Although Adam Lambert didn’t win American Idol, he quickly became one of the show’s greatest success stories. After finishing as the Season 8 runner-up to Kris Allen, Lambert went on to build a hugely successful music career, including his long-running role as the frontman for legendary rock band Queen.
What many fans may not realize, however, is that auditioning for American Idol was a major gamble. At the time, Lambert already had a steady career on Broadway, and competing on the show meant risking the full-time job he had worked hard to secure. In the end, it proved to be the decision that changed his life.
Adam Lambert Shares Why Auditioning for ‘American Idol’ Was His Biggest Risk
GettySpeaking on The Person Who Believed in Me podcast, Adam Lambert looked back on the life-changing decision to audition for American Idol in 2009.
At the time, Lambert had already established himself in musical theatre and had spent several years performing in Wicked on Broadway. Auditioning for the competition meant walking away from the stability he had worked hard to build.
Lambert auditioned in front of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi.
“I was nervous as hell, to be honest,” he recalled. “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
GettyFor his televised audition, Lambert wowed the judges with Queen’s iconic hit “Bohemian Rhapsody.” What viewers didn’t see, however, was that he had originally auditioned with Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”
“They didn’t air that one,” Lambert recalled, explaining that the judges didn’t feel the song was the right fit for him. “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.’”
He then switched to a classic rock song that better showcased his voice—a decision that earned him four “yes” votes and a place in Hollywood Week.
Looking back, Lambert also reflected on his connection with Simon Cowell.
“I think he sees me, like I can keep up,” he said.
When asked whether auditioning for American Idol was the biggest risk of his life at that point, Lambert replied, “Yeah… on paper the most, the biggest turning point for me.”
He also admitted that winning the competition was never his primary goal.
“The point of this is not to win, the point is to get as much screen time as you possibly can get,” he explained. “I just wanted to open some doors.”