This interview from Albany was so funny! The questions are original, the mood is completely relaxed, and Adam is so funny! He talks about the infamous Tongue Dive and gives his opinions on who he would and wouldn’t Tongue Dive with! I know you’ll enjoy this as much as I did!
Must see interview: Adam talks about wanting to start to write again on tour soon, the next upcoming album (for the spring?) and some of the ideas he has and the direction that he wants to take his music. Also, more details about the E! documentary the did here in San Diego.
Best of all he talks about how he recognizes some of his fans that show up to more than one show (like Lila, Carol and many of the fans and authors on this site :] ) Anyways, check it out !!
Thank you to Josephine who commented in a previous post that she had found this, and nope, I hadn’t seen it before!! So thank you again for this and everyone can now…
Here you go guys, beautiful Adam pics, interview, and performances. This is a work day for me so this is all I could get on here before having to leave :(… hope you like it!!
ENJOY:
**RED CARPET VIDEO UPDATE**
photos via:mj
Adam Lambert talked with The Dish Rag at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday (Apr. 17) about how things are changing for gays in show business:
video via:Zap2it.com
And here is his performance of Music Again as well as a partial video of Fever…
video via:Libracats:
I am laughing at my computer because spell check is having trouble with the word everlovin’, hahaha!! I’m not sure that I can say I have EVER had to use words, like the one’s I use now, to describe Adam. He has certainly glittered up my articles, that is a given. I now present to you, another glowing review from EW.com:
ENJOY:
‘American Idol’: Adam Lambert completely blew my everlovin’ mind (on the scene for results night)
by Adam B. Vary
Categories: American Idol, Music, On the Scene, Reality TV, Television, Things That Are Awesome!
Adam-Lambert-IdolImage Credit: Frank Micelotta/Fox
Fans of my snark demon Smirkelstiltskin will be sorely disappointed to learn that he will not be appearing in this on-the-scene recap of last night’s American Idol results show (after this paragraph, anyway). Smirkel had such high hopes for it, too, given that the very first sign we saw upon entering the Idoldome said “CT hearts Katie!” (like, the very same CT from The Real World Paris, and The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno, and The Inferno II, and The Duel, and The Inferno III, and The Gauntlet 3, and The Duel 2? That CT? Who knew he was such a fan of reality competition shows?). But then Adam Lambert took to the stage, delivering by miles the best live guest performance I’ve seen on an Idol results show ever in the history of awesome. Alas, Smirkel became so enraptured by Glambert’s laser-light tornado that he let one of the green laser beams hit him square in his third eye. He’s currently convalescing inside Randy Jackson’s belly button lint trap.
Suffice it to say, Glambert completely blew my everloving mind last night, and judging from the deafening roars from the live audience before, during, and after his performance of “Whataya Want from Me,” I’d say I was far from alone. Unlike the horrid group numbers, which are exponentially more horrid in person, in large part because they are choreographed for the cameras and not the studio audience, Glambert constructed his number as much (if not more) for those of us inside Idoldome as those of you watching from home. For one thing, as cool as those lasers looked on TV, they had true dimension and shape in person (in other words, they were in 3D!). For another, the music simply sounded big and gorgeous live, a perfect sonic match for the visual spectacle. Unfortunately, both the live show and the televised version were hobbled by a way over-zealous fog machine; I’d love to tell you what the Idols and judges made of Glambert’s show, but all that smoke utterly obscured them from view.
Oh, that’s right, this was a results show, not a Glambert concert. You could’ve been forgiven for thinking it was the latter, though. A completely unscientific visual survey of the audience counted at least as many pro-Glambert posters as ones for all the other current Idol hopefuls combined. And the mere sight of Glambert during the show’s Dramatic! Opening! Video! Montage! sent the audience into conniptions.
Yes, of course, the Idoldome crowd also had some love for the judges — especially Ellen DeGeneres, who was greeted like a minor rock star herself — as well as the Top 9, although as they scattered around the stage to their places for the group number, they all appeared far too nervous to really acknowledge the adulation. All save for Tim Urban, who really couldn’t be happier to be anywhere else, or to be anyone else, for that matter. Right before they began their lip-synced desecration of the Elvis Presley catalogue, Grinning Timmy even smashed it out with Big Mike, coaxing the new father into the rare non-stankified facial expression.
After the group number, we entered the ad break, and Simon was surprisingly the first judge to welcome Elliott Yamin. The Idols were placed on the velvet benches of doom, and Ryan walked in while singing the single word “Viva!” over and over, but otherwise, in stark contrast to Tuesday night, the host appeared well-rested and was well behaved. As Ryan went around shaking every Idol’s hand and wishing them well, Debbie started fanning an overheated Big Mike’s big head. Mike soon began fanning himself with his hat, until finally a make-up person had to blot the dude’s face with some paper towel. Goodness, lip-syncing can be such exhausting work.
Just as we were about to come back from the break, I noticed Lee Dewyze sitting cross-legged on the benches, and for some reason I desperately wished he’d stayed seated like that. Perhaps it would’ve put poor Lee in a more zen state of mind for the wrenching events that were about to unfold. As it was, after Lee’s bestest buddy ever Andrew Garcia was 86?d from the show, Lee clearly had no idea what to do with himself. After Andrew’s farewell song (during which all the Idols clapped along, except for Big Mike), Lee hung far back as the rest of the contestants swarmed Andrew for the customary bear hug goodbye. Then the judges approached Andrew for their habitual final words of encouragement, and Lee began nervously pacing across a small patch of the stage, as if he realized that his own chance at a farewell moment with Andrew was quickly slipping by him. Lee’s eyes became fixed on the judges, willing them to just speed it up already, for chrissakes.
Eventually, though, the demands of live television intervened, and Debbie had to move all the remaining Idols back to the benches. She gently placed Lee on the last spot next to Siobhan, where he looked like a boy who’s watching his best friend from down the street move away and no one will give him a chance to say good-bye. Finally, Debbie took Andrew in hand to lead the newly axed Idol off stage; seeing his opportunity, Lee intercepted them, but it everything just came out all wrong. Lee sorta half fell into his bro-hug with Andrew, awkwardly forcing his buddy backwards a few steps, and it looked like they barely had time to get out a few cursory words before Debbie wrenched Andrew away for good. Even with Ellen taking the time to talk to Andrew’s wife in the audience, it was just not enough for Lee, not by a long shot. With Andrew gone, he slumped back down onto his seat, occasionally sharing his bitter discontent with the remaining Idols, who could do nothing to mend Lee’s broken heart and so glumly stared off into the middle distance instead.
And that’s how they all remained, from the Idol Gives Back package with Elliott and Kara, through Brooke White and Justin Gaston last-minute duet of Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream.” With my snark demon in recovery, I have nothing to really share with you about this performance, other than the only Idol to show any real engagement with it was, yes, Tim Urban, who managed to tap his left foot to the beat through most of the song. Through my entire life, one of my mother’s unrelenting mantras as been ”attitude is everything,” and good grief does Tim follow that aphorism with single-minded enthusiasm. Even after he was bottom three’d, Tim practically ambled off the stage with Big Mike and Katie, his perfect grin splashed effortlessly across his face.
As the crew loaded in Glambert’s equipment with clockwork efficiency, Siobhan clasped her hands together tightly, almost doubled over in her seat, and MamaSox gave Lee a warm hug. The audience was so keyed up for their promised dose of Glambert that some began wildly cheering when one of his band mates stepped onto the stage. When the real Glambert finally appeared with about 15 seconds to go before air, the place became unmoored, and I’ll be darned if Glambert didn’t look totally humbled by the sheer tonnage of adulation.
After he finished performing, Debbie brought Tim, Mike, and Katie back out into the wings, and I realized that they had apparently missed the chance to see Glambert perform live. Ryan threw to commercial, and all eight remaining Idols made a bee-line for Glambert, along with Kara and Randy. Simon left the stage immediately, waving his hand in front of his face as if bothered by the saturation of smoke in the air — kinda ironic since, according to Seacrest, Simon uses practically every ad break to steal away a chance to smoke.
We came back from the break, Ryan told Tim to smile, told Mike he was safe and not even in the bottom three, and told Katie her Idol journey was at an end. As she delivered a shaky, humanizing “Let It Be,” Debbie got the entire audience to clap along merely by miming clapping to the beat from the extreme stage left edge of the Idoldome. This woman could lead a small army if she wanted to.
Out of nowhere, Andrew appeared again on stage, and before anyone had a chance to blink, Lee had zipped himself by his BFF’s side, wrapping one arm around him, beaming with genuine relief and great pleasure at the second chance to say goodbye. Then Andrew and Katie’s Idol journeys began unspooling on the Thunderscreen, and the reality proved too much for Lee, who once again separated himself from the rest of the group, choosing to nervously fidget in solitude instead. Katie, meanwhile, just buried her face into Casey James’ chest. After the show was officially over, in fact, Katie proceeded to bury her face in the chest of anyone willing to match her two-arms-slapped-tightly-around-your-back embrace (e.g., not Simon).
Finally, after much lingering, especially on the part of Katie and the judges, Debbie cleared the stage for two post-show taped performances. The second, by Lady Antebellum, I did not get to see, as the first, a comedy bit for Idol Gives Back, took a whopping 45 minutes to complete, and I desperately needed to eat. The skit in question featured Russell Brand and Jonah Hill (coincidentally, the stars of this June’s Get Him to the Greek), in a pre-taped bit in which they pretend to head up a celebrity Idol Gives Back call in center and banter with Seacrest back at the Idoldome. Last night, Ryan had to pre-tape his side of that dialogue, but it doesn’t really matter whether that makes any sense or not, since Ryan himself put it best once he was done: “I don’t know how I’m going to look good [in this skit].”
What does matter was the disarmingly charming way Seacrest entertained the audience while the Idol crew sorted out their complicated technical concerns. He commiserated about craving chicken stir fry, and how funny it would be for the entire audience to flash mob a Whole Foods for dinner. He took audience questions: Yes, he wears a new suit every week. Yes, “I do date girls,” though not for very long. He is 5? 8? (“and three-quarter inches with shoes!”), but he does not wear lifts — although one unnamed Idol judge apparently does. His preferred scent is Thallium cologne. And then there was this: “Do I watch…what’s The Soup? I like Joel McHale. He’s my friend. I give him enough material, don’t I? Joel McHale walks my dog.”
At this point, both Ryan and Debbie grew impatient with waiting, and started bickering like old marrieds:
Ryan: [to audience] Have you met my wife, Debbie?
Debbie: Oh that would last about two seconds.
Ryan: [to Debbie] Are you married now?
Debbie: No, I’m not, a——.
Ryan: [to audience] You have to understand, Debbie and I have worked together almost every day for ten years, and—
Debbie: He can be annoying.
Ryan: She calls it annoying, I call it charming. [Begins singing] “Whadaya want from me?!”
Debbie: Your blood.
Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
XO~SUE~GLAMB#10
P/S Please be sweet and remember to re-tweet!!
Just a head’s up: Adam’s beautiful VH1 Unplugged songs will start airing on TV beginning Friday, April 9, 11 PM Pacific. They will replay Saturday morning at 2:30 AM, and I’m sure multiple times over and over.
So, while there are some lucky Glambs seeing Adam LIVE in Canada Friday night, the rest of us will have to settle for this. Not too bad, in my opinion!
What’s that I hear? Is it the sound of all the DVRs/VHS machines being programmed?? LOL!!!
He’s seriously everywhere these days, hanging out in Toronto, Canada now where he is doing some promo for his album! Just before he left the country, there was one more appearance that the twitter page of IdolTracker clued us in to:
The SAG Awards are the Screen Actors Guild Awards, one more of these TV and movie awards shows. When Laura Saltman from Access Hollywood asked Adam why exactly he showed up, he just responded with a big smile ‘I got invited, and thought why not? I’m just here to hang out!’ And hang out he did, guess with who?
Yup. Justin Timberlake. And now there are rumors floating around that Justin wants to write a song for Adam, according to this LA Times article: “at the People Magazine-sponsored after party, [...] (Adam) was spotted early on chatting with Justin Timberlake. In fact, the two hit it off so well, JT offered to write a song for Adam! Naturally, we asked Adam about this little exchange, to which he responded: “I would loooove that,” and crossed his fingers with eyes to the sky. (We crossed our toes in solidarity, not that he noticed).
Adam didn’t stay at the party for long since it took mere minutes for a line of fans to form, some of them famous (Chris Colfer from “Glee,” Maulik Pancholy from “Weeds” and “30 Rock”), others simply adoring “Idol” voters, all hoping for their own tête-à-tête. Next up for Adam: a special birthday performance for new judge Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show this Tuesday.”
Good to hear that Adam is out and about, and networking with the Hollywood A-listers! And even better to hear that they support him as well, obviously. Plus, another appearance on Ellen this Tuesday, where he will be performing ‘Strut’!
Watch Adam give interviews on the red carpet here (fashionably late, as usual - he explained that he just rushed out of a sunglasses photoshoot); with Laura Saltman from Access Hollywood and Giuliana Rancic from E! News:
I’m sure we were all wringing our hands, hitting the buttons refreshing our pages, searching for the clear transmittal of Adam Lambert’s New Year’s Eve Gridlock performance at midnight PST. Thank you Neil Lambert for trying to feed us. We’ll always love ya!
The YouTube clips that we woke up to this morning were appreciated probably more than anything we unwrapped last week, For Your Entertainment CDs excepted of course!
Hot off the Los Angeles Times’ presses, here’s the review we’ve been waiting for. I’m even publishing it before it hits the stands tomorrow! We now have the confirmation of what we’ve known for almost a year: Adam Lambert was just playing with us while he was on American Idol, using it as a “platform,” to quote the master himself. He just needed the exposure to launch him into what the industry experts are now agreeing will be a long lasting career.
POP MUSIC REVIEW by Shirley Halperin Adam Lambert lights up New Year’s Eve at Gridlock party
His performance at the Paramount Pictures lot toned down on the theatrics but delivered on the music.
“Do I look like a firework?” Adam Lambert cooed from the stage at Gridlock’s fourth annual New Year’s Eve bash. “That was my motivation.”
Sporting his signature finger-less gloves and going a little heavier on the usual glitter and guyliner allotment, the “American Idol” runner-up had his work cut out for him at the Paramount Pictures lot Thursday night: executing his first full set of original music in front of about 4,500 revelers, each of whom had paid at least $150 to get in and had already downed a few, and making a proper return to the spotlight — complete with fireworks — following the American Music Awards fiasco that ostensibly got him barred from big-ticket television specials like Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
And like any good professional entertainer, Lambert delivered, only this time without the cheap theatrics. Sure, there was the occasional crotch grab and pelvic thrust (all self-directed), but his most controversial move of the night turned out to be a dramatic swig from a flask, followed by a disclaimer of sorts. “I’m not promoting alcoholism by any means,” he cautioned, “but long live rock ‘n’ roll!” Downright saccharine compared with the AMAs a month ago.
Happy New Year to all the friends and supporters of this site. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t have you!
We already went over the most important end-of-year lists, but this new one is too important to ignore! Billboard Magazine, often considered to be the ‘holy grail’ of the music industry and, not quite unimportantly, music rankings, let its readers decide on the best albums of 2009 as well as of the last decade.
And hey, guess what? For the 2009 rankings, who is coming in 4th, just after Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears? A certain album called ‘For Your Entertainment’ by Mr. Adam Lambert!
Then, after clicking on to the albums of the decade.. 1. Michael Jackson.. 2. Lady Gaga.. 3. Britney Spears.. 4 & 5. Taylor Swift.. 6. Adam Lambert.. OH, HANG ON THERE. Did Billboard magazine’s readers just rank Adam’s For Your Entertainment as being the 6th best album of the last decade? They surely did!
Even though some artists in this list are pretty dubious, and it does not seem very legit.. Still a nice accomplishment, especially since a lot of Adam fans were not aware of this poll (was it even an online poll and not something else?). Nice surprise here and well deserved, For Your Entertainment has the potential to be a very, very succesful album. Go Adam!
To move away from the negativity of WSJ, let’s spread some more holiday season cheer! Once again, Jay Leno stuck with his daily Adam-routine. Last night he followed up the mistletoe-skit with a little scene in which he shows the audience his Christmas presents for Adam (nevermind he’s Jewish.. aw, it’s about the thought!). Let’s all get back to the happiness surrounding Adam at the moment and ignore the haters. Jay definitely will help you in doing so:
Wall Street Journal, which is already conservative, put one of its most conservative writers Peggy Noonan on an article that goes on about ‘America’s Problems’. And, surpriseee, Adam is classified as being the main ‘problem’. Apart from the fact that this sounds an awfully lot like pretentious attention grabbing and riding on the coattails of Adam’s success, the content and tone of this writing is disgusting and narrowminded.
So now, let’s just blame Adam Lambert for everything. Economic crisis? Adam, your fault. Credit crunch? Adam, how could you? Swine flu? Oh, I’m sure Adam is somewhere at the roots of it.
I just dropped a glass on the floor. Can I blame Adam for that, too? Or for the traffic jam that I was stuck in this morning? You know, sometimes it is so easy to shift the blame to someone. Too easy. Let’s just pull some random quotes out of this lady’s article..
“This was behind the resentment at the Adam Lambert incident on ABC in November. The compromise was breached. It was a broadcast network, it was prime time, it was the American Music Awards featuring singers your 11-year-old wants to see, and your 8-year-old.”
Aw. Of course, your 11-year-old daughter is a massive fan of Janet Jackson. Or J-Lo. How cute is she mimicking their curious dance moves, also involving some crotch grabbing and booty-shaking? How adorable does that extremely short dress that leaves very little to imagination look on her?
Or your 8-year-old son, seriously, isn’t it amazing how well he memorizes all these Eminem lyrics? ‘I got 74 rapes under my belt..’ ‘I’ll pull out my gun and shoot you through the head..’ At the same time, he perfectly takes on Eminem’s attitude and language, and your little 8-year-old talks in such foul language about ‘niggas’ and ‘faggots’. Really, aren’t you proud?
Yes, kids have their favorite singers. But really, are those singers so much better than Adam? Actually, I see Adam more as a role model, who radiates positive energy and openly talks about how it is ok to be different and takes a stance against bullies. Isn’t that allowed either? Should all kids be the same, and every kid that deviates should be crucified?
“People were offended, and they complained. Mr. Lambert seemed surprised and puzzled. With an idiot’s logic that was nonetheless logic, he suggested he was the focus of bigotry: They let women act perverse on TV all the time, so why can’t a gay man do it?”
I like how you call it idiot’s logic without backing it up. Because I totally see the logic in Adam’s argument, why are there two different standards for women and gay men? According to the writer there obviously should be a different standard. Women are allowed to be sexual but gay men doing it are scary. Heck, gay men are scary in itself right? Which is also why:
“Mr. Lambert’s act left viewers feeling not just offended but assaulted. Again, “we don’t care what you do in New York,” but don’t include us in it, don’t bring it into our homes. Our children are here.”
Pff. Okay, so we’re back at the start. Feel free to bring in Eminem with his lovely rhymes, feel free to let Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Beyoncé, J-Lo and even bloody Miley Cyrus shake their booties. But keep out this gay man. Cuz he’s weird.
Whatever. Fed up with this discussion, let’s just leave it. Never gonna agree anyways. As long as the people who care about Adam and support his art keep on doing so and not let themselves be swayed by those narrow minded conservatists.
We love you Adam, just ignore these people. They don’t get you. We do.
Yup, it is that time of year when every self-respecting website/magazine starts pulling out their lists. After being chosen on Barbara Walters’ most fascinating people list, more and more influential mediums are following suit - Adam is hot, hot, hot!
TV Guide chose the top 12 favorite reality show singers - and while the obvious nominees Susan Boyle, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood took some of the higher spots, Adam landed himself a very respectable 10th place, ranking higher than last year’s winner David Cook and America’s Got Talent sensation Neal E. Boyd!
Twitter is undoubtedly becoming a very popular social media website, and in their top 10 of trending persons he appeared only after Michael Jackson and Susan Boyle: “Between his run on “American Idol” and his attention-grabbing album For Your Entertainment, Adam Lambert found himself in third place” (MTV.com). No doubt the constant trending in the days following the AMAs helped for this cause, and even though not all this twittering was positive, it is still a sign that he is at least being talked about!
Forbes dedicated an article to Music’s Biggest Breakout Stars, in which Adam got a very respectable amount of coverage, and a last line that gives fans a reason to dream: “Still to come: being honored as a breakout star at the upcoming People’s Choice Awards,” which he was nominated for - and even though voting has ended, this almost seems to hint at him having a good shot at taking the actual award home.
What’s more? Time ranked Adam at #7 in the list of ‘People who mattered most’: “there was the way Lambert treated his sexuality, which reflected the tricky path of gayness toward mainstream acceptance. Lambert never confirmed his being gay until finishing Idol, but, importantly, he never denied it… Lambert ended 2009 out, proud—and loud.”
MTV crowns their ‘man’ and ‘woman’ of the year, and here, Adam was chosen third, because they see him as “a lightning rod for controversy, a pop star bravely going where few have ventured (openly) before — Lambert was 2009. And we expect him to keep on pushing the envelope in 2010 too.” For the great article accompanying this election, go here.
Lastly, Rolling Stone has some serious love for Adam, as its readers voted him to be the top artist of 2009, beating his own idol Lady Gaga, as well as other hard hitters like Kings of Leon and Green Day!
This list could go on endlessly - there are a gazillion other lists Adam is topping or near topping. Yet these accomplishments mentioned above are truly amazing for the new kid on the block that he really is, I bet he’d never dreamed of beating out Gaga and so many other great people in these kind of lists. Deserves a big WELL DONE!
Just please don’t give up on him Jeanette, he won’t let you down:
Sorry if I sound like a broken record but this is what he does best, fronting a band.
I’d like to feature a comment from colorforadam below: “If I understand the schedule right, last night on Letterman was taped about 2pm on Monday, less than 24 hours after the AMA’s. Adam had probably just had a plane ride and and a shower, thus the soft, fluffy hair) and was in front of the camera. He probably had no clue how that audience was going to respond to him (they were great!!!) and CBS was probably not ready to have anyone interview him. Letterman has been very “flat” and hesitant lately since his life has been rudely filet dissected on the media. Adam’s strength and delivery of that beautiful song was even more amazing, considering the time, than what we saw on Wednesday morning. That incredible song has served him well and he delivers it with such passion.”
As one of our commenter said, this is “THE Adam Lambert Early Show” on 11.25.09
(I’m sure they are appreciating the rating boost)
Ask it early - Adam Lambert answers fans questions (GOOD questions):
- Adam goes to Japan? :
- How he put the band together
- When are you going on tour?
Answering the Critics:
Adam sounds SO GOOD with a live band. Performing “Whataya Want From Me” (High Definition) (AMAZING):
As mentioned by Michael Slezak: “From a lyrical standpoint, [Whataya Want From Me] sounded like it could’ve been written specifically as a response to a nation thrown into a tizzy by Sunday night’s crotch-fondling, beej-simulating hootenanny. The song (co-written by Pink) contains a plea for patience and understanding from a guy still finding his way in the world (“Just don’t give up/ I’m working it out /Please don’t give in/ I won’t let you down”) and a special thanks to the hard-core fans who’ve never questioned his judgment in the first place (“It’s me, I’m a freak/ But thanks for loving me/ ‘Cause you’re doing it perfectly”). I won’t lie: There was a certain poignancy hearing Adam respond to the “too gay”/”not gay enough”/”too racy”/”not well-sung”/”what about the children?” critics with his pitch-perfect refrain of “Whataya want from me?””
Adam’s Mom’s speaks (HD):
Performing ‘Music Again’:
Michael Slezak also commented: “I can’t imagine a more appropriate track through which Adam could send the message “let’s put the focus back on the actual songs, eh?” Adam’s band sounded slightly canned on this number — I’m guessing there was some kind of backing track supplementing the overall sound in the tiny CBS studio — but Adam’s lead vocal was stellar, especially taking into account the song’s rapid-fire wordplay and octave-scaling swoops. There aren’t many artists on the pop chart today capable of pulling that off live. Thanks, Adam, for reminding us you’re a rare bird indeed.”
The Parents Television Council on Adam Lambert’s American Music Awards leash demonstration? Close. The Sept. 16, 1956, New York Times on Elvis Presley’s hip-censored Ed Sullivan performance.
If our outrage over rock stars is nothing new, then neither are our rock stars. From Elvis’ pelvis on down, they are nothing if not dedicated to sex, more sex, the next new single, which is probably about sex, and ticking off people who prefer their s-e-x to be not so explicit, thankyouverymuch.
Criticizing Lambert for what he did, smooched and pawed at the AMAs is like criticizing that Paula Deen lady on the Food Network because she made something with butter: It’s what they do.
And the other night, Lambert did his job very well.
It should be left to music critics and Ellen DeGeneres to judge whether Lambert’s vocals and song selection were spot-on. But any doubt the performance was off the mark should have been erased with every angry word from the PTC, every angry phone call to ABC (1,500-plus and counting, per reports) and, above all, the network’s censored AMAs broadcast for tender West Coast audiences too young to see Jennifer Lopez fall down and go boom, much less witness “another dancer [simulate] oral sex on Lambert.” (Thanks again, PTC! You always put it just right!)
Together, Lambert’s offenses are nothing less than the work of a rock star in his tight-pants prime. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to work the townfolk into a huff only weeks after the nation relost its innocence to the Gossip Girl threesome?
It could be argued that Elvis, rarely painted as a social progressive, would not approve of Lambert’s act. But it could be pointed out that the King had no problem singing about the inmates’ various couplings in ”Jailhouse Rock.”
It could be argued that Lambert hoodwinked his American Idol fans into thinking he was as harmless as a Danny Gokey R&B ballad. But it could be pointed out that if you didn’t know Lambert was playing nice in order to play, and possibly win, the game, then you weren’t paying attention. At all. (And also your Rolling Stone subscription lapsed.)
Lambert wasn’t straying from who he was; he was being who he is. He wasn’t dishonoring the stage; he was honoring music’s shock-and-awe tradition. (According to Lambert, he was getting more blowback for it because he was a gyrating guy, and not a writhing Madonna, but he was probably more in the crosshairs because he was a gyrating guy on free TV, and not a writhing Madonna on cable.)
Ultimately, Lambert was doing what he was supposed to do, and if it was displeasing that a child somewhere saw him do it in prime time, then somebody’s bedtime needs to be moved up. (The show-closing number didn’t air until almost 11 p.m. ET/PT.)
“All hail freedom of expression and artistic integrity,” Lambert tweeted Monday.
And, the certified rock star could’ve added, the satisfaction of a job done right.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you disagree with this decision leave a voicemail complaint to:
ABC (Good Morning America) @ 1-818-460-7477, press 1, then 2, then 1, then extension 466.
ABC has cancelled Adam Lambert’s planned performance on Good Morning America.
No official reason has been given for the cancellation.
His performance for Good Morning America was on a whole different song with a whole different character and with no sexual references.
HOWEVER, he’s going to be appearing on ANOTHER morning show tomorrow - The Early Show on CBS - and his song Whata Ya Want From Me has just been added to Z100 in NYC.
As stated at Perez Hilton blog:
“The network is upset with Lambert’s homoerotic American Music Awards performance on Sunday and afraid of what he will do on live, morning television.”
“At the end of the day, though, there is no such thing as bad press. All this publicity - which Glambert was hoping for but could never imagine would reach this scale - will only help him!”
Here’s the second part of the wonderful interview by Ruben V. Nepales of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
LOS ANGELES — “THE world of rock has a bright new star.”
Queen guitarist Brian May wrote those words in his blog after hearing Adam Lambert’s “Time For Miracles,” the theme song from director Roland Emmerich’s disaster film epic “2012.” When we asked Adam to comment on Brian’s effusive praise, the “AI” standout couldn’t hide his thrill. “It’s such an honor,” Adam said. “Brian May is part of one of the best bands out there ever…To have him give his stamp of approval meant a lot to me.”
Here’s part two of our interview excerpts with Adam, who grew up in San Diego, home to a large Filipino community. That could only mean rock’s new star has Pinoy friends so yes, he craves our food every now and then.
Was there positive reaction from fans when you admitted being gay?
I was a little nervous coming out. But I had to do it because there was so much speculation. I didn’t want to go through the rest of my career with people constantly trying to figure out what I’m about and getting into my personal life, so I just figured I’d crack it wide open. Now we can just get past it and make some music.
Would you sacrifice your trademark look for a movie role?
As long as the role is good, it doesn’t matter if I have to take off my eyeliner and nail polish.
What are the things you’re still struggling with?
Remaining levelheaded and grounded is a slight struggle but I’m doing good. Dealing with the lack of anonymity is a new adjustment but it’s worth it. I’m getting all I ever wanted so if I can’t go to the grocery store without being recognized, it’s a small price to pay.
Have your friends and family already said, “Come down,” or something?
No, they’ve actually been kind of affirming that I am staying that way—it helps to hear, “Good for you for staying on two feet, Adam.” I am like, “Thanks guys. If I ever start going up into the clouds too much, pull me down please.”
Can you look back on your first “Idol” audition?
That probably was the most nervous I was throughout the entire process. My heart was beating so fast. I was just trying to stay cool…Paula was really sweet and I kind of knew what to expect, but the minute Simon and Randy said they had their doubts, I thought, “Okay, this is your moment; fight for it.” I opened my mouth and said, “Come on, give me a chance.”
Have you seen “This Is It”? How influential was Michael Jackson to you as an artist?
That movie is fascinating. I was satisfied to see how he contributed to the creative process…doing choreography and musical arrangements…If something was not right, he went, “No, no, no, no,” because he just didn’t feel it.
Despite your admission in that Rolling Stone article, women are still attracted to you.
Maybe it feels safe for them. Maybe they feel like, “Okay, well, I can fantasize about this guy but I don’t have to worry about my husband being mad about it.” Maybe there’s a safety there because I’m not available for that sex.
Who were your musical idols when you were younger?
Definitely, Freddie Mercury…I discovered the music of the ’70s a little later though. I grew up with Michael Jackson, Madonna, the big pop stars of the ’80s and ’90s. Later, in my 20s, I got into the whole Summer of Love era, that whole movement in San Francisco. I got into Jimi (Hendrix), Janis (Joplin) and the Beatles, and then Led Zeppelin and Queen. I loved T. Rex and Sweet, Gary Glitter and Bowie.
We know that Adam has been getting some great press in the U.S. from the likes of Ann Powers, Lyndsey Parker, etc., but just imagine the delight of many of our International Glambs when articles like the one below surface. This lovely in-depth article is from the Phillippine Daily Inquirer by Roben V. Nepales (Part 1 of 2) and is continuing proof that Adam is indeed our “World Idol.”
LOS ANGELES—“I did this myself, yeah,” Adam Lambert said with a smile, amused at a female reporter’s question on who dressed him up or styled him today. “This is out of my own closet. I like clothes so …”
“This” is his version of glam rock—pinstriped jacket, T-shirt with Marilyn Monroe’s image, skinny jeans and silver boots. The look is completed by his trademark dark eyeliner ringing those blue eyes, spiky hair, black nails and striking rings on each hand.
Mix those elements with his chiseled facial features and an incredible singing voice—and wonder no more why women fling their underwear at him onstage even though he’s admittedly gay.
Beyond these physical attributes, the “American Idol” runner-up is remarkably grounded and sensible. Very confident and articulate as well, the 27-year-old singer gave a very moving comment when a reporter told him that he must have wonderful parents.
“I do have great parents,” he said. “My father is teacher-oriented. He was very much guiding me through. I always felt weird and kind of out of place. I remember my father from my early age going, ‘It’s okay. When you’re older, everybody is going to want to be your friend, trust me. The weird ones are the ones that everybody wants to be like when they’re older.’ I really enjoyed hearing that as a kid. He gave me a little tip. He was like, ‘Hold on, just hold on. It will all work out. It will all fall into place. People will understand you later.’ So that gave me a lot of confidence, being like a strange kid. And my mom is just as supportive.”
It’s all working out for the “strange kid,” probably way beyond what his father had imagined. Adam’s much-awaited album, “For Your Entertainment,” comes out on Nov. 23. He gets to sing the theme song of “2012,” the apocalyptic movie of epic proportions. Titled “Time For Miracles,” the song was composed by Alain Johannes and the late Natasha Shneider for the movie that stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Interviewed by my wife Janet for TV, Adam disclosed that he has Filipino friends so he rattled off the Pinoy food that he loves: “pancit, adobo and lumpia.” Told that “American Idol” alumni David Cook and David Archuleta have been to the Philippines, Adam said that he wants to visit the country, too. He offered a message of hope to Filipinos affected by the recent spate of storms, according to Janet.
Below are excerpts from our interview with Adam.
Can you talk about your journey from “AI” to this point?
It’s been pretty wild because I didn’t think I would get as far as “Idol” at all. Every week that I got through, I was like, really, they voted for me again? So each time I thanked my lucky stars and just did what I do. I just didn’t expect all the support that I’ve been getting and it’s been really amazing, very flattering and very exciting because I’ve been working towards this type of career the 10 years that I’ve lived in Los Angeles. I’ve been working toward this so I feel like it’s all added up into this moment.
And this moment includes the release of your album and you singing the theme song from “2012.”
Yeah, as soon as “Idol” ended, I was busy that month, already working on my album, with different producers, doing writing sessions and then the opportunity came up for the “2012” song. Alain and Natasha’s demo for it was this beautiful melody, just a beautiful acoustic kind of rock feel and then with (producer) Rob Cavallo, we made it like an epic kind of rock power ballad that I’m very proud of.
“For Your Entertainment” is the first single off the album. It’s a lot different from “Time for Miracles.” What’s great about “Time …” is that it has a kind of classic rock power ballad feel. It appeals to all ages. It goes full on like Zeppelin or Queen rock toward the end but starts out with a beautiful melody. It does what some of those great classic rock ballads do. I’m really happy with it. As for the single “For Your Entertainment,” we wanted to release something that was dance club ready. I wanted to get people dancing, drinking to it and shaking and feeling kind of sexy.
Is acting also in your future?
I hope so, yeah. It is something that I’ve done a lot over the past eight or 10 years. If the opportunity came up and it was the right thing, I would love to be a part of a film. Right now, I am going to try to work on the album first. One thing at a time, right (laughing).
Talk about your androgynous look.
Even on “Idol,” I wear my eyeliner and my black clothes, my little rocker outfits. That’s just how I’ve always dressed over the past couple of years. You can label it however you want—androgynous, glam, emo, Goth. We can put a bunch of different labels on it but I’m just being myself. I like to pretty it up like all the good rock stars do. Mick Jagger and David Bowie did it and I’m like trying to do it now (laughter).
What can you say about your female following?
The female following is really flattering, with underwear flying up on stage (laughter). I never really expected that to happen but I’m enjoying it. It’s very flattering and I like the attention (laughter).
Five million people are probably trying to give you directions about your career. How do you know what’s the next step you should take?
I don’t think anybody ever knows the next step. I think “Idol” was a great microcosm for the way that this could work from here on. I was given the opportunity and what was so great about “Idol” is because it’s a contest. They help you where you need help. But they really put it in your hands which made it really exciting for me because I had to pick the song, what I was wearing, what my staging looked like, what the arrangement was, and obviously there were professionals in each of those fields who went and offered their advice and they were like, “I think you should do this. What do you think?” And it was all teamwork in a way. I think that was like a great way to experiment with how I would be received. Okay, this week I’m going to be crazy, over the top with my eye makeup on and screaming and wailing at the top of my lungs.
On the album, you went to many different ways …
I did. I went four or five different ways all on the same album. That’s what I decided after “Idol.” I was like, okay, I have all this classic rock that I’ve done. I got a lot of credibility from that but I also perform “Mad World” which is like a New Romantic, New Wave haunting ballad thing. I did a disco song and I did a bunch of different types of music.
I wanted to figure out a way to do an album that had cohesion to it but that was kind of a variety of different directions, just like what my experience was on “Idol.” I think we did it.
As far as your question on what to do now, I’m trying to keep following my instincts. Luckily, my team that I work with both at 19 and RCA have been really great with backing me and asking me like, well, “what do you want to do?” They’ve been very supportive. Maybe more so than people will think. It’s not as Svengali puppet master as people commonly think the “Idol” experience is. It’s actually been the opposite.
Can you talk about some memorable moments that have happened to you so far?
I remember that finale getting ready for the Kiss performance which was actually really funny. Black Eyed Peas were onstage and I love Black Eyed Peas. I love pop music as well as rock music and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas walked in. I was getting rhinestones glued onto my eyes at a backstage makeup mirror. She just wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big squeeze. She was going, “I just love you.”
I turned around and I was like, “No, I love you! (laughter) …” And then she said, “Look at your outfit, wow, you know (laughter). Is that thing painted on?” So it was great moment, just that kind of exchange. It gave me a lot of confidence going out there in my glitter platforms, thinking that Fergie thought I was cool. That felt good (laughing).
After you said in that Rolling Stone interview that you are gay, was there negative reaction from the fans?
Yeah. I mean, I’m sure. I tried not to pay attention to the negative reaction because that’s a waste of my energy. There were a couple of people who felt turned off by that. Quite frankly, if my sexuality is enough to deter you from the art that I’m creating, then you probably shouldn’t be my fan, anyway, because I’m looking to create fun music that’s entertaining and sometimes makes you want to dance. Some of the album tracks are emotional and very vulnerable. If you can’t get past that, then you’re probably not going to enjoy the music anyway, so to each his own.
Anyone who has followed Adam in the press since the early days of American Idol knows that Ann Powers of the LA Times has also been following him o these many months. Ann has provided us with many positive and in-depth articles over this time, and here’s another gem. She not only talks about Adam, but the music industry as a whole and how Adam has been influenced by it and how he fits into it now. It’s one of the very best articles on Adam I’ve ever read. You MUST read this! Here’s a portion of it:
Kicking off another typical seven-day work week in the offices of his management company 19 Entertainment, Adam Lambert fixed his gaze on his own pretty face. Scattered across his publicist’s desk were proof sheets from a photo session with the singer, who will release his debut album on RCA Records, “For Your Entertainment,” Nov. 23. The shots captured Lambert in typical glam-god poses: peacock, street tough, space oddity, freaky adventurer in the boudoir of the damned.
Lambert, who in person is none of those things but rather a startlingly grounded 27-year-old radiating Southern Californian optimism, took up a red pencil and circled a frame. “This one needs a little fix here,” he said, momentarily playing art director. It’s all part of one big performance for Lambert as he works to resurrect rock in the new pop age.
But hold on. When such hyperbole is thrust at him — by, say, an overly admiring pop critic who followed him closely during last year’s “American Idol” contest, when he broke ground as the most successful Idol to be rock-oriented, androgynous and gay — he lifts a ring-laden hand to brush it away.
“I want to put it out there that I don’t take myself all that seriously,” he said. That’s one of his mantras. “The dress-up supports that; the fantasy element supports it. People want to talk about whether I have rock cred, whether I’m selling out, the theatricality, the gay stuff. . . . Chill out! And just enjoy yourself. It’s not that deep.”
Then he corrected himself, slightly. “Sometimes it is deep. Some of the songs on the album are,” he admitted, pointing to the song “Soaked,” a sweeping epic about the loneliness of one-night stands that’s actually a cover of an unreleased track from Muse, and a very serious one at that. He also singled out “Broken Open,” a ballad he co-wrote, which he said is about encouraging a lover to become vulnerable enough to cry.
“But sometimes it’s just, ‘This is hot, I feel good, this song makes me want to go get a drink and flirt with somebody and have a good time.’ Good energy is just as credible as the cathartic, dark, heavy” stuff, he said. “It’s just as important!”
This might be the most exciting message Lambert carries forward into one of the most intensely observed major label debuts in recent pop history. He’s reminding America that rock music can be joyful, light-spirited and sublimely silly, just as pop can explore serious subjects beyond the call to hit the dance floor. And that a rock star might also like to dance.
The Lambert way
As Lambert plays the role, a rock star doesn’t have to be an angry punk, a brooding post-grunge puritan or a hair-metal style macho dude in a dress. These approaches all have their purpose, but Lambert projects something different: outrageousness that’s totally at peace with itself.
He does this by connecting countercultural ideas — values he learned as a kid touring Germany in a production of “Hair,” the musical that first brought rock’s spirit to Broadway — with a trouper’s sense of artistic performance as work, which takes brains and a certain sharpness as well as talent.
“His No. 1 challenge, which I think he’ll pass, is stay true to himself and to roll with the punches as they come,” said Rob Cavallo, who has worked with artists from Green Day to the Dave Matthews Band and produced four tracks on “For Your Entertainment.” “He’s going to have successes. He might have people against him. Which is exactly what happened to Elvis, the Beatles, to Prince. . . . There will be controversy, and there will be opinions. If he stays true to himself he will be one of those great artists to watch over the years.”
The article is very long…this is just part of it. Read the entire article here.
Thank you Ann, for “digging deep” - we really appreciate it!
***UPDATED WITH MICHELIN MAN INTERVIEW*** Some of the tidbits in this interview are things we already heard yesterday, but it’s always great to look at Adam. He already looks like a star - his gorgeous looks, his incredible sense of style, his poise and confidence and total ease with not only the media, but whatever situation he’s put into. He just *belongs*! Not bad for a kid who used to feel he didn’t fit in. What an inspiration - not only to young people, but all of us. It’s never too late to be the best you can be.
Laura promises more to come soon, so stay tuned!
Here’s the Michelin Man interview. I don’t care what context you put that outfit in, it was hideously ugly and not at all flattering or interesting as far as I’m concerned.
On this home video Adam is caught WITHOUT a body guard and gets slammed with Paparazzis inside a building. YES, they can get away with this.
Regardless of the circumstances Adam is nice as usual yet some ‘people’ have the nerve that he acts like a spoiled diva and has an attitude?? Speaking of which, I hope you all know that was just an attempt from another looser trying to make the headlines. Adam is the nicest guy on earth and everyone knows it.
This, my friends… is the price of fame and it is just the beginning for Adam. I am finally starting to understand why Britney Spears went crazy for a while. Can Adam handle all this pressure?
On the positive side note how Kris doesn’t get THIS much attention
***UPDATE - ADAM’S CD RANKED #1 ON AMAZON AS OF SEPT. 29th*** Feeling blue? Stressed out waiting for news of the single? Well, don’t be! Adam is everywhere!
As we all know, Adam is popping up all over the mainstream media. This is nothing new, of course - he’s been hot news all spring and summer. But with the arrival of fall and the anticipation of his new single and album (as well as his 2012 movie song and the Zodiac documentary), it seems that you can’t pick up any kind of magazine without seeing his name mentioned! And we know you can’t turn on the TV without seeing him (or thinking you see him!)
Here are a few recent tidbits from the mags in case you haven’t seen them…
In their recent September 21-27 issue, TV Guide announces the “tops” of their 2009 Tubey Awards, where fans voted for the best, worst, and craziest moments of the year. No surprise on this award – in the category of “Reality Loser Who Most Deserved to Win” the winner is Adam Lambert. (Though I don’t think that ANY of us think of Adam as a “loser.”)
In their September 25th issue, Entertainment Weekly ranks the upcoming Idol albums (from past and present Idols) in order by anticipation, along with comments. At the “can’t wait” end is Adam (where else?), though EW only says, “The showstopping singer has teamed up with Linda Perry, Ryan Tedder, and Lady Gaga producer RedOne.” The rest of the rankings, however, might surprise you. Second behind Adam is Jason Castro, followed by Kris Allen in third, Allison in fourth, Blake Lewis in fifth, and David Archuleta at the bottom of the “don’t care” end. Ouch!
Do you plan to pre-order the CD, or will you download from itunes, or are you planning on purchasing the CD in person? I think I might do all three, just to support Adam. And any extra copies can always be used as gifts. (Oh, and yes, I have already pre-ordered my CD from
Amazon.) What do you think?
Not to let Jeanette outdo me, but here are some additional songs that Adam performed solo during the appearance at Ford on Friday, September 19th.
Both Adam and Kris had solo time on stage. Adam was introduced with a nice bio piece, followed with Starlight. No, this is not a repeat of the Tour version, but an acoustic version. Ahhhhhh.
Thank goodness he didn’t disappear from us for too long!
~ Carol ~
Here’s Adam singing Tracks of My Tears and Mad World. Ahhh - so beautiful.
Short and sweet - here’s a wonderful recent radio interview from the Ralphie Radio Show in Wilkes-Barre, PA that I’d never heard until now. Hopefully it will be new for many of you too!
~Carol~
When we left Adam on part 3 of this four-part interview by Fred Bronson, he was getting inspired at Burning Man, did the Wicked thing, shared his audition for Idol and talked about performing with Kiss and Queen on the finale. In the final segment, Adam talks in depth about the Idol experience.
~Carol~
Let’s talk about some of the songs you performed on “Idol.” One of my favorites was your interpretation of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “The Tracks of My Tears” during Motown week.
My first impulse was to do “War” by Edwin Starr. I love that song.
That makes sense — Bruce Springsteen recorded it, too. He has? I haven’t heard that version. I want to hear that. And Randy Jackson produced a Motown album with Boyz II Men and they do a version of it. It’s great, but the week before I had just done “Ring of Fire,” so I already caused controversy and pushed the buttons and polarized everybody and I’m really happy about it because I liked what I did and I got to be weird and set myself apart, so I felt I should probably go the complete opposite direction and be super-cleaned-up and kind of pretty and acoustic and organic. That was me being strategic, because I don’t really see myself singing in an acoustic style but I knew I could and it was fun. Because it was Motown, I always wanted to dress fitting the song, so I said, “Let’s get a suit and brush my hair and take off the makeup and the nail polish and do like a real classic look because it’s fresh.” It got everybody talking and I realized I could play with image on the show more than I thought I could.”
How did you work with the stylists? They were really good. Miles and Art were very, very, very collaborative and receptive to every idea that I had and they really supported me. I mean, a lot of it was me saying, “I want to do something like this,” and they’d say, “OK, let’s go shopping,” and then we would put together [my look] as a team.
Not every contestant comes up with their own ideas for how they’re going to look. I’m the L.A. guy. I like clothes and visual presentation and playing dress-up. I think that definitely was an advantage.
You mentioned singing an acoustic song. Your version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” was a great example of that. How did you choose to sing that? The theme was year of birth. They gave us a list and that song popped out at me and I remembered the Gary Jules version from the movie, “Donnie Darko.” It’s haunting and beautiful and it gets in your head and the words are amazing and I wanted to do it because I knew it would be different and very non-“Idol” and not showy. I wanted to pull back and sound really vulnerable and just do the song justice and they came up with a great arrangement of it, kind of this ambient, acoustic thing.
How closely did you work with ["Idol" Music Director] Rickey Minor on arrangements? I worked with the vocal team first and my team was Dorian Holley and Michael Orland. We would look at the song and cut it to make it fit in the time of one minute and 45 seconds. We would figure out which parts of the song we liked the most, how to make it flow, what key to put it in, vocal things to do with it, style things to do with it and if I had an idea in my head we would figure it out and they would make notes and they’d send that off to Rickey’s arranger. Then Rickey would get it and develop it. So the first time we hear what it’s going to sound like is the Sunday before, because they give us rough mixes for our iTunes recording which happens the next morning, Monday morning, before our band rehearsal. After a couple weeks of that, I got Rickey’s number and I asked if I could just call him. He’s super-talented, awesome. So I was really happy that we got to skip all that process and talk one-on-one.
You mentioned the Johnny Cash classic, “Ring of Fire.” Tell me about choosing that song and the very non-country arrangement of it. I was really inspired by David Cook’s approach to the show the year before. I thought he was really smart in that he didn’t let the theme weeks throw him off, whereas a lot of people conform to the theme, so it turns into this talent show, whereas he kept his cool points because he always made it work for his style and he was very true to his own artistry. I just took a page from him. When it came to country week, I thought: “This is one of those moments where you can take a song and make it work for you,” like he did with “Billie Jean.” Country music is like the furthest thing from me but I remembered an electro version of “Ring of Fire” I had heard a couple of years ago. I didn’t remember who it was by. It was sexy. The words are hot. The melody’s good. I knew that’s the one I should do. It’s dark and kind of risqué and I liked it. I searched iTunes for different versions of it. That’s basically what Cook did, he found covers and used those arrangements, which he got a lot of [criticism] for. There’s no reason why he should have. We’re singing covers, so what’s the difference?
I’ve never understood why anyone would be upset that a David Cook would sing Chris Cornell’s version of “Billie Jean” instead of Michael Jackson’s original arrangement or that a Chris Daughtry would sing Live’s version of another Johnny Cash song, “I Walk the Line.” I never got that either. If you asked him who it was by, he would tell you. It’s not like we’re trying to trick anybody. There was a woman named Dilana who sang “Ring of Fire” on the “Rock Star: Supernova” show and that was the way she did it. She had a recording of it out with the Middle Eastern dub kind of feel to it. I loved that style. I love world music, especially when it’s in that dub electronica kind of vein. I really love that, like Thievery Corporation’s a good example of that. I was really excited to be able to do a song on “Idol” that sounded like that and I knew it was probably going to be like, “What?” Vocally, I felt like I nailed it. And of course I read the press and people were saying, “He’s screeching,” and I’m thinking, “That’s not really screeching. I don’t really know what that is to you.” But everybody has their own opinion.
So while you were on “Idol,” you were reading what people were writing about you. Did it affect you? I’m pretty objective, pretty resilient to that kind of thing. I didn’t take it personally. I try to take it as research, like how people were responding to it, and I felt the same way about the judges. They had objective opinions and everybody has one. Listen to their comment and if it’s a good critique, take it. Make notes. Fix it if you agree, and if not, just keep doing your thing.
It’s not about them and what they think. It’s about that I get to be on TV in front of millions of people and I get to sing. It’s about the opportunity and the experience and it’s not about “Did the judges like it?” I didn’t want to be too concerned with that, and by having a sense of humor about it, it made me more OK.
Back to David Cook for a moment. You’ve said you were inspired by the way he looked at the songs he did over the season as a “set list.” I definitely approached the show in the same way, creating a lot of variety with the songs I chose. If I did an acoustic down tempo soft falsetto ballad the week before, then I wanted to contrast and go completely the other direction the next week. I wanted to keep everybody guessing and I wanted to make it a really dynamic set of songs.
Was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” a song you knew from your father’s record collection? Yes, and my mom’s a huge Stones fan. She’s gone to their concerts. I was going to sing “Cryin’” by Aerosmith that first week and had rehearsed it and cut it down and gotten a rehearsal track, but at the last minute, the publishers weren’t comfortable with one of the details in the contract and didn’t really know who I was yet, so they pulled it and I had to come up with something really fast. I needed to do something that would establish me as a rocker, because I looked at my group and I knew that there were a lot of poppier R&B and country [singers], and I wondered, “How do I make myself different and stand out?” There was a girl rocker and I thought I’ll be the boy rocker. Kris [Allen] and Allison [Iraheta] were both in that group with me and we went through together and did all our press together and all three of us are signed now. It’s a beautiful thing that, for reasons that are beyond us, we’ve been cool. And the three of us get along really well, which is nice.
Anyway, I picked “Satisfaction” because I knew the song and it was a song that everybody knew. It was a rock song and I wanted to associate myself with icons, with famous rock stars. And Hollywood Week was a good time for me to do my research into how [people] were going to see me. It was an experiment. What happens when I sing this way? How does it go over? What happens if I do this?
We did our second round of a cappella group choreography and we sang “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad and I got to really wail and go high and go crazy and they loved it. So I knew I could go nuts and they’re going to like that. Simon said, “You can sing. I didn’t know what the big deal was before. OK, you’ve got pipes.” That helped establish myself and then the final day of Hollywood Week was pick your own song off this list and I wasn’t feeling any of the songs. I asked, “Can we sing from the girls’ list?” and they said yes. I knew I had to get up early the next morning and know the song and be prepared. I didn’t want to worry about learning words. I wanted to be able to sing the song. What song on this girls’ list do I know that no one else is doing? “Believe” by Cher. I remember loving that single.
It was the first time I had worked with Dorian and Michael and I asked them, “Is it too gay? Is it too ridiculous?” And they were like, “Uhhh…” [Adam shrugs his shoulders while looking up and rolling his eyes]. I said, “What if we make it a rock-pop ballad, not a dance song? What if it’s totally different?” And they said, “Let’s try it.” I sang it and I felt good about it. It set me apart. None of the other guys were doing ballads. I knew the [judges] would remember me, because there were 75 people. I needed to stand out so that they would put me on the show. I knew that that was how it was going to go down.
Looking back at the season as a whole, what do you know now that you didn’t know before you were on “Idol”? I learned a lot by watching myself back. Like, less is more. I don’t have to do quite as much every time, because when I watched some of the first performances, “Satisfaction,” “Black or White,” they get a little manic and that was because I was excited and had all this adrenaline. By getting used to working on the soundstage and getting comfortable and not being as nervous, I learned what works and what doesn’t.
How did you like working with this season’s mentors? Slash was really cool and very flattering and Smokey was amazing. That was an honor. All the mentors were great, like being onstage with Queen and Kiss was so cool. And I learned a lot about dealing with the cameras. I had never really worked with a camera and the director on the show, Bruce [Gowers], is amazing and really fun and we got along really well. He would tell me, “I’m going to do this with the camera. Just play with that camera.” He gave me some directions here and there and it helped me make the most of that format, because I was used to being onstage and not being intimate. And Ken Warwick, the producer, is the most supportive and warm and so is Mike Darnell, from Fox. I mean, he’s amazing. I never felt stifled. They really encouraged everything, all of it. It was really, really nice.
And now you’re recording your debut album. What is your vision for your first record? I want to do pop-rock electronic, like dance rock. I want it to be rock and roll, a nod to all the ’60s and ’70s rock that I love, the classic and the glam rock, but with a very current, futuristic sensibility for dance floors. I want people to have fun. I don’t want to sound like I have this social cause, but I think that music in the ’70s was so cool because it was about partying. It was about bringing people together and celebrating and not about all this dark sad [stuff]. I want to bring back the fun stuff. I want to bring people together and get them to dance and smile and feel sexy and celebrate our similarities, not our differences.
– Fred Bronson
Here is a wonderful interview with Adam done by JoJo and Reagan for their Baltimore radio show (I’m guessing from the YouTube title). He’s so relaxed and “off camera” that I get the feeling that this is how Adam is when he’s just sitting on the couch talking to his friends. I know this is a month old, sorry. I’ve been meaning to post it for quite some time now. I apologize for the delay - I’m getting involved in a new business venture and my time has been really divided.
This interview really struck me. Adam is so elequent, as always, in his delivery. He’s relaxed, informative and honest. Enjoy!
Not only did she land an interview with Barnaby of the “Barnaby and Friends” morning radio show on WLHT 95.7 in Grand Rapids, but when Barnaby interviewed Adam she got mentioned! Who am I speaking of? It is our one and only Jeanette, of course!
Now personally, I think Jeanette should have gotten more credit for Barnaby’s question regarding Adam’s cruise ship photo in front of the Twin Towers right before 9/11. I doubt that Barnaby would have known that information without Jeanette! But hey, any mention of Glambs and a fan is a good thing. It’s all good.
So all hail Jeanette! Here’s Barnaby’s interview with Adam:
~Dana {I usually put “CatEyes” here, but today I write: “Jeanette’s Biggest Fan!”}
Glamb #6
If you’re a frequent visitor on this web site, you’ve heard about the DonorsChoose.org charity project endorsed by Adam. But are you wondering is it really coming from Adam or are the Head Honchos forcing it?
I feel very confident in saying this comes from Adam. Relationships between the Idol artists and 19 Entertainment have changed from what we suspected as one-sided during the early seasons of American Idol. Everyone at 19E wants the best for Adam and all of their artists. When the artist has clear direction and vision for their career, it makes sense that 19E work with them and guide the artist to make that vision come into focus.
While Adam appreciates all the love and support from his fans, and is so touched that people are spending their money on gifts for him, he has realized he has no room on the tour buses for all those gifts! I spoke two weeks ago with 19E and learned that Adam has a ton of mail and gifts waiting for him back at the 19E offices in Los Angeles. All of the mail and packages being sent to all 10 of the Idols during the Tour is gathering in storerooms and will be delivered to them upon completion of the Tour. The official I spoke with jokingly told me that basically all of the other nine’s things fit into some large boxes and Adam practically needs a room to himself for all of his fan mail! Now imagine everything that’s being given to him on the road. How big do you think the storage under the buses is? Not big enough for Adam’s fans, I imagine!
Adam is really excited about the DonorsChoose.org project where he’s asking his fans to take the money they would spend on gifts for him, and instead pick a project from the hundreds listed, and make some teachers’ and childrens’ dreams come true.
Watch the following video from Adam, forgive the choppiness of the comments inserted (it wasn’t by us!) and think about helping others. Enjoy getting lost in those theatrical eyes and bathe yourself in the smooth tones of his cool voice. After you’ve done all that, click here and help out some needy kids. Who knows where the next Adam Lambert will come from?!?
Adam’s honesty comes through loud and clear in this interview by Joshua Miller from Pride Source’s Between The Lines. The Pride Source Media Group is Michigan’s largest publishing company that specifically targets the emerging LGBT community.
~ Carol ~
Every TV you turn on, every magazine you read and everywhere you turn, everyone is talking about Adam Lambert. Before securing the runner-up spot on “American Idol,” he worked the club scene, tearing up the stage with his androgynous sense of style, vocal power and a range that would make Mariah Carey jealous. He’s also been a Rolling Stone coverboy - on which he came out (finally!) - and was totted as one of People Magazine’s “Hottest Bachelors.” Lambert, who’s been recording his debut album, is currently performing on the “American Idols Live! Tour 2009,” which stops at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Lambert spoke with Between The Lines about handling the sudden fame, drag queens and the songs that make him cry.
After years in Los Angeles trying to “make it” you hit the big time with “American Idol.” You must be on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. What is the hardest to cope with? The hardest part has to be maintaining my friendships. I’m so busy, and I don’t want my friends to think that I’ve forgotten them. It’s also difficult because old acquaintances now want to be my new BFFs, and it’s so obvious why. It’s flattering, but difficult to read people’s true motivation. It seems that so many contestants on “AI” crumble under the pressure. How did you stay so focused? The pressure is definitely intense, but I’ve always enjoyed feeling busy and fired up to do projects. The extra expectation helps me deliver a stronger performance. I tried not to see the show as a competition, more as an opportunity for exposure and experience. That helped keep me less intimidated. What can we expect from you on the “American Idol Tour”? Expect sickening wardrobe and eye makeup. I’m also closing my set with an amazing David Bowie medley that gets disco-house at the end.
Is there one song that you have heard that you connected with on such a level that you wish you had written it? “Eclipse” by Robyn - heard it for the first time and wept. It reminds me of my ex and I. Also, “Come Home” by One Republic made me cry as well. It was written about an army wife missing her man, but to me it meant asking for love itself to come to you. Any advice for struggling artists? Those auditioning should find a way to set themselves a part from the crowd. Think commercially though - this is the music business. If you sing well, they are gonna be more interested in how to market you. Consider the type of artist you’d be, and bring all that to the audition. Your song choice, look and presence are just as important as your abilities as a singer. Give us five words that would accurately describe an Adam Lambert performance.
High. Fierce. Beat. Horny. Fun. What was the last song that you listened to that you honestly enjoyed?
“Lose You” by Peaches You have said you would love to work with artists like Lady Gaga and Madonna. If you had to pick one artist to sing with dead or alive who would it be? I would be honored and so intimidated to sing with the late Freddie Mercury. Who is your favorite drag queen? Out of fairness, I can’t pick one. I love drag queens for the bravery, expression and attitude they bring to the scene. Describe your music-making process. I am a team player. I enjoy co-writing where a couple people sit around and throw ideas out and everyone picks the best lyrics for the song. I also make suggestions for the production of the track as well. As long as I am involved in the creation of the song, I am thrilled.
Wow! Did this ever catch my eye! Thanks to E! Online writer Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna for going where no other writer has gone before.
From E! Online: Fans have taken it up a notch from throwing bras and panties at Adam Lambert during the American Idol summer tour. Now they’re tossing up sex toys. “It’s going further, and somebody threw onstage a red-leather tasseled whip,” he tells us. “Yeah, and then the next night, I got one that was made out of, like, purple fur. It’s getting really S&M.” How’s he dealing with the newfound fan freakiness? Find out…
“It interesting,” he says. “I got some glow-in-the-dark handcuffs. It’s really getting creative. It’s exciting. I think they really want me to play with these toys during the number.” So does he? “I always try to because I enjoy that,” he says. “But then somebody threw a bra on during ‘Starlight,’ and, literally, it missed my face by three inches. Yeah, I am going to be a little bit more passive-aggressive, so I decided not to even acknowledge the bra that got thrown on stage, because I didn’t want to condone the behavior.” The upside to the new X-rated projectiles? “I’m glad it was a soft material and wasn’t anything hard. I’m not really into S&M, but it’s definitely tempting.”
Oh, Adam!
Here’s the video showing the toys mentioned above. This was from the Tampa show. When he tosses the handcuffs to an audience member and blows a kiss, it’s too cute!
I have no idea how performers remember all the words to their songs. But you can see in the following video shot during the Deluth, Georgia concert that even Adam is human. He was so clearly enjoying himself onstage, telling the audience “Georgia! I like it down here!” and then he laughs before introducing “Starlight.” When that bra missed his face by 3 inches it surprised him so much that he forgot where he was in the song.
At :51 he sings: “Starlight, I will be chasing your starlight . . .” and instead of “until the end of my life, I don’t know if it’s worth it anymore” he skips to: “let’s conspire to reignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive.” He stumbles a bit on his way back to the “hold you, in my arms,” chorus and from then on it’s beautiful, as usual. But I bet his mind was going a million miles an hour thinking “oh s#!t, how do I get out of this one?” I also wonder what the band thinks when they’ve realized the singer is off. But Adam is enough of an experienced professional that only those who have the lyrics memorized would know.
Ok “CatEyes” I’m hacking into your post :p (this is Dreamsound). So, as a lot of you know, me and Adam were born on the same day and same year (I was borned at 4:55pm (Chilean time) Jan 29, 1982). I’ve been dying to know at what exact time he was born. What if we were born at the exact same time??
My jaw dropped when someone asked that question…
Another great interview with Adam from Access Hollywood. Find out Adam’s current choice of books, his make-up preference, how he feels about screaming women and associated unmentionables being thrown on stage, and what actor he would like to see play him in a movie!
This interview was just too cute. I enjoyed watching his playful nature with the interviewer at the very end…what a tease!
Please check your heart rate at the end of this video…enjoy!
It’s happened again.Another article in another rag is claiming that Adam has been acting like a diva.This time it’s the National Ledger, and in their July 13th article, they quote an unnamed “insider” who states that Adam’s attitude is infuriating the other idols on the tour.This “new” article is nothing more than a rehash of the National Enquirer article that has been floating around for weeks now, like garbage on a river that refuses to sink.The National Ledger article adds nothing new, and the source is never named.No other legitimate news outlet has ever been able to substantiate these rumors.I hate to even mention these articles, because to me they are not news, but I know many of you get upset when you see this trash.
But yesterday, reporter Meredith Rosser of examiner.com defended Adam in her article titled “Adam Lambert’s secret: Accusations of warmth, professionalism dog American Idol finalist.”(Thanks to many of you in your comments for your heads up on this article!)In her article Ms. Rosser quotes real people who have praised Adam’s attitude from their personal experience with him.It’s a great story, and it reiterates everything we’ve already known about Adam in our hearts all along.
Adam gave his fans a total thrill on the red carpet at the Young Hollywood Awards on Sunday night, June 7, 2009. Not only did he display his best non-diva behavior by obliging all the photographer requests - “over here Adam, over your left shoulder Adam, show us your rings Adam” - but he answered the prayers of thousands of his fans (you know who you are!) by wearing his famous striped pants. He also gave a bonus of pretty much confirming all the gossip by practically declaring his orientation. He never said the words, but from the video on rickey.org and transcript in Hollyscoop.com, it’s as much out there as ever.
Following is the Hollyscoop transcript. (And yes, they spelled it “their” instead of “they’re!”)
Adam Lambert Opens Up About His Sexual Orientation
American Idol may have come to an end, but everyone is still talking about runner up Adam Lambert. His sexual orientations has been the talk of the town.
Although Adam has not “come out” to the public he has made his preference pretty clear.
Adam attended the 11th Annual Young Hollywood awards on Sunday where Kara DioGuardi presented him with the “Young Hollywood Artist of the Year” award.
When Hollyscoop asked Adam if he was upset about Kara revealing that he’s gay on the View he said, “No I mean their asking the same questions everyone else is asking and Kara was just being honest, she’s a good friend of mine now that we’ve recorded together and I don’t think she did anything wrong.”
So when is Adam gonna come out publicly? Our best bet is on the cover of his Rolling Stone cover. Lambert admitted, “With the Rolling Stone cover I am going to be talking about a lot of things that people have had questions about so…I think that will be nice I think we can move forward and well all look forward to the album together.”
Lambert revealed how excited he was to be on the cover of such a prestigious magazine and about the constant media attention he’s been getting.
“At this point its such a honor that people want to know about me,” he said.
What is it about Adam Lambert and why do we care about him so much? “I don’t know maybe people like the idea of kind of being out there a little bit it’s a little more interesting then trying to fit into a box,” said Lambert.
When asked about his male friend he was spotted holding hands with while leaving a Los Angeles nightclub Adam said, “I’ll take the fifth on that one.”
With his instant fame, every move Lambert makes is being documented by the paparazzi. Lambert joked that the best part of his fame is “the paparazzi following me around and the worst part is the paparazzi following me around.”
It’s definitely a catch 22 but being a newcomer, Adam Lambert is trying to stay calm. No Susan Boyle meltdowns from this singer. “I have not had a meltdown, I had a little vacation in Santa Barbara and now I am ready to fly.”
Indeed he will be flying as he goes on tour for American Idol. He confesses, “The tour is going to be great, I have a five song set I am really looking forward to it, there’s going to be new material that no one’s heard that wasn’t on Idol it will be a good surprise.”
Adam doesn’t want to stop there, he mentioned how he wants to become an international success. “I would love to be around the world, I want to travel share my music I wanna go to Europe I wanna go to Asia, down under I think there’s a big market for some craziness.”
It’s safe to say that Adam is gonna be around for a really long time! It’s just the beginning for this American Idol alum.
If you haven’t heard of Adam Lambert, you will soon. He is the flamboyant rocker who recently came in second on “American Idol” in a stunning upset by boy-next-door Kris Allen. Adam, the judges’ obvious favorite throughout the show, is a 27-year-old actor-singer who was struggling to make it in the music business until “Idol” came along. A former cast-member of “Wicked,” Adam worked in various Broadway touring groups and avant garde shows in order to pay his rent. But his real dream was to become a pop-rock star.
Adam has an amazing vocal range and a falsetto so rich in quality that it is imperceptibly different from his chest voice. His incredible ability to control his vocals enables him to hold his high notes seemingly forever. His versatility is unmatched in “Idol” history. With the arguable exception of country music (his rendition of “Ring of Fire” received strong emotional reactions both pro and con, as it was more like Johnny Cash doing Goth music with Middle Eastern undertones), Adam excels in every genre of music. He sings soulful ballads to pop to heavy metal and glam rock, all with ease, style, and pitch-perfect tone.
Week in and week out, other “Idol” contestants appeared on stage in sneakers and T-shirts without sets or lighting design, all of which are in the contestants’ control. But enter Adam, and the show began! One could criticize his attire (and did!) but every week Adam came with an outfit, sets, lighting, and moves that fit his song choice and made his performances both unpredictable and more entertaining. He’s not just a singer; he’s the whole performance package.
Unfortunately, talent has not always been the focus of commentary on Adam. Rumor has it that some on the Christian-right refused to vote for Adam because of his ambiguous sexual orientation. Explicit photos of him making out with other men, attending the Burning Man (an annual event in Nevada which constitutes an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance), and occasionally dressing in drag, detracted from his deserved praise. Supposedly, Kris Allen’s church pastor urged “all believers” to vote for Kris (though Kris emphatically objected to votes based on religion). Additionally, “Idol” contestant Danny Gokey, who touted his Christianity, had a similar performance style to Kris’. His devout following likely swung in favor of Kris once Danny was booted off the show.
Many deemed it unpalatable if not morally wrong to deny Adam his hard earned votes based on sexual orientation. This should have no place in the “Idol” competition. As Kris explained, this was supposed to be a competition about singing, not a vote for the presidency.
Yet, as soon as the winner was announced and the finale was over, the left-wing media started bashing Adam for not being gay enough. Adam has admitted that the explicit photos were of him, and he has not been at all shy about anything including his sexuality. (To date, interviewers have beaten around the bush and have not put the “gay question” to him directly.) But neither has Adam made his sexuality a political issue…at least thus far. Still, the photos and Adam’s behavior, which are about as “out” as can be, still leave some dissatisfied. As is often the case with leftists, words are more important than actions, and one isn’t truly “out” until he mouths the words “I’m gay.” Adam hasn’t done this and thus will suffer the wrath of leftist activists.
No sooner had he walked off the stage than criticism has befallen him — not for his performances, which were controversial but fair game, but for his alleged “silence” on his sexuality. Indeed, Entertainment Weekly Online dedicated four whole pages to chastising him for failing to announce his orientation. But, making one’s private life fodder for public consumption seems to be something the gay community does often. In the recently released film “Outrage,” the filmmaker assumed that if he outed gay Republicans, they would change their votes on gay marriage. The presumption seems to be that gay marriage is the world’s most pressing issue, and everyone who is gay should prioritize this about all else. To hell with national security, the arts, or whatever else one might be interested in.
Adam has acknowledged feeling pressure from some quarters to use his sexuality and “alternativeness” to influence how America views related social issues. Contrary to helping those in the gay community, they are doing Adam and the gay community a disservice. By pressuring Adam to act differently than his straight counterparts, they separate him out rather than allow him to integrate and be accepted as equal. They are also denying him the right to define himself as he wants to be defined and decide for himself how his talents will be used.
It unlikely that at age three when Adam starting singing around the house, or at age ten when he first began musical theater, that his goal was to achieve success as a vehicle for gay rights activism. Why does everyone who is gay have to represent a political cause? Why can’t Adam just be a singer and an entertainer like other artists? Both those who withheld votes because Adam’s gay and those who are bashing him for not being gay enough, insist on defining Adam by his sexual orientation. But Adam clearly defines himself by his music.
Politics aside, it is apparent that Adam is not going to be a flash-in-the-pan like previous “Idol” contenders. Adam was the only reason to watch the cheesy show this season. My prediction is that he is destined to be a national star, if not international. Offers are already pouring in, and there’s talk of him touring with Queen, being courted for Broadway leads, and making his own CD’s. Refusing to be boxed into a specific genre as most record labels demand, his first album promises to range from pop to rock to funk with innovative electronics. Additionally, he hopes to do corollary theatrical performances. His goal is to fill an artistic niche of theatrical pop music which is currently female-dominated on the scene, and largely devoid of male artists. It is Adam’s artistic expression and personal style that make him notable, not his sexual orientation. If he does have a political message, it’s one of personal empowerment for anyone who might not fit the mold…sexuality aside.
Those making social criticism of Adam based on his sexuality — one way or the other — should apologize. I myself owe him an apology for using his orientation in the title of this article. However, I doubt if he cares much about any of this. Adam is all about the music, and I’m sure he’s too busy singing to pay this any mind.
In Conan O’Brien’s monologue on his second night hosting the Tonight Show, Conan says: “Big celebrity news. American Idol singer Adam Lambert is gonna be on the cover of the next Rolling Stone. And in the interview, gonna finally admit he’s gay. That’s right . . . yep . . . and in other really obvious music news, Amy Winehouse drinks a bit.”
Thankfully the Tonight Show goes out to all of America. By having the message come from as innocuous a source as Conan, the message is softened, and is now mainstream and starts being “ho hum” news. This can only help Adam see success even faster across the boards.
For all those who worry about Adam and his career, this is another sign that he is going to be just fine! He will be accepted and will receive the accolades from the masses that we fans have been bestowing on him since day one!
. . . if we get him nominated! We all know how Adam has touched us in so many different ways. All say musically, some say spiritually, and many say he even reaches those *uh-hmm* dark places that can be oh-so-hard to find. So let’s reward him by having him nominated to be included in People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive rankings. There is already a movement out there to have this done. Let’s show how strong we all feel, get on board and get this accomplished! Send emails here. They’re asking to hear from US!
I don’t know who put together TV Guide Channel’s Sexiest Idol Stars, but Adam wasn’t even included. And Kris was??? Let’s get this corrected!!
What’s next for Adam Lambert? On the video below he says: “My dream now is to make a really dope record, do something new, push the boundaries.”
This will definitely definitely help dealing with the grief guys. Watch everything after 2:55, is beyond inspirational how he talks… I’m definitely, DEFINITELY Adamazed, you must see the last part of this interview. He looks like a superstar.
And I have to say, sorry but Kris totally sucks at interviewing while Adam is so amazingly articulate, eloquent, he really listens to the questions while Kris just stutters or says it is ’surreal’ or that he is at a ‘loss of words.’
That, alone, is the one that thing that hurts the most about Kris winning.
There is a reason Adam Lambert is Adam Lambert. His voice is amazing, of course, but that isn’t the only thing that got him to the “American Idol” finale. He’s got the persona, the charisma, the charm and the look. To many, he already is a rock star, whether he wins or not.
As for me, well, sometimes I wear sweater vests, I enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and I like to read blogs with cute animal pictures — so, I’m not really a rock star. I can’t really be Adam Lambert, but I could try to look like him — that’s the easy part, right? My style is more akin to Taylor Hicks than Adam Lambert, and I needed to get with the times! So yesterday morning, I took a break from my duties of being an MTV News production assistant and had the surreal experience of having cameras in my dressing room as I got glambertized (glambertized, for those who don’t know, is the process of becoming as glamorous as Adam Lambert).
After trying on several outfits and settling on the most uncomfortable combination of pleather pants and heavy chains, I had my Adam Lambert garb ready to go — all I needed now was the look. My face experienced a plethora of new and uncomfortable sensations: pencils prodding at my eyeballs, hot wax on the perimeter of my eyebrows and the smell of hair frying under a flatiron.
After it was all done, I was finally allowed to see my transformation. (Check out pics from my “glambertization” here.) I could not stop looking at myself — I was looking in the mirror more than Tim Kash does. Did I look like Adam Lambert? Well, I think the style reminded me of quite a few celebrities — somewhere between Adam Lambert, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz — but mostly, I think I looked awkward.
The whole experience was a blast, but as for the look? Well, it’s not for me. Besides, it’s just hair and makeup, and that doesn’t define me nor does it define Adam Lambert. It’s all in good fun. I just hope next time they let me get a makeover into Susan Boyle — that would be a first.
Here’s a really good interview with Momma Lambert and Adam: They talk about the talent she found when he was 3 and 10 years old. They’re both sweet and really cute together:
Casting directors say ‘American Idol’ contestant could have a bright future on Broadway.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kim Stolz
It’s guaranteed that if Adam Lambert wins “American Idol,” he’ll release at least one major-label album. But even if this year’s runaway leading contender pulls a Chris Daughtry/ Jennifer Hudson and is booted before making it to the show’s finale, two of Broadway’s leading casting directors say he’s got a great shot at finding fame on the Great White Way.
In fact, before taking a detour from musical theater and glam-rock cabaret performances, Lambert was on the short list to potentially play the lead in the Broadway Spider-Man musical “Turn Off the Dark,” which will feature music by U2’s Bono and The Edge, according to casting director Bernie Telsey.
”We started working on ‘Spider-Man’ a year and a half ago, and [Lambert is] someone we know because we cast him in ‘Wicked’ and knew he had that kind of range,” Telsey said of the San Diego-bred singer, who has 17 years of experience on the stage, including a stint in a 2004 musical version of “The Ten Commandments” opposite Val Kilmer. “I’ve not seen him do those styles as much as I’ve seen him now on ‘American Idol.’ And he was someone we looked after about seven months ago, but he told us then that he was already in the ‘American Idol’ process and not available. So he’s definitely somebody that we would have auditioned, just because we know him and see him for a lot of shows. … Let him go win, and then he can come and replace Spider-Man a year after the run. He’d be great.”
Though Telsey said Lambert couldn’t jump into the “Spider-Man” mix even if he does win the show because of the recording contracts “Idol” winners sign, the casting director said he’d gladly consider Lambert for “a bunch of shows,” especially now that he has national name recognition.
Broadway has been very kind to “Idol” contestants, with a steady stream of top finishers making their way to the stage, from runner-up Clay Aiken (”Monty Python’s Spamalot”) to Constantine Maroulis (”Rock of Ages”), winners Fantasia (”The Color Purple”) and Taylor Hicks (”Grease”), and a number of others including Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young and Frenchie Davis.
Jay Binder, another veteran Broadway casting director who helped Hudson win an Academy Award by casting her in the movie version of “Dreamgirls,” said many “Idol” veterans have succeeded on Broadway because they have shown the work ethic needed to perform eight shows a week and draw fans at a time when box office is down and few new major musical-theater stars are being minted.
“I’m very thrilled for what could happen with this young man, because if he succeeds in this media, we have another male musical-theater star, and we need every one we can get,” said Binder, who cautioned that he’d have to have Lambert come in for an audition to see what the singer’s range is. “I have my fingers crossed for him climbing buildings and weaving webs some day.”
And rather than bearing the stigma of being on America’s leading reality show (and #1 show, period), Binder and Telsey said “Idol” is closely watched by casting directors looking to spot talent.
“We watch every week to see who’s going to lose so we can cast them in a Broadway show,” Telsey said. “Seriously, because they’re talented people who just didn’t have agents. … Look at Fantasia. She blew the house down in ‘Color Purple.’ … What was so wonderful about her in that show is she doesn’t even sing until the end of Act 1. And the whole time you’re watching, asking, ‘Who is this incredible actress onstage?,’ and she had never done it.”
Right now, Telsey said he’s already going after this season’s Alexis Grace for possible Broadway work, and Binder said he was looking at some “Idol” alumni for potential roles in Broadway revivals of “The Wiz” and “Dreamgirls.”
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