Adam Lambert

Born Adam Mitchel Lambert on 29 January 1982, US singer and songwriter Adam Lambert came to widespread attention in the eighth series of TV talent show American Idol in 2009, but he'd been appearing on stage since he was ten years old in a production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at the San Diego Lyceum. Two years later he got a part in Fiddler On the Roof and throughout his teens appeared in the stage musicals Hello, Dolly, Camelot, Chess, The Music Man and Grease. He was also cast in the European production of Hair and starred alongside Val Kilmer in The 10 Commandments: The Musical. Adam Lambert made an immediate impact on American Idol and made headlines at the time after confirming that he was gay but finished up as runner-up in the final show after performing with rock band Kiss. In 2009, he also released his debut solo album For Your Entertainment, which featured collaborations with Lady Gaga, Linda Perry and Pink. It went straight to number three in the US Albums Chart and he recorded another track, "Time for Miracles" for the soundtrack of the disaster movie 2012. His risqué TV appearances involving sexual innuendo with other men caused a storm of protest but he argued that he was promoting freedom of expression and his popularity remained intact. In 2010, he released EP Acoustic Live and started work on a new album. In 2012, he released his second studio album Trespassing, which achieved number one on the Billboard 200. During his time on American Idol, he performed Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"; the band joined him on stage for a repeat of the performance in the final. His relationship with the band grew over time and they decided to take him on as their touring lead singer. Since 2012, Adam Lambert has toured with Queen, under the name Queen + Adam Lambert. He has also maintained his solo work output, releasing his third studio album in 2015 titled The Original High, which charted at number three on the Billboard 200. Queen + Adam Lambert embarked on a world tour in 2017 with television performances including The Late Late Show With James Cordon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Adam Lambert appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race and teamed up with Melissa Etheridge for a performance at the GLAAD Media Awards. In 2019, Adam Lambert lent his voice to the character of Emperor Maximus in the animated film Playmobil: The Movie. He released solo single "Feel Something" and announced a 23-date North America tour with Queen. They became the first rock band to open the Academy Awards show in February 2019 and followed this landmark performance with the documentary The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story. Adam Lambert's fourth solo album Velvet was released in 2019, preceded by the singles "New Eyes" and "Comin' in Hot." His fifth solo album High Drama arrived in 2023, featuring covers of Pink’s "My Attic," Billie Eilish’s "Getting Older," and Lana Del Rey’s "West Coast" among others.