How Adam Lambert Left "American Idol" Behind
Adam Lambert, runner-up on "American Idol" in 2009, built a career spanning half a century with a glam-rock voice that never fit the show's mold: solo albums, more than a decade fronting Queen, and a return to musical theater.
When Adam Lambert finished runner-up on 'American Idol' in 2009, he left as one of the show's most unforgettable contestants: an openly gay glam-rock singer with a powerful voice and a theatrical streak that challenged the show's usual pop-star template. He gave Rolling Stone an interview just two weeks after the finale.
Now 44, Lambert has built a versatile career: he's released multiple solo albums, has fronted Queen alongside Brian May and Roger Taylor for over a decade, and has returned to his musical-theater roots with productions like 'Cabaret' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'
Lambert's story is one of the rare 'Idol' cases where lasting impact didn't require a win. The formula of the show's early seasons — an easily digestible pop voice — never quite fit his theatricality; but that very mismatch is what allowed his career to begin where the show left off. His world tours with Queen took him from being a TV-competition name to a stadium-scale rock vocalist.
In THR's music feature, Lambert discusses his transition into an industry where he wasn't forced to hide his identity, the label pressures he faced after the competition, and how his stage persona matured over the years.