Ryan Seacrest just twittered that Adam Lambert’s Rolling Stone interview is now available online.
You can access it here.
Enjoy and try not to get too excited! haha
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Adam Lambert’s Rolling Stone Interview
June 9, 2009 
175 Comments
About Masterclass Lady
Rosanne (Giallonardo) Simunovic began her musical career in Timmins, Ontario. She studied piano with Anne Pizzale and later, at an advanced level, with Soeur Anita Vaugeois (Sister Cecile of Les Soeurs De L’Assomption in Timmins). Her vocal and accompaniment skills were nurtured by her aunt, the late Dorothea Mascioli. When Rosanne graduated from O’Gorman High School, she moved on to the University of Toronto where she continued her piano and vocal studies while attaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She was hired as a piano accompanist for several musical companies, most notably, the National Ballet Of Canada. She presently holds an A.R.C.T. Teacher’s Diploma in Voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Rosanne has studied choral conducting with numerous well known Canadian Conductors, including Wayne Riddell of Montreal, Quebec and the internationally renowned Dr. Elmer Iseler. She has been a founding member of numerous community-based arts organizations: the Timmins Arts Council, later known as Arts & Culture Timmins, the Timmins Symphony Orchestra, and, the Timmins Youth Singers…as well as the TYS Alumnus choir, the Timmins Concert Singers. In 1987, she was also selected to be the conductor of the Timmins Board Of Education Choir, comprised of talented students from Grades 5 to 8. In 1988, she was elected to the Board Of Directors of the Ontario Choral Federation (now known as Choirs Ontario), where she served as Chair of the Festivals Committee for six consecutive seasons. In 1996, in honour of the Ontario Choral Federation’s 25th Anniversary, Rosanne was selected as one of 25 recipients of the OCF’s Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contribution to the choral art. The ceremony was presided by Lieutenant Governor, Hal Jackman. In November 1997, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Rotary Club Of Timmins to receive the prestigious Paul Harris Award for her years of dedication to the artistic development of young musical talent in Timmins. In August of 2002, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Board Of Directors of Choirs Ontario to serve as Conductor of both the Provincial Junior and Teen Choir Camps, now renamed in honour of the Camp Benefactors, Don and Lillian Wright. In November 2002, Rosanne was the one of the recipients of the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, honouring her work in the development of the arts in Timmins. Under Rosanne Simunovic’s direction, the Timmins Youth Singers and the Timmins Concert Singers have been featured in numerous choral festivals and performing opportunities outside of Timmins. In 1985, they were selected to partici175 Responses to “Adam Lambert’s Rolling Stone Interview”
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Thank You MCL for posting this!
I think I’m really afraid to read the article! I have the American Idol image of Adam in my head and I think I may be a bit delusional where he is concerned. I’m worried that in this interview he is going to way more open than I care to know about and shatter that beautiful image I have of him. I know that sounds awful!
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UGHHH! “going to BE way more open” Sorry!
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Can’t wait for this article — the few quotes I’ve seen from it are alternately fascinating and hilarious.
That is one sexy magazine cover. Yowza.
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Vonnie, I agree. I don’t exactly want to know “everything” about Adam’s wild past…I’d rather focus on his singing and music.
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Vonnie and Beth — judging from a few of the snippets I’ve seen, you guys might want to skip out on reading this one.
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Haven’t read the complete article, but from what i have read, a lot of the “wild” stuff was experimentation when he was 20 or 21 … he was single, touring Europe in “Hair,” and experimented a little with some milder recreational drugs … how different is that from lots of folks we all know? As long as it was experimentation that he has outgrown, and not something that he is doing currently, I don’t have a problem with it.
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My problem isn’t with the “Bad Boy Persona”, I just don’t want to know about his “Personal” life. I don’t even want to know about straight guys personal life. That, to me is something you keep to yourself.
I also didn’t have an issue with Adam coming out, as far as I’m concerned, he was never really in the closet. I knew on the show that he was gay, I don’t have a problem there, just don’t want to much detailed information.
Beth,
I agree! I want to keep it about the singing and music.
Erin,
I will take your advice and not read the article! Thank you!!!
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Agreed, Karen. He sounds pretty much like me when I was 20-21. (Aside from the touring-Europe-with-“Hair” thing. LOL). Though from what I understand, his “epiphany” that pushed him to try out for American Idol was… er, pharmacologically enhanced. Personally, that cracks me up. My standard likability test for a celebrity is usually, “Would I like to have a drink with this person?” Adam gets an unqualified yes from me. I’m sure he’s a blast to hang out with.
No problem, Vonnie. From the looks of things, the article is going to be much more about the social/cultural aspects of his Idol experience and a bit of history on his own life and sexuality. If there’s anything musically relevant in there, I’ll post quotes for you.
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A behind the scenes video from the RS cover shoot with Adam discussing his album/music.
http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/player/28566086
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First time I am buying one as well. 🙂
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I mean “Rolling Stone” (not Rolling Stones since that is a singing group…)
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Erin,
Thank You! I will look forward to your quotes on Adam!
listen,
So Agree…I read the little snippet that MCL posted above…skeered me too!
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Some of the photos they took are really stunning. Wow. http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4562/27y0704.jpg
Handsome man indeed, listen. I know this is about the music, but I’m frequently blown away by how attractive he is.
No problem, Vonnie!
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Vonnie, Adam ‘likes’ Kris Allen, who he roomed in…
Anyway, can’t blame him, even straight men like me & Jamie Foxx swoon over Kris too. The voice & his demeanor did it for me. Him singing simple Yesterday & SSB, I nearly melt. What do you expect from Adam, who is not straight, rooming with him!
Just to give you a naughty tease.
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To Vonnie –
I am totally with you on this! For me it’s not about gay or straight, I just don’t need to know all that information about someone’s sexuality. Way too much information for me.
Yes, I heard about Adam crushing on Kris, his drug enhanced epiphany that led him to go on Idol and a lot of other stuff I really did not need to know. There was one thing that really offended me, but I don’t know that I can quote it verbatim here. It was when Adam spoke about how he enjoyed the girls in the audience going crazy for him during his Idol run. Then he felt the need to expound a little more about how he can enjoy female attention even though he doesn’t “do it” with them. I took the liberty of subsituting another phrase for what he actually said. I found it rather crude and unfortunate. It would appear that he has some curiosity about women, whether or not that makes him bi or gay, don’t ask me.
Everyone here knows how much I love Adam. If you have read any of my posts, then you know my passion. I love his voice and have been uplifted and inspired during a difficult time in my life. I will always love Adam’s voice. Nothing can change that. I took my time posting my thoughts, because I wanted to think it over and not just react. I am not thrilled that he has spoken in such intimate detail about a lot of things, but it will not change my opinion about him.
I am far from a prude. It always amuses me when the younger generation thinks that baby boomers like myself are kind of old-fashioned. I try to tell them that they really need to get over that idea and realize that they are not the first to do what they do. We did it before them and probably with even more abandon. But I do believe that there is such a thing as too much information. I don’t like to know too much about any of my favorite singers, actors, whoever. Sometimes it takes away some of the magic, although it can have the effect of making them more human.
I wish Adam had pulled back just a little. If he wanted to provoke some controversy, well, I would say that he succeeded. Some of it made me laugh softly to myself, some of it annoyed me, and some of it made me cringe. I wish there could have been more about his vision for the music he wants to create.
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Mindy – I have not yet purchased the magazine but I am with you about Adam’s priorities when giving this interview. Why do gays feel that they have to tell us every detail of their most intimate thoughts and actions? This has been my experience in dealing with friends who are gay and it is just too, too much.
And, for me, Adam is beyond and far and above all of this nonsense. I wish he would talk about his music and his innovative approach to different genres. This is what captured my attention when I first heard him in January. I could care less about his personal life and he should have enough respect for his talent and level of professionalism to refrain from absurd and meaningless commentary.
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I know the phrase you’re referring to, Mindy. It personally didn’t bother me that he said it (I laughed), but I think his sense of humor is really similar to mine. I don’t mind crass humor or swearing because lord knows I do a LOT of it myself; I frequently censor myself on this site because… well, it’s just not that kind of site.
But I did also cringe a little when I read that quote, not because it offended me but because I know a lot of people wouldn’t like that and I certainly understand why. I think Adam was adjusting the way he spoke for the particular audience he was addressing — the average Rolling Stone reader. If I were a celebrity I know I’d be much more unfiltered for something like that than I would be for, say, The View. Or, of course, American Idol.
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Ian,
I read that little snippet and…to much information for me…I liked it better when I thought that they were just great friends…not crushing!
Mindy,
EXACTLY…What you said! I too do not think of myself as a prude, and I don’t want anything to cloud the way I think of Adam. Will he lose fans over this?
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Oh, and one other thing I’d forgotten to say — as much as I would love to hear about what he’s going to do with his music, I don’t think Rolling Stone would bother doing a five-page article about the ins and outs of Adam’s creative process. They don’t do that for ANY artist not named Bruce Springsteen or U2. I don’t think any widely-read publication like that would. They want juicy details. I take it very much to be a, “Look, I’m gay, this is me, voila. Can we move on now?” catharsis, and that’s obviously the kind of story that the magazine wanted in the first place.
I enjoy the biographical nature of this kind of stuff, anyway. It fascinates me, and nearly every artist profile that Rolling Stone does has exactly the same format. He’ll have a lot more to say about the music once he actually gets into a studio, but this was put together three days after the Idol finale.
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To Mindy and MCL, From the snippets I read, I agree with you that he may have gone overboard with his revelations. Perhaps he is being strategic about this matter, too in the sense that once he has apparently “bared all the juicy stuff”, people will soon forget all these things after a few weeks. Then he and the public can move on to focusing on the music.
I posted an interesting stuff about him on the other article about MCL’s weekend update. Maybe that could uplift us.
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Please remember that the “snippets” you are all hearing are the ones reporters picked out to make the biggest headlines …
The word “crush” was made up by one of the reporters. Here is what Adam actually said: “I was like, ‘Oh, sh–, they put me with the cute guy,” Lambert said about the eventual “Idol” champ. “Distracting! He’s the one guy I found attractive in the whole group on the show: nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type — except that he has a wife. I mean, he’s open-minded and liberal, but he’s definitely 100 percent straight.”
Finding someone attractive doesn’t mean you have a crush on them. Gene Simmons said Adam was a “powerful and attractive man,” but I doubt Gene Simmons has a crush on Adam!
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MCL –
It’s great to see you back here. Thanks so much for understanding where I was coming from. I really did take a while before I expressed my thoughts. I do feel that it was overkill.
Erin –
I do love your perspective! To be perfectly honest with you, I can rather earthy and even somewhat raunchy in private, but I am always careful to censor and edit my thoughts here. Yes, you know to what I was referring. I think it’s the feminist in me that didn’t appreciate the objectification implicit in his comments. It’s a touchy subject with me. But I can see how others may not find it all that offensive. It’s just a “thing” with me. I completely agree with you about Adam using somewhat different language for the Rolling Stone audience. He was much looser in his tone and language. While I do get it, I still feel that his words were offensive to me personally. I am not going to hold it against him, but let’s just say that I was a little taken aback and disappointed.
I did take some liberties with Adam’s comments about Kris. It’s true that he didn’t use the word “crush” when discussing Kris. That was my way of expressing what he said and it was probably better to post his exact quote. I still wish he didn’t go there. I didn’t really want to know if he was attracted to Kris. I wonder if Kris knows. They both seem to be such good friends and Kris has been wonderfully supportive of Adam and who he is. So now I know Adam’s “type” when it comes to guys. You know, I really could have lived without that.
To Flor –
It did occur to me that maybe Adam just wanted to get it all out there, but I think there is some risk. I guess I liked it when he was playing coy with the media and not denying who he was, yet choosing to refrain from discussing it. My issue is that I am not sure that Adam can have it both ways. On the one hand, he stated in the interview that he did not want to be a spokesman for civil rights, but by going into such intimate detail, he did more than just come “out”.
I am not one to be highly offended or put off by his comments. I can deal with it, but I am not sure about other people. I am sure this is what Rolling Stone magazine wanted, but I still wish Adam had decided to just state who he was and leave out the details. This will go beyond just the people who read Rolling Stone magazine. It’s in the mainstream media already. I don’t know if it will have any implications for his future success. I certainly hope not, but you just don’t know. It’s too soon to tell.
Even if his album won’t be out for a while, I would have loved to hear him focus on his singing and ideas about music and goals for his career. I know it’s not juicy, but that’s what I want to hear from Adam. That’s what I loved about his interview with Slezak. It was so great to hear Adam’s thoughts on his performances, his thought process in the competition, his knowledgeable discussion of his singing and why he did what he did.
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Adam is gay??? … aaahhhh
He used drugs??? … aaahhhh
He got drunk and make out with a guy at the corner of the club??? … aaaahhh
He might be a little interested to girls someday????? … aaaahhhh
Too much information that I can bear in 5 minutes …
pulling myself together … ok, moving on …
I still love your voice, Adam … look forward to your next performance .. will buy your album .. ADAM ROCKS!
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Oh well, Mindy and Karen. I’m going to reserve further opinions until after I have read the article. But I don’t know how long it will get to my place (sigh).
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http://gossipcandy.com/2009/06/better-scans-of-the-text/
Hi MCL and others. Have been lurking for a long time. Above is the actual articles. I think the content of the article is less controversial if you have read it first rather than just the snippets that is available online. Enjoy
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Thanks mk88 for posting the link to the Rolling Stone interview. I just read it and I can honestly say I wasn’t shocked about anything he said. I very much expected Adam to be exactly like this. It was obvious from the pictures I saw on the web during Idol that the real Adam was a lot different from the Adam you saw every week on Idol. And I don’t mean this as a criticism of Adam at all. He is who he is. But I do think some of his fans from middle America will be shocked by some of his comments.
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I love Adam before and I love him even more now. If you read the whole RS articles, that’s really nothing shocking at all. Adam is who he is. Everyone is interested in his sexuality, his personal life and his past, so he gave you all. No more questions? Then, let’s move on.
I always believe that if Adam’s not that crazy when he was young, we might never have seen today’s Adam. He learned from his previous experience. Most of my beloved artists such as Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Robbie Williams etc have similar problems when they were young, but these didn’t take away their talent and passion to the music.
I think the RS article was awesome. Gay? I knew it long time ago. Drug using? Better used before rather than addict to it later. Girl fantasy? I don’t care. If you love someone you have to embrace all his past.
Can’t wait for the tour and his new album, then we can talk about his music.
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You know what…it’s the music that brought me here…and it’s the music that will keep me here. I’m not going to get wrapped up in Adams personal life…I’m here for the music!
I think I was in shock yesterday reading the snippets…I’m so over it now!
Agree…Lena,
Can’t wait for the tour and his new album, then we can talk music.
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I found this snippet on Popeater, it is a part of the RS Article. I know I said that I wasn’t going to read the article, and I haven’t read the whole thing, but after reading this; I may very well read the article. This one phrase spoke volumes to me!
Through it all, Lambert says he’s “finally checked in to my self-worth for the first time in my life, and the fact that it has coincided with ‘Idol’ is so sweet.” Sure, he still has his self doubts, but, as he put it, “for the most part, when I look in the mirror now, I finally see somebody who can do something cool.”
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What happened to my website. I clicked on the RS link sent above by mk88 and when I clicked back – huge font?
Thanks mk88. Will read it later after I contact WordPress tech support.
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Sorry – I figured it out. My zoom level didn’t reset. haha
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I love that quote, Vonnie. I love the whole article. He comes off as whip-smart, funny, self-aware, honest, and very thoughtful. He’s also profane, over-the-top, unfiltered, and has no problems discussing his sexuality, and I love that about him too. (And I will get around to posting some music-related and other interesting-but-not-salacious quotes for you, I promise, but I’m at work right now and only have a few minutes to spare.)
He’ll talk more about the music once he actually gets into the studio, but for now, the article is focused on Adam as a celebrity — which he is. In the eyes of the music industry, he hasn’t done anythng yet. When that article was written he hadn’t even been signed to a record label yet. He can’t talk about an album he hasn’t made yet, or people he hasn’t collaborated with yet, and he’s already spoken at length about his performances on Idol — the only thing they really could address was his celebrity. I like hearing about Adam himself, because I think everything about him is pretty darn awesome.
And in the end it really does relate back to his music because the type of person he is and the experiences that he’s had will inform the music that he’s going to make. It does matter, and hearing all of these things is going to make me a more educated listener.
It cracks me up that he flat-out said he finds Kris attractive. Because, I mean… Adam has eyeballs. Of course he’ll notice that Kris is cute. 🙂 I think Megan said something about Kris being hot earlier in the season, and I didn’t see anybody having a problem with it then. I don’t think this is any different.
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Did anyone see Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night? They did a feature about Adam and the cover of Rolling Stone–and they really focused on the snake!
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Erin,
That quote…Broke my heart! It seems to be filled with a lifetime of hurt emotions. I know he has said previously that he had been picked on growing up…Maybe it’s filled also with insecurities! Whatever the reason he said it…filled me with such empathy for him. It just seems to be spoken so softly, almost as if he had to whisper it, because for the first time he was saying it out loud…I don’t know it just really touched me.
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here are some new Rolling Stone tidbits. These parts didn’t make it to the article. Still a good read. He talks about his early attempts at songwriting, where he wants to go musically and experiencing discrimination.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/28577050/adam_lambert_in_his_own_words_sexuality_kris_allen_and_life_after_idol
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Infact the above article is much better than the printed RS article. The printed article was going for more of the shock factors. These left out quotes show how smart Adam is. I hope the general public gets to see more of this side of Adam.
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Does anyone know if any other Idol contestants besides Adam and Clay Aiken were ever on the cover of Rolling Stone?
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Rolling Stone American Idol Covers:
Clay Aiken (RS 926, 7/10/2003)
Ruben Studdard (RS 929, 8/21/2003)
Simon, Paula, & Randy (RS 997, 4/26/2006)
Adam Lambert (RS 1081, 6/25/2009)
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I have had a chance to read more of the interview and there are some compelling and poignant revelations. I will state again that I am someone who does NOT need to know all of the personal details about a person whose singing I truly adore. This goes for straight, gay, bi, whatever. It’s who I am. I have never been interested in those kinds of things. However, I am sure that many others are. It’s just like how individual our choice of favorites was on Idol this season. We like who we like, we want to know what we want to know and that’s pretty much it.
What resonated most powerfully with me was Adam’s story about himself. The kid who couldn’t come to terms with his own sexuality, the kid who always felt like he didn’t fit in, the kid who struggled with issues of self-worth and insecurity. Who among us cannot relate to that? It’s got nothing to do with being gay, it’s part of the human condition. I loved when he said that he is now comfortable with himself and has a sense of worth. It’s great to hear that. I also was moved when he said that sometimes even now, he looks at himself and thinks that he is fat and needs to go to the gym and work out and that he has bad skin. That showed a humanity and vulnerability that touched me. This gorgeous man, who is so admired and considered to be “hot”, actually still has his own self doubts at times.
As I said previously, this article will not change my opinion of him. I still love him and his music. If it makes him feel better to speak openly about his sexuality, about guys that he finds attractive, about the possibility of being with a girl, so be it. There was one choice of words to which I took exception and I stand by that. That speaks to who I am a person. But Adam is free to say and do what he wishes.
What would really be nice is if the media could now move on and focus on his new record deal. Now he IS signed and is currently beginning work on his album. I look forward to it with great anticipation.
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I just checked in and found all these recent posts. I’m going to follow the links to the interview, but just wanted to say — today’s posts are what make this website so special. Opinionated but thoughtful people who can express their opinions without having to tear someone down to do it. Makes me proud to be a human being and grateful to find such a civilized spot in the midst of all the chaos.
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I have to be honest. I just don’t think this article should’ve EVER been done. Period. Adam has a phenomenal voice and is positively overflowing with talent. So why make his sexuality an overt issue like this? Anyone with a shred of common sense could tell he was gay during his run on the show. For me, Adam was already “out of the closet” a long time ago. I don’t see any interviews right now about Kris Allen and how he is straight, so why is Adam’s sexual orientation getting so much attention? He needs to focus on his album, singing, performing, etc, and not get caught up in getting fixated on his homosexuality.
Everyone on here pretty much knows who my favorite was this season (Gokey, for the newcomers), but I have to admit that Adam has grown on me lately. I actually did something I thought I would never do and downloaded his “Mad World” song. It is honestly one of my favorite songs on my iPod now. I just think Adam needs to focus on THAT amazing talent of his, and leave his personal life . . . well, personal, where it belongs.
I hate to nit-pick, but I have to admit that it does bug me a bit that Adam admitted to having a crush on Kris. Here’s why. I think the friendship between Kris and Adam is a great thing, but that could be tested a bit now. No doubt what Adam said in this article will get back to Kris in some way. As open-minded as Kris may be, I would not blame him at all if Adam’s words made him more than a little uncomfortable. His wife may be a bit put off by Adam’s words as well. The truth is that Adam, Kris, and the other 8 contestants are going to be on the road together for three months during their tour. I think Adam should’ve been a little bit more careful in what he said concerning his crush on Kris. I think it will be very difficult for the two of them to remain as close, because this issue is going to be in the back of their minds (at least Kris’s) from now on.
Look, I absolutely DO NOT judge Adam about his lifestyle. I am not qualified to do that. I just wish for his own good that he would not have made such an issue of his homosexuality. I also wish he could’ve chosen his words perhaps a bit more carefully concerning his feelings toward Kris. Still, I am a fan, and I wish Adam the best. I hope and pray nothing bad comes from this article, but as they say in Star Wars: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
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Mindy,
After you dig a little deeper in the story there is a kind of saddness to it, isn’t there? As I said earlier…it breaks my heart! It almost seems as though he’s only saying what he thinks everyone wants to hear…I want to hear about the music!!!
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I wish people would quit using the word “crush” in relation to Kris and Adam. Adam never said he had a crush on Kris … he said Kris was the only guy in the group he found attractive and that was distracting. There is a big difference between finding someone attractive and having a crush on them. Gene Simmons said Adam was an attractive man. Do you think Gene had a crush on Adam? Of course not!!
And you can bet Adam and Kris discussed it. Adam says everyone on the show knew he was gay, and I’m sure there would have been tension with any straight guy he roomed with if they didn’t talk it out. My guess is that each of them being honest about who they were and how they felt about it is what led to their close friendship.
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Galen …
Adam didn’t choose to go public, and his fans didn’t ask him to. But he has been so hounded by the press I don’t think he had a choice about coming out … it is the only way to shut them up so he and everyone else can focus on his amazing talents. In a utopian society, everyone would be like his fans and not really care about his sexual orientation, but unfortunately we are a long way from utopia.
So, if you want to complain about the article, please don’t blame it on Adam … put the blame on the media, where it belongs.
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I agree with Karen completely and was going to write something similar before I read her comment. Adam’s comment about Kris did not mean that he had a “crush” on him. He simply found him attractive. They’re not the same thing. I’ve found lots of men attractive in my long life, but I didn’t have crushes on them–for instance, I think that Simon Cowell is an attractive man but I definitely do not have a crush on him!!! Personally I don’t think Adam and Kris would have become such good friends if Kris had felt that Adam had a “crush” on him. I don’t know how Idol picks which contestants room together, but I’ve often thought that it made perfect sense to have the gay guy room with the married guy (although I guess that could have been Michael Sarver too).
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Galen, I do think that this article was absolutely necessary, for reasons Karen pointed out — the media would Not.Shut.Up. about Adam’s sexuality. Though I am annoyed that after hounding him about it for months, the general reaction from them is now, “So, he’s gay. Hey, nobody is surprised! Who cares?” Sigh.
But the thing is, now that Adam has thrown himself headlong into full disclosure, it ceases to become an issue. If Adam had continued to play coy with the press we’d be forced to sit through speculation from TMZ, Access Hollywood, and even more reputable news outlets (I can’t believe Keith Olbermann did a segment about it) with the pointless “Is He Or Isn’t He?” question every time he is seen out in public with his boyfriend. By doing this now, it’s all out of the way and the media can’t drag any supposed skeletons out of his closet. After that article there are no skeletons. LOL.
It’s a pretty brilliant way to approach it. The initial media frenzy will die down in less than a week, and the best part of it is that the media can’t get a story out of any “shocking revelations” about his personal life anymore, because it’s all old news. Now that it’s all out there, he can move on to more important things.
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Erin, I know what you mean, especially as it applies to Clay Aiken. At no point when he was on the show did I suspect he was gay. Soon after, rumors were going around which Clay denied. It became a bigger story each time, until finally he revealed the rumors to be true.
I think a good portion of the viewers “suspected” Adam was gay. Most tweens could handle bi-sexual. Now his story is out and we won’t have a repeat of rumors dogging him.
To be honest, I was disappointed about the drugs. I am accepting of pot, but not for the other stuff. As Vonnie says, “As I said earlier…it breaks my heart!”
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Hey, look, I don’t want anyone on here to think that the intent of my post was to slam Adam. I agree that the article should’ve been done, but I also think all of the homosexuality content could’ve been kept to a minimum. When I think about Adam, a lot of things come to my mind. I think about what an amazing vocal range he has. I can’t help but think of his unique sense of style as well. Oh, yeah, did I mention I also consider him an incredible performer? The point is that there are SO MANY much more interesting aspects of Adam Lambert than his sexual orientation. I mean, if he felt the need to “officially” come out, couldn’t he have just said something like, “Yep, everybody, you guessed it. I am gay,” and left it at that? Why harp on it so? Why mention Kris at all in relation to it? It’s not that interesting, you know?
Karen wrote: “Adam didn’t choose to go public, and his fans didn’t ask him to. But he has been so hounded by the press I don’t think he had a choice about coming out … it is the only way to shut them up so he and everyone else can focus on his amazing talents.”
The funny thing, Karen, is that anyone I heard talking about Adam pretty much took it as a given that he was gay from the start. I just never viewed his sexual orientation as any great mystery. It was what it was. As far as Adam having a choice, I disagree. Everybody has a choice. I really hope for Adam’s future success that he does not let the media so easily goad him into doing something he doesn’t want to do just because things may be a bit easier on him.
Louise wrote: “Adam’s comment about Kris did not mean that he had a “crush” on him. He simply found him attractive.”
I do your see your point here, Louise. Thank you for pointing out that he never actually used the word crush. Still, while having a crush on someone and finding them attractive may not be totally the same thing, it certainly is not completely different either. I am sorry. I still think he shouldn’t have said what he said about Kris. Just my opinion though.
I guess all I am trying to say is that I don’t think the article needed to dwell on his homosexuality AS MUCH as it did when there were so many more interesting topics to explore. Still, what do I know? What I wrote was sincerely just my opinion and I may be completely off. As for the drug use of Adam’s past, I am not too concerned. The important thing is that it remain IN the past. If it is no longer a part of his present, then praise God! What counts is NOW not THEN. God bless all!
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I agree. I feel that these quotes show more of Adam’s smarts, and I love that Adam gets to talk about music—songwriting, his perspective on needing a platform like Idol, his awareness of varying post-Idol success, etc. I wish we could get more of a full transcript of the interview because I’m curious as to what other “leftover” bits didn’t make the feature article.
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Now that his drug use has been mentioned here, I have to say that I was bothered more about his use of Ecstasy than I was about any of his comments about sexuality. It was obvious to me that he was gay so there was no shock there. I’d also seen the pictures of him dressed in drag and kissing a male, so no shock there. But I was kind of sorry that he mentioned the drug use–primarily because he is still associated with Idol and will be on the Idol tour this summer. I remember that stories emerged during the season about Bo Bice and Taylor Hicks being previously charged with use of marijuana. But I just don’t think it was such a good idea for Adam to have mentioned the use of Ecstasy in such a positive way. I still think of the Idol contestants as being role models for young people. And if I were a parent of a tween or teen who watched the show and who likes Adam, I wouldn’t be so happy with him right now.
And as for Adam talking about his sexuality so freely, some people are just do that more than others. It doesn’t matter if they’re gay or straight. I know a gay male couple who I love dearly, and I’ve never heard them say anything about sex. I’ve also been very close to a lesbian couple (one is a relative) who I also loved dearly (they’re no longer together), and they were somewhere in the middle. Gay people can’t be stereotyped any more than straight people can. I personally wasn’t shocked to hear Adam speak freely about his homosexuality because his flamboyance says to me that he seems comfortable with it and would not be someone to hold anything back. This is why I never thought we were seeing the “real” Adam on Idol.
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I wonder why RS portrayed this side of Adam? They were sitting on the edge of something much bigger, had they the witts to use it. I see Adam as a potential huge breakout Star. Why not make it about the music? This generation; whether they know it or not…are hungry for an “Elvis” type star. Why didn’t they knock us off our feet with Adam’s talent. UGHHH…disappointment!
My only hope is that Adam’s parents were aware of the things that he disclosed in the article…if not, he sent them to school…and me along with them! HA
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For older Adam fans, this is a very amusing article in Newsweek . . .
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/popvox/archive/2009/06/10/why-cougars-crave-idol-runner-up-adam-lambert.aspx
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Louise,
Now that was a great read…even compared Adam to my boy Johnny!
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When in doubt…pull the ol’ Ipod out!
I’m kicking back listening to my own Adam concert…Amazing!
It takes away all of the worries…Gay or Not?…Who cares…he is awesome…either way!
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Kris’ response to Adam’s comments about thinking he’s cute? “I’m flattered. And think it’s hilarious.”
Aw. Don’t ever change, Kris.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20284690,00.html
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Vonnie –
You are such a dear! Yes, I am in complete agreement with you. There is an underlying sadness. I actually understand better than a lot of people. I don’t like to speak about personal issues, but my brother-in-law was gay. He came out years ago, when it was much more difficult. I adored him and he was like my little brother. It was only after he came out that I understood that lost quality he always had from the time I first knew him in his early teens. I thought it was just teenage angst, but I realized that it was much more. He had no one to confide in, no one to turn to, no one to help him get through it. My former in-laws were quite conservative, blue collar working class people. Fortunately, when he did come out they were supportive. He and his partner would stop in L.A. on their back to Hawaii and back east to Florida to visit my in-laws. This was in the early 1980’s. They loved to go to West Hollywood and have a wild time. When my brother-in-law would try to tell me what they did in graphic detail, I was mortified. I have not changed over the years. I have always been one who believes that intimacy should be kept private. It’s not a gay or straight issue for me, it’s a matter of privacy and dignity. He stopped telling me when he saw that it upset me so much.
When my former husband and I were going through our nightmarish divorce, he called me in the fall of 1991. I knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. I could hear it in his voice. He told me that his family had called to let him know that Johnny was in a hospice in Hawaii dying of AIDS. I became hysterical. We never spoke of it again. I did not intend to reveal this here, but I want people to realize that I have a personal connection with all of this. I understand what Adam went through all too well.
To Galen –
I do understand completely where you are coming from regarding Adam’s frankness. This is not something I would ever do myself. It’s just not who I am. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. You make some extremely good points. I respect your feelings and know exactly where you are coming from here.
To Erin –
You make the other side of the argument for Adam. I also think you have made some good points. I have been wondering if Adam just wanted to get it all out there, just to make sure that the tabloid media wouldn’t have anything to discover or unearth going forward. I happen to think that it may be a good idea to get the drugs, sex and all of it out there in the open, once and for all. Now the world knows all about Adam and they can make up their own mind.
Adam’s revelation about Ecstasy was really hard for me to hear. I divorced my husband due to drug and alchol problems. It was beyond horrible to live with that insanity. I am NOT putting Adam in that category! I want to be clear about that. There is a huge difference between recreational drug use and addiction. I should know because I lived with it. But it is disturbing to hear that Adam used this kind of drug. Even casual use can have serious consequences. I sincerely hope that phase of his life is over and he had the good sense to just leave it alone. My ex-husband started out as a recreational drug user and it developed into something more serious and deadly. You just never know.
Forgive me for being so personal here. I try not to reveal personal information. But this whole thing has kind of hit a nerve for me and brought back a lot of memories. Thinking of my late brother-in-law has been especially painful.
Let me just say that I do appreciate the civility of our discussion. We all have our opinions and beliefs and it’s a wonderful thing to see that we can all respectfully and politely have our disagreements.
Thank you all.
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To Vonnie and Mindy — I actually read that quote from Adam in much more positive light. Lord knows he’s had to struggle with his own sexuality and self-esteem over the years, but it seems like he’s got a great attitude about everything and is completely comfortable with who he is. I lot of people can’t say that about themselves. I think he’s in a great place now, mentally. There’s nothing more empowering than to be able to look in the mirror and say, “You know what? I’m cool.” I’m glad Adam can do that, because so many people can’t.
To Mindy specifically –
Given your personal experience, I’m not sure there’s anything I can say about Adam’s drug use that might ease your mind on the issue. The way I looked at it was this, though: the drugs that Adam has mentioned he’s taken are not of the horribly-addictive-and-will-ruin-your-life variety. And I realize that differentiating between how “bad” certain drugs are seems hypocritical, but I do see a big distinction between marijuana use or youthful experimentation with ecstasy and, on the other end of the spectrum, addiction to something like cocaine, meth, or heroin (the Big Three, as I call them — the ones that will make a person steal from his own family, lose his job, and alienate all of his friends for the sake of getting high).
In my mind the difference is huge. Am I condoning his use of ecstasy? No; drug use is always dangerous. But I’m not condemning it either, because… well, to put it bluntly, I’ve never met or heard of an ecstasy addict. I have my own personal experiences here, too. My brother is a former crack and meth addict. On top of that, I’m a parole officer, so I see drug addiction every day of my life.
Given Adam’s distaste for cocaine and what it does to people or can turn them into… I’m not worried about him. He’s made it to his mid-to-late 20s after drug experimentation, is starting a great career, and has what is, in my opinion, a good head on his shoulders. He won’t do anything to screw that up, and I say that confidently because I could have written this paragraph about myself, a number of my friends, and, now that I think about it, my own parents.
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Mindy,
I know if was hard for you to share some of your personal stories. I can feel your pain because I’ve been there too. That’s why I was bothered by Adam’s remarks about Ecstasy. It’s his business if he wants to do that but I just don’t want to see him glamorize it for impressionable young people.
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Erin –
Thanks so much for understanding where I was coming from. I think you managed to put it all in perspective. That’s why I made a point of saying that I did not consider Adam to be in the same class as my ex-husband. Goodness knows, I have been guilty of doing things that I regretted. None of us is perfect. When you are in your twenties, it can be a period of experimentation, being a little wild and crazy, doing dumb things, finding out who you are. I remember it well. That is why I have tried to temper my comments about Adam’s wild and crazy past. I did feel reassured by his dislike for cocaine. That is what I lived with and it was something that I just cannot describe, although you pretty much mentioned all of the things that my ex-husband did. You are someone who has seen it firsthand, so you know what it’s all about. I almost didn’t survive it. But I am here and that’s a good thing.
I do believe that Adam has a good head on his shoulders and would not engage in any kind of self-destructive behavior. I certainly cannot see him risking that beautiful vocal instrument.
To Louise –
Thanks for your kind words. I also am concerned about glamorizing drug use. Believe me, when it comes right down to it, there’s nothing remotely glamorous about it. Erin mentioned the Big Three – cocaine, meth and heroin. That’s the line you do not want to cross. I also had another member of my family who became addicted to heroin, but I can’t reveal anything more, except to say that this person recovered and is alive and well and doing fine. There are some who can survive it, but it is not an easy road back.
I find it interesting how Adam’s Rolling Stone article has made me think of some of the most painful moments in my life. The good news is that I got through it and am here to chat with all of you good people.
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Mindy,
When words just won’t do…HUGS!
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Mindy,
Anyone who has lived with a loved one’s addiction has to feel as we do about Adam’s comments about drug use. In my case, it was a husband who had an alcohol addiction for fifteen years. It was a very difficult time, but fortunately he woke up one day and decided he didn’t want to live like that any longer. That was 23 years ago and he has never had a relapse. Life is now good. But the memories of that time are painful enouogh for me to be really sensitive about alcohol and drug abuse. That’s why I wish Adam would have kept his drug use to himself.
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Thank you!!!
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I am appreciative to read that so many did agree with me about the drug issue. It did bother me as I think of the number of young impressionable people who will read this article. I am also not a prude, but there were a few things that did bother me in the article.
Galen, I totally know where you are coming from. Please know you are not alone.
Mindy, thank you for sharing your personal, painful details. I know how difficult memories can be. Like Louise, it was a husband with an alcohol addiction who brought such sadness and turmoil to my life and my childrens’ upbringing.
MasterclassLady.com has always been a safe place to visit and post, but I can assure you THIS year is quite different because of the number of new posters. The conversation is deeper, more educational, and interesting.
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I don’t know if there will be a separate thread for the 20/20 preseantation on Adam, or if the topic of discussion will continue here. Hearing Adam talk about his sexuality is a bit different than reading about it. He does seem comfortable in his own skin.
It was great to hear some of Adam’s performances as a youth. His voice was/is just beautiful and his talent apparent. I couldn’t help but be bothered by the way Adam’s classmates treated him at graduation. It will certainly be much different at his next class reunion.
(Did anyone think of Janis Joplin’s interview regarding her class reunion?)
It is coincidental that this interview came out at the same time that Chasity (Chaz) Bono’s revelation of having a gender transformation. She revealed to her parents that she was gay while in her late teens. Cher went ballistic; she couldn’t handle it. Her comment was that she thought she did something wrong. Sonny was more accepting.
We then hear Leila Lambert’s comments which are quite a contrast to Cher’s. Certainly her immediate acceptance of him being gay did help Adam become “a confident, self-assured young man.” However, his father’s comments were not presented. I believe my reaction would be somewhere between Cher and Leila’s.
.
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For those who think that Adam didn’t “need” to officially come out, take your blinkers off. It has been pretty much all the press and sites like DL, Perez, EOnline amongst others have been harping on, and bagging him for not coming out. Fine, anyone with half a brain knew from the get go that he was gay, but unfortunately the way the media works it would ALWAYS be hanging over him if he did not say something. Hello Clay. Good on you Adam. Get it out there. He is obviously so comfortable in who he is and he has nothing to hide. And if the freepers can’t deal with it, so what. They were not going to buy his music anyway.
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Kariann, it seems as if we share something in common besides being a baby boomer and a fan of American Idol.
Rama raised some really good points. I wasn’t someone who was bothered by Adam announcing that he’s gay because it was so obvious anyway. But I guess I can understand what some people are saying they wish he had not done it. Yes, it is too bad that his sexuality is anyone’s business. None of us should have to tell anyone anything about our sexual preferences. But the media questioned him rudely about it and consequently he didn’t really have much of a choice. I remember when Clay refused to say that he was gay for such a long time, members of the gay community were actually angry at him because he wasn’t proud of who he was. I get the impression that they aren’t supportive of him to this day because of the way he handled it. There wasn’t any way that Adam would have let that happen because he is proud of who he is.
Some public figures seem to be able to get away with not coming out, while others are pursued relentlessly. I seem to remember reading occasional speculative comments about Jodie Foster’s sexuality through the years, but finally she acknowledged her partner in public a year or so ago. And there is a well-known actor who hasn’t married who I’ve read possible gay comments about through the years, but if he is gay, he’s doing a good job of keeping it to himself. Also there are a couple of very well-known male country singers who I’ve read similar comments about–one eventually married (although some think it’s a cover) and the other married briefly. I don’t ever recall reading anything about interviewers asking these stars directly if they are gay. Maybe interviewers feel they go be so blunt with Idol contestants because these young people put themselves out there by coming into our homes once a week as themselves–not as a character they’re playing–so the public really feels that they know them and have a craving to learn even more about them. The media obliges by trying to get every last bit of personal information about them.
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There is a quote from Adam in the RS interview that caught my eye, that goes something along the lines of “It is important for me to have control over this situation”, referring to the speculation about his sexuality. I think he chose to talk about it so that he would have his own thoughts on record and to take away from people who don’t know him the right to speculate in ways that could be damaging or just plain incorrect.
It is a shame that there are people who seemingly have nothing better to do than spend time on this topic and do so negatively, but hey — welcome to 24 hour news shows and the internet — they’re out there, and I think that if I was in his shoes, I’d feel the need to do the same thing — even though I would also consider it to be nobody’s business.
Quite honestly, there’s a lot of information out about heterosexual star’s love affairs that I don’t need to hear, either, so it isn’t surprising there are people to harp on a homosexual star’s personal life, given that there are plenty of people opposed to homosexuality. And since so much attention was paid to Clay’s sexuality when it seemed obvious to me from the get-go that he was gay, I think Adam really wanted to cut to the chase as soon as possible.
While the article doesn’t talk about Adam’s father’s initial reaction when he first suspected his son was gay, I get the impression that they knew from an early age, and so he had time to get used to the idea well before his teenage years. Certainly he seemed to be quite the proud papa during the show.
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Hi everyone:
I’m new to MCL this season and have been enjoying all of it!
Here’s a great video I found featuring Adam’s amazing voice and a beautiful ice skating performance:
http://adam-lambert.org/adam-sings-for-ice-skater-nick-laroche/
I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!
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Hi Laura…Welcome!
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Welcome, Laura!
I was still wondering if anyone saw the 20/20 Interview with Adam and his mother?
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Kariann 1,
I saw the Interview! I agree with your earlier post about seeing Adam talk about his personal life is much more comfortable than reading about it. I really got the feeling though, enough is enough! He has never been “in” so coming “out” is almost pure non-sense to him. He has lived this way for so long that, he is “comfortable in his own skin”. His mom is a sweetie, isn’t she? I feel that Adam is “out” for the media to have their frenzy, but he wants desperatly to move on now…to the music…and his rock style life!
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Oh, Vonnie I do agree with your assessment. The media has saturated Adam’s sexual orientation; now is time to move on to his music and any other arenas he may venture into (movies, TV, Broadway, etc.)
I am happy that Adam had such a warm welcome for his town homecoming. There is no doubt in my mind he had his painful moments, and now I hope he will have much syccess in his future!
Yes, his Mom seems very sweet.
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Kariann 1,
Did you notice in the 20/20 Interview when they were showing him singing towards the end, he looked exactly like a young Elvis! He even curled his lip!!!
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Yes, I did! I laughed out loud. I was surprised about the blonde hair, too.
Vonnie, now let’s hope the focus will be on the important things like…music!
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Kariann 1,
My hubby and I were watching, and I was whooping! I told my husband, “He could play Elvis in a movie and not a made for TV movie”.
Could you imagine how…ummm…HOT, that would be?
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Kariann 1,
OOPPPS!!! I don’t think I said that how I meant too! He could do a movie for the theatre’s. Does that sound better!
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Gee Kariann 1,
The more I read what I wrote, the more it seems to make my cheeks redder!
re-phrasing…I think it would be so awesome if Adam played Elvis in a movie!!! As far as the HOT part…Elvis exudes charisma…and I think Adam does too!
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I’ve really enjoyed reading the comments on this post; lots of varying, yet respectful opinions.
When I read the RS article, I took it as Adam re-branding himself. In fact, later I read the author give the same opinion (not tooting my own horn, here, I swear!). From the author’s comments, it was less of an interview and more of Adam just talking over a series of days. She was just hoping he’d say something interesting she could work into an article. I think Adam was trying to do a couple of things: 1) distance himself from the mainstream Idol imgage and 2) divulge his “skeletons” so he could control the information rather than having stuff leaked out later as scandals. I get the feeling Adam likes to be in control, and it’s a smart idea given the voraciousness of the media. I think this article was Adam’s way of telling his story “once and for all” (as he said) so we could all move on to the music. I’m just hoping the media get this, too.
Personally, I wasn’t bothered by any of the discussion on sexuality, as I spent several years teaching human sexuality to college students. Almost nothing shocks me (and Adam’s experiences seemed pretty banal, to me), and I think of sex as any other human act like eating or sleeping. But, I know this is not a widely held opinion, and I can understand how others prefer the less is more approach. I don’t think his frankness about sex is because he’s gay (I have never seen a trend here, either in my professional research or in anecdotal evidence; gay people are just as likely to be sexually reserved as straight people.). Rather, I think it’s because Adam is comfortable with who he is and operates in circles where other people are also comfortable with that level of conversation. And, he admittedly likes to shock people. RS seems like an appropriate place to talk about sex in such a way, given it’s typical audience and article history; AI is clearly an inapporpriate venue for such talk. The problem with reception might be the overlap of the two spheres. (It also might be that the article’s in print, so Adam’s dry wit and wry facial expressions can’t come across to tell us how is words should be taken. His audio/video interviews are quite sarcastic.For instance, when he talked about he his bi-curiousness on 20/20 and said something like “who’s gonna be the lucky lady.” It came across to me as self-deprecating and sarcastic, as in ‘this would probably be a huge, laughable disaster. who, in their right mind, wants in?’)
I have trouble articulating my thoughts on the drug use. Like other commenters here, I too have a very close relative who was a heroin addict years ago (all is well now!), so I always cringe a little when I hear people talk casually about drug use. Would I have preferred Adam hadn’t dabbled in drugs? Sure. But they were his experiences, and he seems to have learned something from them. His comments about hating cocaine and realizing how much that drug ruins lives shows to me that he doesn’t glamorize drug use. I interpreted the ecstasy use as something that happened while in Germany when he was touring with Hair. It didn’t sound like this was something continually practiced. The pot use seems to still happen on occassion; I don’t have a problem with this, but certainly others do, and I can respect that. (And, he’s not the first Idol connected to drug use, but he doesn’t seem like the worst of them. Nikki McKibbin, by her own admission, was either high or drunk every time she took the stage.) But, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the article and found his unfiltered confessions refreshing and revealing insight into what has made Adam into the person so many of us adore.
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Vonnie, you had me laughing and laughing! Yes, I could see Adam acting the role of Elvis, but I would prefer if he had a role far from this typecasting. We would expect Adam to be a singer in a movie or TV part, but I’d love to see him do a guest spot on a comedy show!
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Hi, everyone. Haven’t kept up with the recent posts here but I’d like to share an interesting interview with Adam that focuses more on his album and performance.
http://www.oprah.com/printarticlefull/seriesandspecials/previousshows/20090616-orig-adam-lambert
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Kariann 1,
Yeah, I see your point with the Elvis movie! So…comedy it is! Just as long as they don’t Stereotype him into the “Feminine Gay Guy”.
Who would you like to see him star with?
Me…Johnny Depp! That guy is so funny, especially in “Pirates of the Caribbean, and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” They could wear Guyliner together!
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flor,
FINALLY!!! An interview that is just all about the MUSIC!!! I loved reading that, Thank You for sharing it with us!
I really can’t wait til’ his album drops this fall…would love to see him do a song with Michael Jackson…Michael needs to perk up and pay attention to Adam Lambert, that could be his ticket back on stage!
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Vonnie, that would be perfect! Don’t a lot of guest stars appear on ‘Third Rock’?
Thank you, flor. Adam definitely has a planned path to success. I hope it all comes to be for him!
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Kariann 1,
Not sure! Most of my TV watching consists of American Idol and House. Other than that I don’t do much TV, unless you count HGTV…Then it’s House Hunters all the way.
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Vonnie,
I’m an HGTV viewer too. Do you ever watch America’s Got Talent? It begins on June 23. I find it almost as fun to watch as Idol. Even though all of the contestants don’t sing, by the end of the competition most of the acts that are left are usually singers.
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Louise,
I’ve never watched America’s Got Talent! Is it on ABC or Fox? That’s the only Networks my Satellite provider carries.
Thank You for telling me about it, I would love to give it a try!
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Too bad, Vonnie. America’s Got Talent is on NBC.
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Hey Louise,
No wonder I’ve never seen it! HA
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I hate to disillusion you all, but nowhere in that article does Adam give any indication that he “experimented” (past tense) with drugs. He says he tried ecstasy for the first time, but he very well may still use it. The sentence context does not indicate one way or another.
And I’ve got news for you, ecstasy is a hard-core drug. I don’t know if it still is, but for a while many years it was the fastest rising killer of young people due to overdose. And I won’t paint pictures, but many other bad things have been known to happen associated with ecstasy use, especially to young women.
Marijuana is a less serious drug, which he seems to say that he does still use recreationally. Of course, marijuana can be a gateway to the harder substances.
And he also apparently has used psychedelic drugs like mushrooms as he confesses he was under their influence when he decided to try out for American Idol. Once again, we have no reason to believe this was “youthful experimentation”; on the contrary, it was within the last couple years. So he very well may still “do” those kinds of drugs.
I guess what disappoints me the most is that the only drug he takes a stand against is cocaine. I’ll give him credit for that, but, from reading the comments here, I think a lot of you are giving him a pass he doesn’t deserve.
At the very least, he should have condemned ecstasy and psychedelic use. Psychedelics can be VERY dangerous too in certain circumstances.
I am not a “prude” either. I have no problem who he chooses to sleep with or have a relationship with, from either sex. But, drug use is not a casual topic or a thing to be glamorized.
If Adam chooses to use any or all of the drugs he mentioned having used, it’s a bad decision, but it his decision. However, when he talks about it just as if he’s discussing the weather in a major magazine, he may communicate to kids who think he’s “cool” that it’s no big deal for them to do it either.
I don’t know if anyone is still reading this thread, but I hope so. Becaause I think fans tend to be way too accepting of those who we are fans of, even when we know they are wrong (or we should know, anyway). Thank you if you read this, and that’s all I have to say.
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I’m reading this thread and, sadly, I have to agree with you. I accept Adam’s stand on his sexuality and admire his phenomenally developed singing and stage skills.
However, if he is still using drugs – and it sounds like he still is – then he is on the road to becoming yet another casualty where superstars “crash and burn” due to habitual drug use.
Very sad indeed and I would be happy of anyone out there can prove me wrong. Adam needs to embrace good health and clean living and be happy that he has been given the opportunity to be seen and heard.
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Jaye, I voiced concern over Adam’s discussion on drugs in my first post on the RS interview. I said I could handle the pot use for recreation, but I was uncomfortable with other drug use.
MCL, your advice on good health and clean living for Adam is very timely and appropriate! I hope he does get the message and takes care of all parts of his body.
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MCL, Jaye, and Kariann,
I agree completely with your comments about Adam and drug use. I wrote similar comments earlier on this thread. What he does is his business (stupid, but his own decision), but I was very sorry that he mentioned it so matter-of-factly like there was nothing wrong with it. It’s such a bad example to set for young,impressionable tweens and teens.
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I have not read the RS article, I felt that it would be entirely to much information for me to handle…I was only going by snippets that I had read about on here and on MJ’s site…I thought the drug use thing was only a one or two time deal, I didn’t realize it was a common occurence…or am I reading more into this there than is? My opinion, experimenting is one time to many!
I have not had to deal with anyone that I have personally known to have a drug problem. I have had several relatives who have had alcohol issues…But, it sounds as though several of you have had a personal…painful experience with drug addiction and for that I truly sympathize. Nothing is more scary or sad than to see someone you love struggle with an addiction.
I really wonder if Adam’s parents were aware of the tell all stories that he shared in the RS article…I will repeat…if the did not, he surely sent them to school, in a harsh way.
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Vonnie,
From what I remember from the article, it wasn’t clear if the drug experimentation was in the past or on-going. He did say he doesn’t approve of cocaine, however, he didn’t say anything negative about other drugs that he mentioned using. Because it was all so unclear, and because he didn’t say he wished he hadn’t used them, in my opinion that’s what was so unfortunate. I only hope that he didn’t inspire any of his young admirers to want to emulate him.
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Jaye –
If you read my comments on this thread, then you know where I stand regarding drug use. I took the extraordinary step of revealing my personal experience dealing with my ex-husband’s drug use. This is not something that I choose to discuss easily. But I thought it was important to illustrate what can happen with drugs. I refrained from going into the specific horrifics of what I saw and lived with on a daily basis. It is beyond description. It is a living, breathing hell on earth.
There is no way that I would ever condone drug use. I do not dismiss Ecstasy either as a harmless recreational drug. It is dangerous, as are all drugs. I agree with you that marijuana can also be a beginning step that leads to further experimentation with even more dangerous drugs.
I have not yet read the entire article, but from what you have said it would appear that Adam has not renounced his past drug use and is most likely still using drugs. No drug is harmless! My ex-husband thought he had his drug use under control, but in the end it ended up controlling him. My personal experience has influenced my view of drug use. My friends know what happened to me and they respect my feelings. None of them use drugs. I won’t even allow myself to be around so-called recreational drug use. I just can’t do it. Some scars don’t ever heal.
I am more disappointed and disturbed by Adam’s revelations about drug use than I ever could be about the intimate details of his sexuality. I objected to some of his coarse language regarding his views on intimacy, but his being gay was not an issue for me at all.
Adam is far too talented to risk it all by using drugs. I hope he rethinks this issue. He has a beautiful voice and immense talent and I do not want to see it compromised in any way.
MCL –
I am in complete agreement with you about Adam embracing a healthy lifestyle. He is blessed with a beautiful voice and immense talent and should not compromise these gifts in any way. He has a responsiblity to himself to respect his body and mind.
No can prove you wrong, MCL. Any drug use is a dangerous gamble with your life. It’s not worth it. I shared my own horrific experience in the sincere hope that it may resonate with those who still believe that it is harmless or fun. If I could speak to Adam personally, I would tell him my story and hope he could learn from it. The destruction of family, finances, career and personal happiness and fulfillment is just too high a price to pay.
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Louise,
You know, you wouldn’t think that people would try to emulate someone else, but it happens all the time. This may sound like such a random comment; but how many people took up smoking just because of the Marlboro Man and of course James Dean!
Teens take Idolizing someone way farther than they even know they are taking it…I know I have a 16 year old son! He thinks anything that some of his favs does is just…TOTALLY AWESOME!
I agree…he should have either not said anything or explained how serious any drug use is…I would have preferred that he would have kept that and some other things to himself.
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I’ve been reading the posts over the last several days, and I agree with everyone who has said that (a) drug use is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, and (b) no one should condone or glamorize drug use of any kind in any way in a forum that children or youth or young adults have access to, because it can give them “permission” to do the same.
Having said that, it suddenly occurs to me: we don’t actually know what was said in the interview, because it isn’t quoted verbatim in this article. It is entirely possible (and, to be fair, also entirely NOT possible) that Adam made other comments about his drug use that might explain how he feels about drugs other than cocaine or whether his drug use has been occasional or frequent that the writer of the article chose not to include for a number of reasons (space being the obvious one.)
I’m not trying to put words into Adam’s mouth, but I do think we should not assume that the RS article accurately depicts who he is. First, RS, as does any magazine, has a “profile” of its readers that it tries to satisfy. An article on Adam in, say, “Women’s Day” (I know it isn’t going to happen) would focus on much different things than the RS article did. And second, when you have so many juicy things to include but a word limit imposed by your editor, some things must necessarily be left out.
So perhaps we should give Adam the benefit of the doubt, and say, “IF he uses drugs of whatever sort with any frequency, we certainly hope he ceases that use as quickly as possible for his own well-being,” rather than assuming that he is a frequent drug (of any kind) user.
I’m not saying he DOESN’T use drugs with a frequency that would be disappointing to most of us, but today’s media cannot be assumed to hew to traditional journalistic standards — sadly.
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Good point, Jeanne.
Now back to the topic of Adam’s music. I just read an article that will please all of you who love his voice. . .
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31453068/ns/entertainment-music/
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Jeanne,
I read your post and do agree, we should not assume that Adam is a frequent user…However, Adam should take responsibility for that article. If certain things were taken out of context, then he should be running around town trying to find anyone who will listen a correct the public’s view. My opinion…anything that goes into print for the public eye, that you sat still and allowed to happen, should and is your own responsibility to make sure that they have your best interest at heart. I have not read or heard of any corrections so far to the RS article on Adam’s behalf. PLEASE, don’t get me wrong…I am a huge Adam fan!
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Louise,
I read the article that you posted; curious…how will this sit with RCA and 19…don’t they have dibbs on Adam now? Otherwise…WOOHOO! Bring on the music.
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Re: the posted msnbc article and the HiFi “album.”
I’ve listend to the leaked song, “Want.” Adam’s vocals are beautiful, but the song, in my opinion, is dreadful. It’s trite, repetetive, and unimaginative. Interestingly, HiFi first listed the song as “December” by other artists (a duet) on its website. HiFi has removed this version from its site and replaced it with a version sung by Adam. HiFi claims the material on the album was co-written by Adam and recorded in ’07 and’08.
Adam released an official statement about the leaked song and pending album disputing HiFi’s claims:
“Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on. I’m thrilled to be working with some of today’s hottest songwriters and producers and can’t wait for people to hear what my music really sounds like.”
It seems HiFi is trying to capitalize on Adam’s fame and is possibly looking for a cash settlement to not release the album. Also, claiming Adam is a co-writer would allow HiFi to use Adam’s name, as I’m told they can’t use it on the title/cover of the album because his name and brand are owned by RCA/19. It’s unfortunate greedy vultures are out there but a reality. As a session singer, Adam received a flat fee to lend his vocals to the tracks. He would earn no royalties from the album’s sales. I’m sure RCA/19 have a whole legal team on this.
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mariah,
Thank you for your post…I was wondering how they could release that album now that Adam has signed with RCA and 19. Not only that he is still under contract with AI.
Didn’t this very same thing happen to Taylor Hicks?
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Vonnie,
You’re welcome! Another press release this morning said RCA/19 is not going to try to block the album’s release. The single “Want” is to be available on itunes sometime today. Hopefully, RCA will be able to counter the album with positive press about Adam’s official upcoming music and the Idol tour. Hopefully, word will spread that the album is not really Adam’s music and that he will not profit from it.
I haven’t followed Taylor’s career, so I’m not sure if this happened to him, as well. It did happen to Leona Lewis, and Sony effectively blacklisted the unauthorized album so radio wouldn’t play it and major stores wouldn’t carry it. I’m sure this kind of thing happens quite a bit with artists who have been working to make it in the music industry for any significant amount of time. Working as a session singer is a pretty standard, decently paid job for struggling, aspiring singers.
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Hey, all the Adam fans on here may be interested in learning that his old album (from his pre-Idol days) will be available soon!
Read all about it here: http://new.music.yahoo.com/adam-lambert/news/album-with-adam-lambert-tunes-expected-this-summer–61989109
I just wish Kris’s pre-Idol album would also become more available!
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Hey Galen,
Yeah! That’s what we’ve been chatting about, I also just read that Adam is not very happy about it either. Read Mariah’s June 22 2:10 post. There is some really good stuff in there about the release of Adam’s pre-idol album. Glad to have you back posting!
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Where’s Kariann 1, skid or Mindy when I need them…Didn’t this same thing happen to Taylor?
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Vonnie,
I’ve followed Taylor’s career, but I don’t remember a similar thing happening to him. He had produced a couple of his own CDs prior to being on Idol and at least one of them was available to purchase before he made his first CD after winning Idol. But maybe others might remember what you’re referring to.
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LOL I’m sorry for posting something everyone already knew about! I should’ve read the previous posts more carefully!
Anyway, suffice it to say that I am very interesting to see what Adam’s pre-Idol music was like. Good for him!
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I wish people wouldn’t refer to these songs as Adam’s pre-idol music. It is my understanding, from what Adam said, that these are songs written by other people that he put vocals to so they could shop them around for sale to other singers or producers; they are done with very minimal instrumentation, they are just demos, and he sang them in whatever way he was requested to sing them.
If a fashion designer sewed clothes for another designer before branching out on his/her own, would you judge their design abilities on those previous garments? Of course not!
Adam had no creative control, so it isn’t really fair to judge his creative abilities on these songs, it isn’t fair to call them “Adam’s music.” Yes, his vocals may be amazing, but they are vocals requested by someone else, not ones he planned and created himself. That’s a BIG DIFFERENCE from having actually collaborated on the music pre-idol, which is apparently what Taylor Hicks and Kris Allen did.
I understand there is a set of songs where Adam did collaborate with someone else (I read this on another forum, don’t have the details at hand at this moment), but that collaborator has said he will make those tunes available as free downloads from his site; he apparently has Adam’s best interests at heart. This HiFi outfit is just scamming the public at Adam’s expense.
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Posted on MJsBigBlog today:
Message from Adam’s Father
“The real irony on those pre-Idol recordings ( the ones that arent the rough Citizen Vein demos… which I kind of like. Monte rocks!) is that a couple of the songs actually had potential but the songwriter/producers squelched Adam’s inputs on changes to the vocal phrasing and vocal arrangement, directing him to sing them straight and very restrained. They obviously intended to shop the songs, not Adam. So they came out pretty schmaltzy adult contemporary and VERY un-Adam. I remember he was excited about getting paid for working in the studio but pretty frustrated about how those songs came out.
This was before Wicked. A paying gig was huge.”
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Hey Louise,
I found it…This is what I was refering to about Taylor!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14505279/ – 44k
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge has temporarily barred a producer from selling songs recorded by “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks when he was still just a gray-haired bar crooner from Alabama.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins issued the ruling Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by Hicks against William Smith of Nashville, Tenn., after two songs written and sung by Hicks showed up for sale on the iTunes Web site.
Smith, in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, said the songs were no longer for sale. The judge scheduled a hearing for Aug. 30 on whether to make her order permanent.
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Louise,
Shoulda’ said, There is more to the story than what I pasted over, it amazing that this guy said the same thing as Adam’s new found friend…I was only trying to help him out!
Karen,
I can’t find it yet, but I read an article yesterday where Adam spoke of the album as his pre-idol stuff. He said that it was his first time in a recording studio. When I find it I will post it.
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Yes Vonnie, he calls it pre-idol work (as it was), but it is not his artistic work, it is demo work he did for someone else, never intending it to be marketed to the public under his name. The above quote from his father shows that he was not allowed any artistic input at all. So it shouldn’t be referred to as his “pre-idol music” … it’s the same as a Chef who flipped hamburgers while perfecting his craft … he may have cooked them perfectly, but they certainly weren’t indicative of his eventual culinary skills!
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Karen,
I am borrowing this from mariah’s post^
“Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on. I’m thrilled to be working with some of today’s hottest songwriters and producers and can’t wait for people to hear what my music really sounds like.”
This is my take:
So, let’s say a chef (Adam aka Glambert the singer) is flipping hamburgers! He puts his own special sauce (his voice) on them. He is paid for making the best hamburger in town, even if it’s only a summer job…he leaves the greasy spoon and travels on…he is paid well! Meantime the boss shows up and wonders who made this marvelous hamburger, the manager says that kid who is now a five star chef at Le’ American Idol. The boss says, “Hey, we paid that kid for these ‘burger’s, now there mine, let’s market them and make a bundle. The kid is left feeling the breeze, because even though hamburgers wasn’t his thing, he would have rather been doing Lobster Tail’s on a Yacht, he still put his special sauce on them. Thus making anything he did before becoming Le’ American Idol Five Star Chef, his pre-Lobster Tail stuff…
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Ahh … but there is a difference… your chef not only applied his skill in choosing how thick the hamburgers were, how long they stayed on the grill, etc., he was allowed to put his own special sauce on them to move them from “plain and simple hamburgers” to something special … Adam was only allowed to use his vocal skill in singing the notes and words as they were written by someone else, he was not allowed to put his own special twist on these plain and simple songs to move them to something special, like Ring of Fire. So how can we call it “Adam’s music” if he had no say in how it was performed? It is only Adam’s voice singing someone else’s music.
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I’ve just finished reading this entire thread and was so moved by all of your comments.I read here daily but don’t post much, today I feel the need to. Because I lost my son-in-law to an accidental presription drug overdose,it saddens me to read that Adam or anyone for that matter experiments with drugs,because even just once can have a fatal consequence.MCL,your advice to Adam is spot on, he is insnely talented and has such a bright future ahead,I pray he chooses the right course.I hope this post doesn’t sound preachy,it’s just so difficult to lose someone so young.I hope I can help someone else by sharing my story.
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True, this forthcoming album is not “Adam’s” pre-idol material. From his account, these songs existed, and he was hired to sing them for a recorded demo. Here’s a quote from Adam’s dad (I can’t find the original source):
“The real irony on those pre-Idol recordings ( the ones that aren’t the rough Citizen Vein demos… which I kind of like. Monte rocks!) is that a couple of the songs actually had potential but the songwriter/producers squelched Adam’s inputs on changes to the vocal phrasing and vocal arrangement, directing him to sing them straight and very restrained. They obviously intended to shop the songs not Adam. So they came out pretty schmaltzy adult contemporary and VERY un-Adam. I remember he was excited about getting paid for working in the studio but pretty frustrated about how those songs came out.
This was before Wicked. A paying gig was huge.”
So, these songs are not a good indicator of what Adam’s original music will sound like.
I’m reading now that RCA/19 is just going to let this album happen while continuing to heavily promote Adam and his new, authentic music. The single, “Want,” is up on itunes. Adam’s more active fans are doing their part to dissuade people from buying it by writing bad and revealing reviews on itunes.
Galen expressed interest in hearing what Adam’s pre-Idol music sounds like. Below are some youtube links to his original work. Most of the songs were co-written with Monte Pittman (Madonna’s guitarist and Adam’s former bandmate in The Citizen Vein). The songs are more pop/dance than what it sounds like Adam is currently recording, which is supposed to have a more rock vibe with electronic production.
“Pop Goes the Camera”
“Kiss and Tell” – Remix
“Crawl Thru Fire” Zodiac Show performance
“Glamorize” (this one’s a bit sexually explicit; doesn’t bother me, but if you read my post upthread, you would have guessed that!but, if it might bother you, best to skip it.)
“I Got This”
“The Circle” (by The Citizen Vein, Adam’s former band)
“I Just Love You” (he recorded a different arrangement for an ice skater friend of his,originally by Five For Fighting. I included it because it’s beautiful and Adam and the pianist came up with the arrangement.)
I hope these links work. I’ve never linked on this site before!
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I looked to see if any Adam’s music was on eBay yet. No, but there is an Adam Lambert clock.
I suppose there will be fans that will buy Adam’s pre-Idol music, but it is sad if the album is released without his permission!
MCL, something strange happened. I had 12 email notifications of posts from here in my Spam file. This hasn’t happened in the past.
Who will be going to the AI CONCERT TOUR?
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Karen,
Now that was fun…thank you for indulging me in my hamburger story!
I totally get what your saying, I just wanted to have some fun…I bet my chef Adam could take a Tofu Burger and put his special sauce on it and make it taste good!
It is really hard for the mind to think that Adam would sound bad singing anything. So, it’s hard to imagine that he could sound any different on this album. I guess on the show we never heard Adam do an original cover of a song, he always changed it up. However, I bet he could have done an amazing job just singing them straight. But, like you said; we wouldn’t have gotten Adam’s own special twist to the songs, we would have missed out terribly.
I have not heard any of the songs from the “Adam voice over series”.
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KariAnn – really? I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this problem? The WordPress format is such a secure site that I cannot imagine that any posts would end up in the Spam file. I will have to check this out with tech support. Thanks for letting me know.
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Vonnie: *smile* Thank you for taking it in fun. In actuality, “Want” isn’t all that bad … just not great instrumentation, rather boring, but Adam’s voice is amazing as always … he really could sing the phonebook and I would buy it! But I won’t buy this one unless he says it is OK … however, lots of people are buying it … on iTunes it has the maximum number of “popularity” bars, but isn’t showing up on any of the “top” lists yet, not sure how that works.
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I just listened again to “Want” and figured out what I don’t like about it … that guitar is too loud (too much competition with Adam’s vocals), and the simple strumming is so repetitive it could be automated … it sounds like Kris accompanying him! As much as I adore Kris, I hated his guitar playing, too much repetition of simple chords, straight strumming, no variation … like the ukulele we used to play around the campfire when I was a kid … I always thought he was more effective with the piano or just singing. IMHO.
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Judy,
I’m really sorry to hear about the loss of your son-in-law. I, too, hope that Adam realizes what a bright future lies ahead for him and if he still does drugs, I hope he stops.
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I wonder why AI and RCA and 19, don’t have the top three cut a single and then have it release when the tour begins, just not that coronation song :-(…that would maybe eliminate some of these bugs from coming out of the wood work wanting to cash in on someone else’s success. Then the top three could tour with their single and start charting before everyone forgets who they are…not saying that happens, but sometimes it seems like the new AI is already on before we hear anything from the previous year idols.
Karen…there with ya on the Kris analogy! That was funny! He is so darn cute though! I really liked when he was at the piano too!
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Oh, Vonnie, how badly I wish the Top 3 could all release a single! Then Danny would get a little bit of a much-needed boost! As sincerely happy as I am for Kris, Adam and Allison, I wish SO badly that Danny would get a record deal soon! He is WAY too talented to just slip through the Idol cracks. Still, I guess I just have to be patient and leave it in God’s hands.
Mariah, thanks for posting those excellent links to Adam’s pre-idol music. I will check them all out when I get the chance!
Oh, and Karen, I didn’t mean ANY disrespect to Adam when I referred to the songs on his previous album as “pre-idol”. I merely meant that he had those songs out BEFORE his time on Idol. It didn’t have anything to do with Adam’s artistry.
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Hi Galen … it wasn’t the “pre-idol” that I had a problem with … it was the use of the term “music” when it really wasn’t his music … it was his voice applied to someone else’s music. I didn’t take your comments as any disrespect at all. But now I am more confused than ever, because HiFi is saying the album will contain some of his collaborations with Madonna’s drummer, Monte someone … songs that Adam’s father said he thought were pretty good. So they WOULD BE Adam’s “music” … although in an interview awhile back he said he has since learned a lot about writing lyrics and wasn’t happy with what he did back then.
So, to buy or not to buy? what is in Adam’s best interests? I’ve asked that question on the Industry forum, and hope to get some insider’s guidance on the issue.
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Galen,
I’m so glad that you agree! I think Danny has been kind of pushed aside since the show ended and being able to cut a single would help so much. Look at Elliot and Jason, both of these guys are great talents, but they would have done so much better if they would have gottten that first initial “boost”.
I think if you make it to the top three you should have a single and a record deal, it is not an easy feat to make it that far, they should be rewarded just like the top two. Only my opinion!!! I also think (I think alot don’t I)that the top three should be in the finale, wouldn’t it be more fun to have the three of them singing for the win…
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Kariann 1,
I’m sorry…I meant earlier to answer your question about the tour. I won’t be going…I would love to, but, I would have to travel from where I live and my family; not much into traveling to see AI. So I hope that MCL will have lots of highlights from the tour for us to read…PLEASE!!!
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Galen- You’re welcome. I know Adam’s style isn’t your favorite, but I hope you like them. In terms of Danny, he said in a live chat he was in talks with a country label (Sony Nashville, I think). He said he was open to country music. Not the direction I would for forseen, but we’ll see what comes of it.
The HiFi recordings situation is giving me a headache. They initially said the songs would be mid-tempo ballads and sound similar to Want. Now, they’ve leaked a track list dated just a few days ago that includes songs by The Citizen Vein (the band Adam used to front), some of his independent solo work, and 2 demos written by the same person. It seems both Adam and his band recorded songs at Wilshire but were never signed by them. Wilshire sold these raw cuts to HiFi. There’s still some question as whether HiFi has the rights to release any of the songs co-written by Adam or if Adam will receive royalties from songwriting credits. We don’t know what Adam signed in order to record songs at Wilshire. I know business is business, but this entire thing is so unethical and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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Thanks, Vonnie.
How sad to hear Michael Jackson has died. He was a great entertainer and musical genius. I think it would be appropriate for AI to present a Michael Jackson tribute medley.
What do you think?
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American Idol has decided to rerun the TOP 13 episode featuring Michael’s music. This is the first time they have ever presented a rerun. This is a nice tribute for him.
This will be presented on Monday.
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Vonnie, let me just say that I agreed with EVERYTHING you said. I do feel that (to some extent) Danny has just kind of been pushed aside. I also agree that it would be VERY interesting if the Top 3 performed against each other in the finale. This way, the voting would be a little less “either-or” oriented. I listen to Danny’s “What Hurts The Most” nearly everyday in the car, and I reminded of two things. 1) He has an INCREDIBLE talent and would have been THE main frontrunner of this season were it not for Adam (no disrespect at all to Adam intended). 2) I am encouraged that he WILL have a record deal. He is just too talented not to get one. God has brought him through so much, and I have faith that his many trials and heartaches will help him in his endeavors.
mariah wrote: “In terms of Danny, he said in a live chat he was in talks with a country label (Sony Nashville, I think). He said he was open to country music. Not the direction I would for forseen, but we’ll see what comes of it.”
Wow, mariah, thanks for that information! You are absolutely right. I could not have seen THAT coming in a million years! LOL Still, I am encouraged to know that he is at least definitely pursuing a record deal. And you know what? I actually will admit that I enjoy a lot of country music, so should Danny choose to go in that direction, I will not be disappointed. After all, my favorite performance of his this season was “What Hurts The Most”, which is DEFINITELY a country song. I still think soulful music is his niche, but as long as he puts out music, I will be happy.
As for Michael Jackson, I was so shocked and horrified to hear of his untimely passing yesterday. We have lost a legend. It is as simple as that.
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Hello everybody. It is very interesting how this thread has turned out. Haven’t visited the site for the last few days and the conversation has branched out in different directions, i seem kind of lost. Anyway, with regards to Adam’s future, he said in his RS photoshoot interview that he wanted longevity and in the main interview he seems to be aware that artists can crash and burn. Well, that’s what we want for him too, longevity in the business. So I, too, hope he stays healthy and well and preserve his awesome “instrument”.
Anyway, here’s an interview of Adam which shows his thoughts about the music industry, his pre-idol work and his Idol performances.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5336179/14066642
There’s also a site that features new dance, music and musical theater performing artists. It featured Adam even before AI. It has a lot of his pre-Idol performances, especially those in Upright Cabaret.
http://www.thebestarts.com/AdamLambert/default.aspx
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article on Adam: http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/06/adam-lambert-linda-perry.html
“Exclusive: Adam Lambert working with Linda Perry, Sam Sparro, Kara DioGuardi, Ryan Tedder; responds to Hi Fi statements
Jun 25, 2009, 08:52 PM | by Michael Slezak
Adam Lambert officially responded this evening to news that Hi Fi Recordings’ upcoming disc, On With the Show, will contain eight tracks co-written and recorded by the singer before he achieved fame as American Idol’s season 8 runner-up. Lambert’s statement, released through a rep for 19 Recordings, is as follows:
“Last Friday I was surprised to find out that songs I recorded back in 2005 were being released. Since then I discovered the entire track listing, revealed online today. I was shocked to learn that songwriting demos of songs that I co-wrote and recorded over the past few years may be released in an album. Like a rough draft that a writer does before finishing a book, I did not intend my work on these demos to be heard by the public. I was unaware that anyone intended to release these recordings until I heard about it in the press, and I’m very disappointed by this entire situation.”
In other news pertaining to the popular Idol alumnus, a source close to the singer revealed exclusively to EW.com that Lambert recently met with acclaimed producer Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera, Pink, James Blunt); had writing sessions with Idol judge and in-demand songwriter Kara DioGuardi and Grammy nominated Sam Sparro (“Black and Gold”); and hit the studio with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder, the white-hot tunesmith behind Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” Beyonce’s “Halo,” and Jordin Sparks’ latest single “Battlefield.” It was previously reported that Lambert laid down some tracks with Lady Gaga producer RedOne.”
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Hello to all of my dear friends here.
It’s been a while since I have been on this thread and there is much to read. I am particularly dismayed about this whole business with Adam’s pre-Idol recordings being released as an album. Adam made his feelings perfectly clear in the statement posted by Anita. This is such a shame, but not suprising in light of the fact that some seem more than ready to capitalize on an artist’s newfound fame.
I am going to wait for Adam’s official album to come out. From the list of the people he has been working with, I am expecting great things. This is the creative effort that Adam is putting all of his effort and hard work into now, so I want to respect that. I don’t want to hear songs that Adam didn’t create with his own artistic vision.
Count me as another one who is quite surprised that there hasn’t been an announcement of a record deal for Danny. I think it’s a bit unusual, given the fact that he did finish third and Allison has already been signed and she finished fourth. If it’s country, well good for him. I happen to think that his version of “What Hurts the Most” was one of his best performances. I see him as more of a pure soul singer, but if he can branch out to other forms of music, all well and good. I can’t see him NOT getting a record deal. The talent is definitely there.
I have been overcome with shock over the death of Michael Jackson. I am still trying to come to terms with this loss. The most poignant moments were when I watched him performing as a young boy with his brothers when they were just starting out. I was blown away all over again by the sheer magnitude of his incomparable talent. That voice, the joy, the happiness, the dance moves. He was a natural. I also couldn’t help but feel sadness, knowing the price he ultimately paid for that early success. He seemed like a man always in search of a lost childhood.
But his music is his lasting legacy. I was taken back to those glorious performances in which he wowed us all with the magnificence of his genius. He gave the world so much. I am grateful that I was privileged to grow up listening to such an extraordinary talent. Rest in peace, Michael.
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“Why do gays feel that they have to tell us every detail of their most intimate thoughts and actions? This has been my experience in dealing with friends who are gay and it is just too, too much.”
Wow.
I started reading your blog tonight from the first episode of S8, and found everything in it to be really interesting and insightful. I was very impressed with your knowledge and detail, and enjoyed your critiques of the performers.
Then I clicked on the comments for this article and saw what you had written above. My respect for you, which had grown throughout my reading, plummeted. I was appalled to see such sweeping, ignorant stereotyping based on sexual orientation from someone who had seemed so intelligent and thoughtful.
I think you should know that as a bisexual woman I found this statement offensive and hurtful. It was like walking up to someone I’d heard wonderful things about, and had looked forward to meeting, only to have that person slap me in the face.
I’ve been so lucky in my life; I’ve only rarely faced prejudice and stereotyping based on my orientation, and usually only at times and in places where I was braced for it. This came out of nowhere — worse, out of someone from whom I’d mistakenly expected far better — and has left a mark that won’t fade quickly.
This “gay” won’t be back here for more. But I wanted to make sure you knew how deeply that hurt.
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Meredith – I apologize for this statement. I said it and I can’t take it away and have to take responsibility for it.
Please know that I have always been supportive of gay rights and, in fact, many of my friends are gay. However, I was speaking about gay men – not lesbians or bisexuals.
And – you are correct – it was a sweeping statement based on my personal experiences and from what I have read ins selective interviews. I think that the whole interview frustrated me somewhat, particularly the casual use of drugs. That was more disturbing than anything else and it just frustrated and saddened me.
Mea culpa and my deepest apologies. It will never happen again.
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Wow, When I wrote this in an earlier post ^ I was so excited of the possibilities of an Adam and Michael Duet…How sad I feel that this won’t happen, and even more so how sad I feel that I even made the comment…
“I really can’t wait til’ his album drops this fall…would love to see him do a song with Michael Jackson…Michael needs to perk up and pay attention to Adam Lambert, that could be his ticket back on stage!”
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MCL – Thank you for your apology about your statement to which Meredith referred. I was also startled by the off-the-cuff remark, but I chose to look at in context of the other positive and non-judgmental things you’ve written about people’s sexuality (and I’m a gay woman, myself). (Please, I’m not trying to say my way is “better” than Meredith’s, just different.) It can be dangerous to sweepingly generalize based only on anecdotal evidence and personal experience; this is why I tell my students it’s so important to study empirical data because our individual experiences can be highly skewed, and, by virtue, individualized. I attempted to point this out in my post upthread about the research showing that gays and lesbians do not corner the market on verbal sexual frankness. Sexuality and gender, it seems, are not the determining factors in openly discussing sex; research suggests it has more to do with political leanings, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic status. But, I won’t bore you all with sociological studies. If I may, it seems as though by allowing a single statement made by MCL to offend her to the point of leaving this site, Meredith is making the same type of rash judgment that she complained about. I commend her willingness to voice her disappointment, but to criticize and run doesn’t help the dialogue or make progress, and isn’t that the point of criticism? I hope Meredith hasn’t officially left this site, yet, and will reconsider.
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Thanks so much Mariah! You comments are insightful and fully appreciated by me. Thank you for understanding that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance.
Heaven knows I have allowed it for several readers on my site. Somedays we all wake up on the wrong side of the bed and everything we do or say is misconstrued and/or unintentional.
Once again, my deepest appreciation is extended to you. Here’s hoping that we see the return of Meredith in the “not too distant” future.
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MCL – You’re very welcome!! I’ve always enjoyed the openness and respect of the dialogue on your site. I think most of your posters are able to disagree amicably and, if not come to a common ground, agree to disagree. It’s not my place (or anyone else’s) to say what people should or should not be offended by, but I do wish more people would not let an offense end the conversation. And, of course, everyone should be held accountable to what they say, but it’s important to remember we are fallible and imperfect beings, and to judge us on one statement alone is misguided. People should also be given the chance to clarify and correct, if needed. Heaven knows, I’ve said many things in my life that have unintentionally hurt or disappointed people (and haven’t we all?). If all those on the receiving end removed themselves from my life, I’d probably have no family or friends left!
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Meredith, I certainly hope you will come back here. I can’t imagine you would leave after one comment you took to be offensive. The bottom line is this. I have been on here quite a lot the last six months, and I know that MCL is not the type of person who displays ugly prejudice and hatred towards a particular group of people. I will not comment on what she wrote up above, but I would implore you to cut her some slack. I, too, was a bit disillusioned by some of the things Adam said in his article. I do not have a problem with him being gay, but I think he harped on it a bit much. I also don’t think that referencing his past drug use was a wise move on his part. He has so much talent that to overshadow it with such trivial points is nothing short of silly to say the least.
Perhaps MCL did misspeak. Perhaps her apology was in order. However, I would like to ask you a question, Meredith, if you do not mind. Haven’t YOU ever said something one could take as being prejudiced? Have you ever thought something so ugly and evil that you have no choice to admit it sounded like something a biggot would think? Well, if you answered “No” to those questions, congratulations, because I know I am guilty of those sins myself. Am I proud of that? No. Have I tried to avoid speaking and thinking such things? Yes. Do I always succeed in doing that? No. My point is that you need to cut MCL some slack, accept her apology, and (if you thoroughly enjoy this site) return in the future and FORGIVE MCL. I know forgiving is hard to do, but it really is everything. It’s what allow people to move on after disagreements and still remain friends. We are all guilty of saying things we wish we could take back, but (as MCL pointed out) we cannot. We can only ask for forgiveness and go from there.
Therefore, if someone we know slips up and says something offensive to us, perhaps we can learn to give that person the benefit of the doubt and forgive them (due to the truth that we all are guilty of the same sin). I truly hope you will be back here, Meredith. I think you would have a lot to offer this place. God bless!
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Meredith,
When I read what you had posted I had to go back and find the quote from MCL. I couldn’t remember reading it…and when I did find it…I still couldn’t remember that I had read it before. I guess when I read it, it seemed like any other non-partial (I think that is the word I’m looking for!) comment to me. However, on thinking about what you said, I can see where sometimes what we say may not seem repulsive to ourselves, but it may seem that way to someone else. I wish I could say this more eloquently…I think sometimes people say things, never meaning to hurt someone else…this has made me self reflect on the things that I say, understanding that the way it is taken may not be the way I meant to say it, but when the words are spoken and someone is offended…:-(
I’m not trying to apologize for MCL…She has already taken care of that…I am only trying to say, “that I have learned something from this” I need to be more respectful, and completely think before I speak…
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Galen, this is a nice way to put it.
I was certainly off base in MY interpretation of MCL’s comment. Having been around here since Season 4, I have never found MCL to be prejudice or write anything that would hurt anyone. She also has a good sense of humor, so I sort of took it as a bit of humor. Something like, “She’s a blonde, and you know blondes…” (Yes, I am a blonde, and I would like to believe I am not dumb.)
So, there you go. The written word can be interpretated in different ways.
Meredith, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive MCL, and continue being impressed with her knowledge and detail, while enjoying her critiques of the performers.
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Meredith,
Instead of being so offended by MCL’s comment, it seems to me that you would have been better served if you would have pointed out her comment as stereotyping and used it as a learning experience for all of us who post on this site. I’ve mentioned once before on here that my father was a bigot. When I was a child, I repeated one of his derogatory remarks in front of someone who told me that it wasn’t a nice thing to say. It was a learning experience for me and made a great impact on my life.
It seems that most of us, at one time or another, make generalizations of groups of people–if not aloud, then at least in our psyche. I find myself thinking a generalization at times, and then I have to stop and tell myself that everyone is an individual. Our thoughts about stereotyping different groups of people can come from our families, religions, the media, etc. It occurred to me a number of years ago, that I was stereotyping southern women–obviously I’m from the north–so when I realized what I was doing, I stopped. Most of us just simply need a reminder once in a while. I don’t think MCL’s comment was anything more than that. I am quite sure from reading all of her comments that she is a very open-minded person. So, Meredith, I hope you’ll reconsider your comments.
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Louise,
That is so funny that you said that about “Southern Women”, I am a Southern Woman and I hear the jokes all the time…However, I find them to be very funny. I live in an area where our women are anything but the sterotype…alot of the women are Lawyers, DA’s and Doctors, etc…My sister, ditched us and followed her now husband way up North. When we go to visit we definitly get the looks when we are out and people can hear our southern Slang…my sister has lost the southern drawl…she has adapted well to her Northern surroundings, so when she comes down we get to tease her a little. Her children are the funniest though, they stand and look at us when we talk to them and tell us we talk funny…imagine that!!!
I took sociology in school…sterotyping is the norm! I find myself doing it all the time, and have to catch myself.
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Galen,
I understand that there is some talk of Danny doing Country Music…What do you think of that? I’m trying to remember if I liked his country week song, he did Rascal Flats, What Hurts the Most, right?
There just doesn’t seem to be that niche anymore for voices like Danny’s and Taylor Hicks…it is so sad. They both remind me so much of like the Michael McDonald’s and Bob Seager kind of voices. Didn’t back in the day there seemed to be a place for everyone? All different types of singers all meshed together. Now they are all so cookie-cutter.
I’m rooting for Danny to make it big, I would love for this years top three to ALL do well.
Again, it would be nice if the top three already had a single out…
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Vonnie,
I’m glad you laughed at my reference to southern women!
Did anyone watch America’s Got Talent last night? There were two singers who were really good–a 14-year old girl who sang a Billie Holliday song, and a 35-year old guy who did a Garth Brooks song. The guy was sort of America’s version of Susan Boyle. He came out and people were laughing at him–until he sang. I’m not especially a country music fan, but this guy’s performance was really touching.
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Louise,
I think we all have our own sterotyping going on…believe me..I have mine too! (It’s not Northern women) 🙂
I can’t get America’s Got Talent, my Satelite provider don’t provide me with the station!!! Also, couldn’t get your link to work for me either. Sometimes I wonder if these people who show up on shows like this aren’t paid actors…could be wrong, just saying!
So what’s the word on the tour, has anyone heard anymore song choices from the idols…where is the first concert to be held?
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Vonnie, I too have heard rumors about Danny going the country route. I must say that above all I am very surprised. I didn’t see that one coming at all! I imagined he would go for more soulful music or if not that contemporary Christian. Still, am I disappointed? No. You are right, Vonnie. Danny DID sing “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts during country week. To be completely honest, that was my favorite performance of his throughout the entire season, with “Hero” coming in close at second. I listen to it all the time in the car, and I will go so far as to say that I think it is BETTER than the Rascal Flatts version (no offense to them, because I am a huge fan of them as well).
When American Idol contestants go the country route, good things seem to happen. Look at Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bo Bice, Bucky Covington, Phil Stacey, etc. Someone I know who works in the music business once told me that the country genre is one of the easier genres to succeed in. Why this is I really do not know. Other than the fact that country music does have a seemingly slightly bigger following than Soul, R & B, Jazz, etc. Unfortunately, as you so correctly pointed out, Vonnie, artists like Taylor Hicks and Danny Gokey who would are both extraordinarily talented soul singers just do not get the widespread recognition and popularity that is associated with Pop and Country artists. It’s sad but true.
Therefore, if Danny is going into country music, it may be a VERY wise move on his part from a career perspective. More doors just seem to open in that direction than in other ones. This, of course, begs the question of if he is capable of really exceling at country music. Judging by his performances of “What Hurts The Most” and “Jesus Take The Wheel”, I would say that he is more than up to the task! I just hope things work out for him. Adam, Kris, and Allison’s careers are all taking off, and it would make me so sad to see Danny left in the dust.
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Galen,
I too was suprised with Danny thinking of going the country route…however, like you pointed out, when Idol contestants go the country route good things happen…Agreed!
I was really hoping that Taylor too would go the country route with his new album. Seven Mile Breakdown has a great country vibe to it.
I don’t listen to alot of country music, but I do have a couple of favorites that I follow…I love Dwight Yoakam, he is my all time fav’….Tim Mcgraw, and I never used to like Reba, and this is going to sound silly! I started liking her after watching her TV show.
I like the liberties the artist are aloud to take with country music…I like when they can add christian beleifs into their lyrics and it is accepted. This is why I think that Danny would excel in the country genre, he could sing more christian based songs. I also think that Danny would do extremely well with Contemporary Christian Music, the Dove Awards seemed to be paying a great deal of attention to him…honestly, that genre would suit him perfect…I would buy his album!
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Danny tweeted (twittered? i’m not sure what the right word is): “dannygokeyHi peeps! I know u all r waiting 2 hear about the Nashville meetings but I will let u know the outcome @ the right time =) How r u all doing”
Sounds encouraging. I’d think he wouldn’t mention anything if the meetings went poorly. Also, in a couple of his interviews, he’s said he does not want to sing contemporary Christian music but that he does want his music to be inspirational. For all you Danny fans, news seems promising.
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Hmmmm…Wonder why he doesn’t want to sing Contemporary Christian?
*Spell Check* Sorry Galen, it should be “Beliefs”
Thank You mariah for the up-date on Danny. Although Adam was my fav’ this season, I liked Danny too, and I think that he should have gotten a record deal just a quickly as the others.
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You’re welcome, Vonnie. I’m not sure why Danny doesn’t want to go the CCM route. He may have said something about wanting mass appeal or to reach a broad audience. I can’t remember specifically, though. I’m surprised, too, Danny wasn’t signed earlier because the judges really liked him and he seems to have a following. I do know his itunes sales were the lowest of the top 4, though, and I don’t know by how much. It’s possible 19 wanted him to go the CCM route, and he turned them down. That might have been their only offer for him. (Kara’s said in several interviews he’d be a perfect CCM artist).
Personally, I’m not a fan of Danny’s singing in any way, so I would never by his music, but I would like to see him do well or at least be given a chance.
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Mariah,
With Danny’s itunes being the lowest, I would have thought that he would have went with Contemporary Christian music…all the people who were backing him for a win were from the Dove Assoc. and his church, right? Anyway, hopefully he will get signed, because I think the top four this year we’re all deserving of their spots.
Completely off topic…you know how it feels when you have that summer job at the beach and there is action all the time, crowds of people. Then summer comes to an end and everyone goes back to their jobs and school or whatever and there you sit on the vacant beach, whistling to yourself…I kinda think that is what has happened here on this site…where did everybody go? 😦
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Can’t say I was suprised about the RS interview…well maybe the drug stuff…but it highlights the problems I have had with the direction AI has taken the last few seasons. What started out as a show about relative unknown and unexperienced young talent getting a chance to learn the ropes and grow into a shot at becoming a professional in the entertainment business it has now become a showcase for contestants that are too old with too much professional experience and too much personal baggage. All this stuff Adam brings up in the interview were out there on the internet in one form or another…just took a few clicks of the mouse to find big signals that the persona he was presenting on AI was not in keeping with his pre-Idol life. Now intentional or not by the AI producers AI has become branded in the american consciousness as wholesome young talented kids seeking the american dream and image has been a factor in AI from the start. That image has been tweaked some over the years from clean cut all american Kelly to single mother Fantasia and anytime a contestant has strayed to far they were reigned in or expelled. If Adams musings had been released during his AI run I believe he would not have advanced as far as he did…either by the producers influence or viewer backlash. An artist can be both relevant and edgy without resorting to drugs or shocking personal revelations. He seems brimming with talent lets hope his personal life doesn’t spin out of control and as we have seen this week that can lead to tragic results. I have no doubt that AI has been good for Adam Lambert I am however not so sure he has in the long run been good for AI. I’d bet the AI producers are happy after the RS interview that they don’t have to promote Adam as The American Idol..that would now be awkward…and instead have Kris wearing the crown. On some level I think america was sorting out that Adam (talent aside)…. as was the case with most contestants and with every other eventual winner were presenting true authentic versions of themselves….that he Adam was not being authentic and as it turned out he had another side and maybe even agenda during his AI run. Hope AI gets back to it roots this year and remembers that america got hooked on the cinderella / american dream aspect of the show and have increasingly be turned off and tuning out by the pimping and manipulation by the producers.
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From http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-10/cashing-in-on-coming-out/full/:
Adam Lambert’s admissions of his homosexuality and drug use in this week’s Rolling Stone may come as a shock to few, but his confessional attitude is publicity gold.
Everyone who watched American Idol this past season knew that Adam Lambert was gay—fans didn’t need to see the tabloid pictures of the Idol runner-up tonguing his boyfriend and dressed in drag to know. These days, even Middle America’s gaydar is pretty finely honed when it comes to that sort of thing.
So the current cover story of Rolling Stone, featuring a seductively posed Lambert—complete with his signature guyliner and a strategically placed garden snake licking at his crotch—wherein he comes clean and comes out, definitely isn’t a big shock. “I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear I’m gay,” he said in the piece. He’s right—it wasn’t.
What the story did do, though, was re-brand the 27-year-old star in a way that Idol contestants have rarely branded themselves—as an “other,” hence insuring him the kind of celebrity rarely heaped up the second-place finisher of the competition. The story all but guaranteed that Lambert wouldn’t be the punchline that 2003 Idol runner-up Clay Aiken had become since playing hide-and-seek with the press about his sexuality for five years.
“I didn’t want the Clay Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context,” Lambert told Rolling Stone. And explain he did, in what was the best public-relations stunt that Lambert could have pulled to maintain his relevance over other Idol also-rans like Justin Guarini, Diana DeGarmo and Sanjaya Malakar.
“He didn’t lie. He was transparent and honest,” explained brand futurist Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology, and market-trend analyst. “The gay thing these days is a brand in itself and his appeal to the tween market that drives the sales for Idol products these days will be huge. The biggest trend for tweens isn’t to be in the crowd these days, it is to stand out in it. That is what Lambert has done by branding himself this way. And that is what is going to drive his record sales.”
And Lambert didn’t just raise the gay issue in his Rolling Stone interview. He dropped another bomb on America by openly discussing his former drug use, admitting he dropped mushrooms at Burning Man—the trip, he added, ultimately led to the revelation that he had to compete on American Idol.
“We’ve seen the gay issue with Idol contestants before here and in the British version, but we have never seen someone be so open about drugs. That is also going to give him points and gives him an edge that we haven’t seen with Idol,” said Lindstrom.
Lambert has proved himself adept at getting the tweens and the cougars on board. Writing on Newsweek’s PopVox blog, Joan Lambert gushed that she and her middle-aged friends “…love Adam, truly, madly, deeply, in a kind of weirdly Mrs. Robinson sexual way.” The fact that Lambert is homosexual helps to make him an even more “safe” sexual fantasy. Just as Clay Aiken inspired a creepy tribe of middle-age, Midwestern Claymates who waxed obsessively about the singer on blogs and message boards and viciously defended him against rumors of his homosexuality, Lambert appeals to an older female demographic hungry for young meat that doesn’t seem overtly intimidating.
It seems like Lambert’s publicist Roger Widynowski, who also works with Idol’s Katharine McPhee and the recent winner Kris Allen, is one smart cookie. Mere hours after Lambert’s admission hit the media maelstrom, on Wednesday morning, the singer signed a deal for his solo record debut with RCA Records to be released in the fall.
But Rolling Stone contributor Vanessa Grigoriadis, who interviewed Lambert for the piece, says she thinks it was Adam himself and not his publicity machine that decided how and when to spill the juice.
“Adam is really smart,” Grigoriadis told The Daily Beast. “It was clear to me that his people knew that this was a good strategy for Adam, but I’m not so sure Adam didn’t come up on with it on his own. No publicist would have said ‘Hey talk about your druggie experiences.’”
And his admission also came as a shock for the magazine, she notes, denying the rumor that Rolling Stone set this all up as a publicity stunt to sell copies in a market saturated with celebrity gossip.
“It was through no part of my own did I get this story.” Grigoriadis says. “I went to the finale and waited around forever. We knew he had the cover, but that was it. I went to the party and I went to his publicist’s offices and by that point I was like ‘He had better say something fucking good,’ and then he came out [of the room] and he actually came out. He said ‘Yeah so I am going to tell you everything and I want to say it all once, and this is the way it is going to be.’ And then he just completely re-branded himself.”
Who isn’t going to be jumping on the Lambert bandwagon now? Straight women like myself, tweens, cougars (maybe even a few Claymates), and straight guys who think Burning Man and mushrooms are the key to happiness all have a reason to get behind this guy.
Lambert’s star power will no doubt eclipse that of actual Idol winner Kris Allen. Despite his phenomenal singing voice and boyish good looks, Allen is a well-adjusted homebody, who is married and sweet-tempered. And who wants that in their celebrity when they can have someone with smart media knowhow, the swagger of a champion, and a desire to confess all his secrets to the world… and knows where to score the good drugs?
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I’ve heard this critique of AI before and don’t really understand it. I’ve never considered AI as a launching pad for would-be singers with no experience or training. If that were the case, imo, the award wouldn’t be a recording contract because the winner wouldn’t be ready to take that leap; rather, the award might be the chance to work with and train with some of the best in the business in hopes to get to the recording contract level. Something that I think perpetuates this viewpoint is that many don’t consider singing equivalent to playing an instrument, but the throat definitely is just that. Perhaps this stems from the fact that everyone sings to some extent. Singing is something we all know how to do, so little consideration is given to the effort and dedication it takes to learn how to use one’s singing voice properly and effectively. Almost everyone has sung in the shower or their car, sung their child to sleep, or sung Happy Birthday to a friend. Far fewer have picked up a guitar or sat before a piano. Consider for a moment if it were a piano competition. People would expect the contestants to have some training on how to properly play the piano. Yes, there are many self-taught pianists out there, but they still have to have some musicality to be able to interpret a song on the keys. A contestant who played Chopsticks pretty well and made it sound pleasant but couldn’t really play anything more complicated would be criticized for lack of knowledge and training. To me, this is the same as a contestant who has a nice tone to his voice, but doesn’t know how to breathe properly, support notes, or use his body to enhance his sound.Sure, this person might become a great singer with technical training, but does that mean he’s ready for a record deal? For me, the answer is no. I’m not sure how “unknown” and “undiscovered” came to be synonomous with “untrained.” Clearly, someone who has dedicated a great deal of time to training his vocal instrument and practicing his performance style by actually performing, yet has not secured a record deal or any mainstream attention, is still “unknown.”
I honestly do not see how the RS article counters the person Adam was on the show or challenges his authenticity. We are all multi-faceted individuals. Adam said in the RS article that was his “best self” on the show, and I believe that to be true. That doesn’t mean he was inauthentic or faking it. Rather, that was what he considers the best part of him and that’s how he chose to present himself. That’s very different than acting or pretending like that’s his persona, which would mean the Adam we saw on tv doesn’t exist at all. His parents and numerous friends have said in many interviews that the Adam we saw on the show is really who Adam is. Certainly, there’s some bias there, but in all the press about him, I’ve never heard one person who actually knows him say anything negative about him as a person. Ricky lee, maybe it’s the activities he’s engaged in in his private life that you find incongruous with the way he presented himself on Idol. Personally, I don’t see it that way and tend to think of behavior and personality as mutually exclusive, meaning that you can be a nice, genuine person and still do things that are less than ideal or socially questionable (the same as one can behave in a perfectly socially acceptable or even exemplary way and still be a jerk).
I don’t think AI regrets anything in terms of Adam. 19E is promoting Adam at or above the same level it’s promoting Kris. The press rarely refers to him as the runner-up anymore; he’s simply Adam Lambert. TV commercials and print ads for the Idol tour feature Adam more prominently than any of the other Idols, including the winner. 19E knows Adam is a huge draw, and it seems they’re more than happy to have him. Reports from the auditions for next season are that Adam’s work on the show has raised the bar, and people who would have easily gotten through auditions in seasons’ past aren’t even getting tickets to see the judges this year. And, FWIW, AI producers at the very least knew about his sexuality with the leaking of the pictures, and they told Adam they’d support him publicly in whatever way he wanted to handle it. The RS article had to be cleared by 19E per the Idols’ contract before it could go to print. If they had wanted to quash it or were concerned about the “revelations,” they would have blocked its publication. So, yeah, I don’t think anyone associated with AI regrets anything to do with Adam Lambert.
Vonnie,
I agree that a huge part of Danny’s fan base comprise those who listen to CCM. In a recent interview (it might have been the Yahoo interview with Lyndsey Parker, but I’m not sure), he said he didn’t want to start off with CCM because he wanted the potential to reach everyone and didn’t want to exclude anyone, implying that the CCM market is too narrow and contained. He said he wasn’t ruling it out for the future, though. He continues to say he wants to insipre people with his music, so maybe he thinks singing CCM would be preaching to the choir, so to speak. It also might be more personally rewarding to create a fan base from people who aren’t drawn to him initially because of a similar faith. I have a friend who’s a huge Danny fan, but she’s not a Christian, so she would never listen to CCM becasue the messages of that genre don’t resonate with her own faith. So, by Danny going the CCM route, she’d be excluded as a fan. Maybe this is kind of what Danny is thinking about in saying he wants to reach everybody.
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Tickey Lee, I also had this impression for at least the first two years. I wish this was true now, but for the most part it is not. I have become very disillusioned with the show and the type casting it does. Season 8 had so many flaws.
So, I have decided to take the show for what it is. Now that I know about the texting and computer voting, I am not going to vote next season. The innocence I felt about the show ended in Season 2.
Mariah, there were several contestants that were relatively inexperienced. My joy was watching them develop and become more polished with their performances. Most will mention Clay, Anthony, Elliott, Jason, etc. They were favorites of mine.
How are you doing, Vonnie?
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Oops, I meant Rickey Lee. So sorry!
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Mariah … thank you for responding so well. I had refrained because I wasn’t sure I could be as tactful as you were. There have been very few contestants in recent years who have not had a great deal of experience, some with their own bands, others with previous recording contracts. Even Kris, in one of the interviews, said he had as much experience as Adam, except he hadn’t been in Wicked. And somewhere it was pointed out that the experience Kris had singing solo in bars and clubs required a lot more creativity and variety than Adam singing the same songs night after night in the backup chorus of Wicked. So Adam spent years training his voice, and Kris spent years learning other instruments … what’s the difference? Other than the fact that Adam’s years produced better results. 😎
I have been frustrated this year by the comments that some people play instruments, while others “only” sing … as though a voice is not an instrument. And some of the instrumentals were not good. I adore Kris, but his guitar drives me crazy … repetitive strumming, simple chords, no change in rhythm … and that shoulder jumping up and down as he plays … enjoying himself, and pleasing lots of listeners, but obviously no technical training. I finally understood what was going on when he said he taught himself to play the guitar and the ukulele … he plays the guitar just like we used to play the ukulele around the campfire when I was a kid! *smile*
As much as I adore Kris as a person (and as part of Kradam), I’ll take Adam’s instrument any day.
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Thanks, Karen! I agree completely with Kris’ guitar playing skills. And, I like Kris. I enjoy the tone of his voice. There are plenty of singer-songwriters who aren’t so much gifted singers as they are incredible songwriters, and that makes me enjoy listening to them. I’m hoping Kris will fall into this category, as songwriting seems quite important to him. Though I’ve not heard his original material.
Kariann- I agree, and I’ve also enjoyed watching some contestants grow on the show. Elliot is my favorite in this regard. He had such raw talent and potential and really seemed to be absorbing his critiques and learning from them. Clay actually had more training he (or maybe it was the producers) ever let on, though he didn’t have performance experience. I never considered him a raw talent, but a trained and talented singer. I think there’s a place for both kinds of contestants on the show. I apologize if I made it sound like people with raw talent shouldn’t be there. It’s not what I meant. I just meant, for me, I’ve never though of the show as a place only for raw talent, nor do I get the criticism of contestants like Adam for working very hard at honing their instrument. Even Kelly Clarkson had a decent amount of experience and a shelved record under her belt. And, Adam showed growth on the show, too. Compare MCL’s early critiques of him with the ones toward the end of the show. I just think Adam’s growth was more nuanced, and, thus, not as universally noticeable to the audience.
I do hope there’ll be a good mix of casting next season, and I suspect there will be. An entire season of Adam’s (in terms of vocal proweress), would not be too engaging.
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Hey All,
I hear tell that Adam is stealing the show on the idol tour…pretty much like putting Tiger Woods up against kindergartner’s…that’s just what I’m a readin’
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Hi Vonnie! From what I have read, it seems that half the line-up is worth the money. The others, not so much. Adam IS the star of the show. No one can doubt that. He’s got that “IT” factor. Others like Kris, Allison, and Anoop are getting very good reviews.
I suppose it depends who you talk to and if the person had a favorite going into the concert. Also, most critics are really into Adam’s performances and duet. I don’t mean to offend anyone!
Last year, Ramielle was the only one getting negative reviews, but towards the end she was doing so much better. As much as I really like Adam, I am glad I went last year, given a choice. (I would have enjoyed Anoop too.)
Adam will come around on tour when his album is released and all can enjoy him in concert.
Mariah, no matter how it goes, I hope AI brings us 24 outstanding singers (performers?) for next season!
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer!
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Hi Kariann 1,
Alot of what I have been reading says that Anoop’s set is very good as well as Matt’s. Most are surprised at how much different Megan sounds live…she sounds better! Kris has gotten to give up the song “No Boundries” and replace it with something else. Most reviewers says that he is just plain adorable, but feel bad for him having to follow Adam. My thoughts…two different types of music…two different styles…I thought it was hard on all of them on the show to follow Adam, just because there was such a difference.
I am reading some really good reviews on most of the idols. However, most of the really positive stuff is coming from Adam’s set. From alot of people who weren’t fans of his to begin with, but after seeing him live has changed their minds about him, and became fans.
I want for all of them to do well after the tour…I would like to see them all get recording contracts…Has Danny came up with anything yet as far as a record deal?
Kariann 1, it was so good to see your post…I thought this site had been deserted!!!
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Good interview of Adam’s Mom.
http://nctimes.com/articles/2009/07/15/entertainment/music/ze7c43910daaad6a5882575eb00579d92.txt
Here is part of it:
Q: It was in the Rolling Stone article when Adam confirmed to the world that he’s gay and that he came out to you first.
A: When he was 17, I went to a gay and lesbian center in Hillcrest to talk to a counselor and find out how to approach the subject with Adam, and they told me not to do it. One man there said he was 27 and still hadn’t told his parents. I couldn’t imagine that because Adam and I talked about everything, so I decided that I had to broach the subject, and it turned out to be the right decision. I’ve read on blogs and have read his fan letters where mothers have said “I have a son like your son, I think he’s gay, and I’m so amazed at how close you are to Adam.” Maybe the Rolling Stone article will open doors for parents to talk to their kids about the subject.
Q: Do you think him talking about experimenting with drugs sends the wrong message to kids?
A: Yes, I was upset about that. I told him “You have these 13-year-old fans and their parents want you to be a role model. How is that going to look to them?” And he said: “I didn’t say I DO drugs, I said I DID drugs.” And maybe it’s a good avenue for parents to talk about drugs with their kids.
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Lynn…Thank You, that was a great interview! The pics of Adam…Gray suit!!! 🙂
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It seems many going to the concert have the same critques. I have heard nothing negative about Adam or Chris. Galen should be pleased that Danny is getting a good reaction from a lot of people.
For me, if Adam and Anoop had been on the Season 7 tour (minus two others there) it would have been a perfect concert. ;o)
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This morning I came across an interesting article that might provoke some good discussion.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32011060/ns/entertainment-5top/
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Thank you for those kind words, Kariann. I am so happy that Danny is getting positive reviews. I wish SO badly that he would get a record deal soon. I know that he is currently in negotiations with three different labels–19 Records, a country one, and a contemporary christian one. I think he is a bit confused over which route to take. From what I understand, he wants to sing more soul-oriented music, but he wants to have the freedom to inject some Christian messages in their as well. He wants to be a mainstream artist with a bigger audience than just Christians so that he can reach more people with his message. I think he may be waiting until after the tour before he commits to anything. My prayers are with him in his decision. I hear Adam, Kris, and Allison are doing excellent as well, and I am very happy for them.
On a sadder note, I just saw in the news that Alexis Cohen was killed in a tragic car accident. You may remember her as the girl who continually flipped off the Idol cameras during auditions and screamed a lot. She was a wild woman that’s for sure, but I enjoyed her for a laugh and am very sad to hear of what happened to her. God bless her family in this awful time and I hope that she is at peace now.
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Here’s a great four part interview with Adam by Fred Bronson with the LA Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/08/adam-lambert-the-ultimate-interview-part-four.html. The fourth part has links to the first three parts.
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Thank you, Beth. After all these many months, it is obvious Adam is a *star*.
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Yes, I am very happy for Adam and look forward to hearing his new single for the movie “2012”!
For all the Danny Gokey fans out there, I have some information on his career decisions and hints that he is closer than ever to a record deal. Read this for the whole story!
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/american-idol-danny-gokeys-clo-30858.aspx
It seems that by mid September he will have a record deal. I am so happy to hear that! I definitely think he wanted to wait until touring was over before he made a major commitment for his album. Also, it seems pretty much a sure thing that he will go the country route, and (though I wasn’t so sure initially) I have come to believe that is the best possible route for him. Country music is all about the message, and Danny Gokey certainly likes a good message! As Danny said, the country music genre is so varied nowadays that you often times don’t know you are listening to a country song! Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus are both examples of “country” artists whose songs still retain that pop sound and avoid the trademark country “twang”.
I also believe that the country music industry is very open to its singers expressing their faith. After contemporary Christian/Gospel music, I think the country genre is the most Christian-oriented genre out there. The wonderful thing about this is that Danny can sing about his faith, yet he is not restricted to ONLY those types of songs. I am SO looking forward to his album already! I wish he would team up with Rascal Flatts on something! That would be awesome!
I’m so excited! Next weekend I finally get to see him perform live in Indiana! Time seems to moving SO . . . SLOWWWW!!!!!! Anyway, have a good day everyone!
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I enjoyed this post and also wanted to point out that I really like the design and feel of your site. I am using wordpress as well on my blog but have been looking for a template like this which is much better than what I have. I see the theme is listed on the footer so I will take a better look at it.
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heloo please send me interview of adam lambert in rolling ston magezin
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