Adam Lambert.
Adam Lamberthas always had a flair for spectacle.
“It wasn’t deep, but it was definitely a bit of blood,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday. “I thought, ‘Well,thisis high drama.'”
Who would expect anything less from the man whose titanic voice made him famous 14 years ago as a contestant onAmerican Idol? The resulting album cover (completed with a little help from Photoshop) is a striking representation of all the barriers Lambert, 41, has had to break through as a gay man in the industry.
In 2011, he scaled even bigger heights when he became lead vocalist for the legendary British rock bandQueen, joining them for world tours and performances at major events, including the lateQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
“I’m proud to say that I was part of a wave of people who were pushing the conversation,” he says. “I’ve proven a lot to myself.”
Beyond the outer forces that have tried to bring him down, some of his toughest battles have been with himself. After struggling with his self-image and mental health for years, he finally fully appreciates the person he sees in the mirror.
“Self-love is an ever-evolving journey,” Lambert says. “But I feel more sure of myself than I’ve ever been.”
Adam Lambert High Drama cover.
In a sense, he’s recaptured a feeling he had when he was younger. He grew up in San Diego with “very cool parents”— mom Leila, a dental hygienist, and dad Eber, a program manager for a broadband wireless company — and always felt free to be himself.
“I looked to people who were really bold,” says Lambert, whose inspirations growing up includedBoy George,Melissa Etheridge,George MichaelandElton John.
By the time he auditioned forIdolin 2008 with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he had been out as a gay man to his friends and family for eight years.
“I was very comfortable and secure with who I was,” he recalls.
Adam Lambert on American Idol.M Becker/Getty
While Lambert never openly stated that he was gay as he breezed through the competition each week, he wasn’t hiding his sexuality.
“It was never a secret,” he says. “During the live broadcast, there was no one asking me what my sexual preference was, and we weren’t allowed to do interviews during the show back then because they wanted to keep everyone on a level playing field.”
Adam Lambert during his 2009 American Music Awards performance.Kevork Djansezian/Getty
Today he’s “proud” to see successful LGBTQ singers likeLil Nas X,Sam SmithandKim Petrasembracing who they are.
“No matter what size or gender or sexuality you are, there is space for you,” Lambert says. “If you’re getting people talking, you’re winning on some level.”
Lambert had to remind himself just that when the music video for his cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” featured onHigh Dramadropped on YouTube in January.
Five years ago, Lambert sought treatment for anxiety and depression, and his medication made him “put on the pounds” while helping him manage panic attacks during a tour with Queen.
“I had been going, going, going,” he says. “I was burnt out and hit a wall.”
As he juggles music and acting — he costars inFairyland, the recent coming-of-age feature film — he’s prioritizing his mental health with the help of therapy.
“Finding that balance between career and personal life is really important,” says Lambert. “That’s a big part of staying happy and healthy.”
Having the support of his partner Oliver Gliese, 27, whom he’s been dating since 2020, has also helped.
“We’re really good at communicating,” Lambert says. “I think that is the key to a healthy relationship. Every couple runs into disagreements or misunderstandings, but if you can sit down and talk it out, that’s the best. We have that, and I’m really thankful for it.”
Adam Lambert and Oliver Gliese.Adam Lambert instagram
“The story I keep getting is: ‘I grew up in the Midwest, and we would watchIdoltogether as a family. My mom loved you, and it made me feel comfortable to open up to her about who I was,'” he says. “It’s something I never thought would come from the show, but it is so beautiful and means so much to me.”
For more on Adam Lambert’s journey, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
source: people.com
