Biography

Adam 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.

Around age twelve, he was cast in a production of Fiddler on the Roof and continued performing throughout his teenage years including Hello, Dolly!, Chess, Camelot, The Music Man, Grease and played Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

At age 19, he left the U.S. to tour with Anita Mann Productions for ten months before returning to the U.S. to perform light opera in Orange County, California.

He was then cast in the European production of Hair and U.S. theater productions of Brigadoon and 110 in the Shade, before being cast in the role of Joshua in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer.

Since 2004, he has regularly performed at the Upright Cabaret and the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls.

From December 2006 to May 2007, he briefly moonlighted as the front man for underground rock band The Citizen Vein with Steve Sidelnyk, Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman.

From 2005-2008 he performed in the ensemble, as well as understudy the role of Fiyero, in the national tour and Los Angeles productions of Wicked.

On January 20, 2009, Adam 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”.

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.

On Motown night, he 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 him a standing ovation.

For his Top 8 performance, he sang the 2001 Gary Jules arrangement of “Mad World”. Because the show had exceeded its time slot, only Cowell gave a critique, which he gave him a standing ovation.  During the results next night, the other judges agreed that a standing ovation was the best critique of his performance.

For his second Top 7 performance, he 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 he had melted her into a “pool of Abdul”.

In the Top 4, he 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 his performance as “a whole lotta perfect”.

For the top three show, where each of the three remaining contestants did a hometown visit and performance, he sang both Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”, and the Gary Jules version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” at his alma mater, Mt. Carmel High School.

Subsequently, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared May 8, 2009 “Adam Lambert Day”.

On May 20, 2009, he was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol.

On April 13, 2010, he returned to American Idol mentored Elvis week for American Idol ninth season Top 9 finalists.  He’s the first former Idol contestant to serve as mentor.

For Your Entertainment (release date: November 23, 2009)

credit: Wikipedia