, opened The Wild bar in West Hollywood, California. He is also known for his extensive tattoo work, with pieces by artists including Maxime Plescia-Büchi, Daniel Meyer and Roxx.