Adam Lambert: How the singer shot to fame with Queen hit
In 2009, a singer stepped onto the American Idol stage and redefined what it means to perform under pressure. Delivering a breathtaking rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Adam Lambert didn’t just sing – he created a moment that left judges, including the notoriously hard-to-please Simon Cowell, absolutely stunned.
Adam Lambert’s journey on American Idol was marked by electrifying performances and a flair for theatricality.
Recalling his audition for the show, the then 26-year-old Broadway star explained that judges Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi told him, “You’re theatrical.”
“I had a feeling it was going to go down like this. They’re going to be, ‘Oh, he’s too Broadway.’ Even though I don’t feel like I actually am when I sing. I’m theatrical, but I don’t think that it’s necessarily musical theater,” said the singer who, before appearing on the singing competition show, was performing in the cast of Wicked.
Speaking with the LA Times in 2009, he shared, “I sang ‘Rock With You’ by Michael Jackson and they wanted to hear another one so I sang ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and that’s the one they ended up showing on TV.”
