Although Adam Lambert didn’t win “American Idol,” he quickly became one of its biggest success stories. After finishing as the season 8 runner-up to Kris Allen, Lambert went on to build a thriving music career, including a years-long collaboration with rock band Queen.
But what some fans of Lambert’s may not know is that auditioning for “American Idol” was a big risk for the star, especially as he already had an established career on Broadway. Auditioning for the show meant possibly losing his full-time job, but it turned out to be a risk worth taking.
Adam Lambert Shares Why Auditioning for ‘American Idol’ Was His Biggest Risk
GettyAppearing as a guest on “The Person Who Believed in Me” podcast, Adam Lambert went back to 2009 to revisit his audition for “American Idol” season 8.
At the time, Lambert had already built a strong foundation in musical theatre and, for a few years, was part of the cast of “Wicked” on Broadway. So, it was a huge risk for Lambert to audition, sharing that he had to quit his job to make it to the in-person rounds where he’d meet the judges.
Lambert auditioned in front of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Kara DioGuardi.
“I was nervous as hell, to be honest,” he began. “The reason why was because I had to quit my job at ‘Wicked’ in order to get to that round of auditions in front of the TV judges.”
He continued, “I’ve gone through three rounds already for producers over like, a few months, and they were like, ‘Well, if you want to go and get in front of the TV judges and be filmed for the show, you can’t have any professional contracts, you can’t have anything in play, you can’t have a manager, agent, you have to be a complete amateur in your status.'”
Getty“It was a huge risk,” Lambert told host David Begnaud. Thankfully, the singer shared that he had met a “great” producer named Patrick, who believed Lambert had what it took to make it far in the competition. It helped Lambert see that auditioning might be a good thing.
Lambert Initially Auditioned With a Michael Jackson Song That the Judges Weren’t Too Fond of
GettyLambert took on Queen’s biggest hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” when he auditioned for “American Idol,” but what viewers didn’t get to see was that he had initially auditioned with Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”
“They didn’t air that one,” Lambert told the host, adding that the judges didn’t see the song “match” with the singer. “I could tell they were perplexed and kind of not fully sold, and because I had so much riding on this moment, I said, ‘Okay, I’m not going to leave until I get through.'”
Lambert chose a song the judges felt better suited to him, a classic rock hit.
Lambert got four yeses from the judges and made it to Hollywood Week. He also believed that he connected with Cowell in a way, sharing, “I think he sees me, like I can keep up.”
Asked if that was the “biggest risk you had taken in your life at that point,” Lambert shared, “Yeah… on paper the most, the biggest turning point for me.”
As the two continued to reflect on his “American Idol” journey, Lambert admitted that he never expected to win, but knew that he had to continue on the show to get the most exposure. “The point of this is not to win, the point is to get as much screen time as you possibly can get,” he said. “I just wanted to open some doors.”
