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Biography

Singer. Born Adam Lambert on January 29, 1982, as the eldest of two siblings. He and his family moved to San Diego, California, from Indiana when Lambert was a baby. Lambert dreamed of being an entertainer from the age of 10; around that time he was cast in his first role as Linus in the Lyceum Theater's production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in San Diego.



Thrilled by the stage, Lambert took private voice lessons and appeared in more musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease and Chess at local theatres. His voice coach, Lynne Broyles, and artistic director of the Children's Theatre Network, Alex Urban, became influential mentors during this time.



Lambert attended Mt. Carmel High School where he participated in theater, choir and jazz band. After high school, he moved to Orange County to attend college. Shortly after enrollment Lambert had a change of heart, and decided that his real desire was to perform. He left school after only five weeks.



The aspiring singer and performer moved to Los Angeles, California, where he cobbled together a living from odd jobs while trying to make it in the theatre. He also tried his hand at music, performing in a rock band and doing studio session work.



By 2004, Lambert was making a name for himself through small parts around the Los Angeles area. He played a small role in The Ten Commandments at the Kodak Theatre alongside film actor Val Kilmer. He also began regular performances in The Zodiac Show, a touring revue of live music and talent that was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the band Pussycat Dolls. During his time with Zodiac, Lambert wowed fellow performers with his vocal range. He also began writing his own music with the revue; one particular original song, "Crawl Through Fire," was written in collaboration with Madonna's guitarist Monte Pittman. Most recently, Lambert landed an understudy spot as Fiyero in the touring and Los Angeles casts of the play, Wicked.



Lambert stepped into the national spotlight in 2009, after he became a finalist on the eighth season of the reality television competition, American Idol. His performance of the 2001 Gary Jules' arrangement of the song "Mad World" earned a standing ovation from the show's harshest critic, Simon Cowell. His vocal range, along with his jet-black hair and heavy mascara, earned him comparisons to glam rockers like Freddie Mercury and Gene Simmons.



Lambert, along with contestants Danny Gokey and Kris Allen, were the only finalists in the eighth season not to have been ranked in the bottom three positions. Lambert was considered a front-runner in the competition, but was later beaten out by dark horse candidate Kris Allen.