Adam Lambert is one of the most talented and versatile male vocalists to ever grace the American Idol stage. He is the epitome of a musician with a strong background in theater, raw talent, charisma, and top-notch presence.
Musical Background
He has been performing in musical theater from a very young age. According to his interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he revealed that although he did not have an interest in sports, his parents placed him in a children's theater group, to enhance his singing talent. He also stated in the magazine, that in his intermediate school days he would "double-book himself as the lead actor in school plays and semiprofessional gigs in San Diego."
He went on to perform in a European tour of the musical "Hair," for half a year prior to being cast in "The Ten Commandments: The Musical" where he played the role of the Hebrew slave Joshua, opposite veteran actor Val Kilmer. His soaring rendition of "Is Anybody Listening?" garnered rave reviews from music critics, and helped him land a role as an understudy for Fiyero in the Los Angeles production of the Broadway musical "Wicked," where his fellow colleagues and friends, inspired him to audition for the popular singing competition, American Idol.
Vocal Talent
Throughout his tenure on Idol, he showcased tremendous vocal ability and range. This was evidenced in his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Black and White" last year, when judge Kara DioGuardi informed him "that he hit several notes that she didn't know existed."
Other tunes where he showcased his trademark pipes were Cher's "Believe," [earlier on in the competition," the Rolling Stone's "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," "Born to the Wild" and Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come."
He also proved he was one of the top rock performers the competition had ever seen when he performed Led Zeppelin's classic "Whole Lotta Love," in which he brought the song to a brand new league according to the judges. He also delivered a controlled, yet soothing rendition of Gary Jules' "Mad World," for which he was rewarded him with a well-deserved standing ovation from all four judges. This marked the first in the competition's history that Simon Cowell stood up to praise a contestant.
Stage Presence
After performing in theater for most of his life, he was able to command the Idol platform and had the audience along with him every step of the way. Paula Abdul dubbed him as their "Michael Phelps." He would always keep his fans guessing on what he will do next. One week, he would perform an eccentric rendition of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," and the following week he would go on to deliver an acoustic and unplugged version of Smokey Robinson's "The Tracks of My Tears."
Thanks to his theatrical background, he was able to connect directly to the hearts of his fans and viewers. On the night of the Season 8 finale, Cowell remarked about Lambert that the purpose of a show like Idol was to find a worldwide star, and he genuinely believed, that they found that with him.
Following his journey on the show, Lambert would release his critically acclaimed debut album, For Your Entertainment, and his single "Whataya Want From Me," would garner him his first Grammy nomination.
For more on Lambert and his music, visit his official website.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
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