Happy birthday, Adam Lambert! In honor of the singer's special day, let's take a look at his life achievements, early beginnings, and his reaction to the backlash he received back when he was competing on "American Idol."
Born Adam Mitchel Lambert on January 29, 1982, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the singer is now 42 years old! His mother was a dental hygienist, while his father was a program manager.
The singer's love for music and performing began at the age of nine as he started appearing on shows under the Metropolitan Educational Theatre network, now known as MET2.
He furthered his knowledge in performing within the next few years as he began training under acting and vocal coaching.
Later on, he continued being involved with theater and choir, he even became a part of his school's jazz band and competed in local competitions.
In 2000, he enrolled at California State University, Fullerton, to study musical theater but he dropped out after five weeks to move to Los Angeles in order to look for bigger opportunities.
"I just decided that what I really wanted to do was try to work in the real entertainment world. Life is all about taking risks to get what you want," he said in a previous interview.
Adam Lambert Career, Net Worth
His career and popularity boosted when he auditioned for the eighth season of "American Idol" in 2009. The first sang he performed was "Rock with You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" which advanced him to Hollywood week.
Lambert went on to become one of the most successful contestants of the show, but controversy struck when pictures of him kissing another man while dressed in drag circulated around the internet.
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Regardless, the musician became a runner-up on his season, but even though he didn't win the entire show, he became a successful artist on his own, released albums, and even collaborated with the legendary band Queen.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the singer's estimated fortune as of 2024 is $45 million.
Adam Lambert's Reaction to 'American Idol' Controversy
Speaking to Them's YouTube series called "Becoming," Adam Lambert addressed the controversy he faced back when he was still competing on "American Idol."
During his time on the show, he received backlash and homophobia and he admitted that he "lost some fans at that point."
However, he assured himself that those people aren't real fans, explaining, "I always said to myself, 'Well, those aren't the fans I want anyway.' If they think I'm gay, and they don't like that, then go away. That's who I am."
READ MORE: Adam Lambert Remembers Freddie Mercury in Heartfelt Speech During Queen's Last 2023 Tour Stop
