We’re almost a full year from that Rolling Stone cover where Adam Lambert acknowledged the obvious about his sexuality, and we’re still talking about it! Also, according to this Swedish interview, we’re still talking about the American Music Awards.
trailblazers
Adam Lambert Is Wearing the Entire Gay Mainstream Music Industry On His Shoulders
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Mike L.
Ok I know I’m gonna sound mean,but I have to say this. Um why hasn’t Adma done some Microdermabrasion for the scarring in his face from pimples or whatever, it really makes him looks really old and the make-up ontop doesn’t help.
He’s a sweet guy and very talented, but it makes him look much older than he is.
alan brickman
Jobriath is so much better…and the first out gay in rock…not Adam….
Erasmus
Adam who?
Matt
Adam is the first out and proud gay artist signed to a major record label…and he is working very hard to break through the mainstream barriers while remaining true to himself, not an easy task in today’s music market.
Lanjier
He seems so nice. Time for a new, or tweaked, goth look, though. The look is making him look like yesterday’s news.
Alexa
@Matt, Adam may be many things, but he is certainly NOT the first out and proud gay artist signed to a major record label – George Michael and Elton John, to name just a couple.
AlwaysGay
I am a big fan of Adam. I agree with Mike L. though. Three or four years ago Ted from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy gave an interview to a gay website and he talked about his teen acne, the scarring it left and how much he hated it. Anyway, I wrote in the comment section he should get laser surgery to remove the scarring because he had more than enough money to do it. I think he did. Adam should have done it years ago because he had the money to. There is no use in waiting.
Adam is breaking barriers for gay performers. I only hope gay people can rally around them too so his success is continued.
Giovannidude
Adam is the very first American music artist to officially come out (in Rolling Stone, in June 2009) before his first album dropped (in December 2009). George Michael and Elton John came out, maybe not officially, years after their first album. Didn’t Elton even have a beard, or maybe even a marriage to a woman, before he came out?
Adam is honest and sincere, and very good in interviews. He makes a great ambassador of goodwill for the gays. He has already been discriminated against by broadcast television and radio. Some radio stations refuse to play his records. That is so sad. Adam’s career will no doubt suffer some for his having come out publicly. But in the long run, people will admire him for being forthright and true to himself.
Adam has made history for the gays in the U.S. His milestone may do more for the gays in the long run than all the hot air in Washington. Unfortunately, there are still some in this country who hate us. Maybe Adam can help change that a little for us.
EdWoody
@Alexa: I assume he means openly gay from the start of his career, which Miss Michael and Lady John were definitely not.
Meowzer
Adam is a great artist. Loved his first album which, by the by, had 2 top 40 hits.
Why does it matter when Elton, George, Ricky or Adam came out? As long as they weren’t bashing the gay community when they were in the closet, who cares. Personally, I think every gay person should come out as soon as they know. But, that’s just me. That’s how I did it. What matters is they did.
And as for Adam’s scars? Maybe he’s just happy with himself the way he is and doesn’t mind. We all have scars of one sort or another. Physical or emotional. We all get fixed when or if we’re ready.
Rick Dunn
Adam Lambert does not have the distinction of being the first singer to come out prior to a debut major label release.
The very first “Pop Idol” winner Will Young came out in March 2002. He released his first CD in Oct. 2002. He has sold over 8 million records, earned four #1 hits in the U.K, and remains a huge concert draw. “Pop Idol” – which made Simon Cowell a star in the U.K. – was the first show in the “American Idol” franchise, so Young is, in fact, also the very first “Idol,” which is worldwide.
There are many other – less familiar – musicians who were out prior to a major label release, but they didn’t have the initial fame Lambert had by first being a TV star.
Let’s not forget that Melissa Etheridge came out three CDs into her career, prior to the multi-platinum “Yes I Am” (1992), which remains her greatest success with three huge singles, including “Come to My Window” and “I’m Only the One.” Even straight people couldn’t resist her passion or talent. She is a trailblazer.
Lambert, aka Ziggy Fartdust, will do well as a Broadway marquee featured player, but he doesn’t grab most listeners in the guts.
DTG
Adam Lambert sucks. Sorry but I’m not gonna support that hideous creature simply because he’s gay…
fern
What a terrible reporter – the guy sounds like he’s about to fall asleep. Love Adam. Love his music. Love what he’d doing for gay visibility.
Jared
@DTG
why you mad tho?
TonyD
He isn’t charting very well anymore; the kid is on minute 13 of his 15 minutes of fame.
jason
The American music industry execs will not allow an American male to market himself as gay or bisexual. There is this enormous fear in record company offices – both black and white – of men who don’t portray themselves or market themselves as heterosexual in their lyrics and video images.
It’s a shockingly homophobic situation. Yet, it’s interesting to note that so many female singers are allowed (by these same execs) to market themselves as bisexual so long as it complies with male heterosexual fantasy for girl-girl action.
The messages coming from the music industry are different depending on whether you’re a male or female:
a) if you’re male, the message is “be a heterosexual male”.
b) if you’re a female, the message is “be what heterosexual men want you to be”.
Fascinating, isn’t it? It’s a supremely male heterosexual patriarchal music industry we have.
Tommy
Adam has a couple of good songs, but overall I think he’s overhyped. He has talent but he’s not a musical genius.
It’s great that he’s out but just because he’s gay and I’m gay, it doesn’t mean I have to like all of his songs.
I think he needs to work harder on his actual music, and not worry so much about his look or what he says in interviews or representing the gay community.
L
@Rick Dunn- He said in American. Will Young isn’t American and is only known in Europe. We’re talking about an American having mainstream success.
And don’t you think it’s sad that Melissa Etheridge is the only example you can think of. That’s from the 90’s, it’s great that another openly gay American is having success here now.
Melissa has already talked about Adam being out from the beginning of his career unlike herself and many other artist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLzFbYRAgdQ
Rick Dunn
Four-time Grammy winner k.d. lang came out – formally – in 1992 with the release of her CD “Ingenue,” which sold two million copies in the just the U.S. and featured the top 40 hit “Constant Craving.” Since ’87, The Indigo Girls have sold millions of CDs. Rufus Wainwright was out prior to the release of his major label debut. Three members of The B-52s’ are gay: Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Keith Strickland.
In the ’90s Atlantic Records established a GLBT marketing division led by a gay man, Peter Galvin. He handled straight and GLBT artists. Extra Fancy lead singer Brian Grillo was an out gay man who was also public with his HIV status, which was the focal point of the press campaign fueling his band’s 1994 major label debut (“Sinnerman”) for Atlantic Records. And there was indie-rocker Daniel Cartier who was out for his major label debut “Avenue A” (Universal Music/Rocket) in 1997. Despite tons of press, hype and reviews, the CD didn’t sell and he had a nervous breakdown. Unlike Adam Lambert, Grillo and Cartier didn’t pussyfoot around, fearing they’d be pigeonholed if they did gay press first. Melissa Ferrick – who maintains a dedicated cultish following – was out for her major label debut on Atlantic. To promote the CD, she opened for Morrissey on his first U.S. solo tour.
jarvisbearcub
@Giovannidude:
First guy to come out before a release? Before a major label release? Pop star?
I guess Rufus Wainwright has just vanished from the radar of the gay scene then. How embarrassing. (HE was the first before his debut came out on a major label, not Adam, unless Rufus is considered too highbrow to be pop).
Not to hate on Adam, but I’m just saying.
Jeremyrh2387
I am not a fan either. I don’t think he is all that great. I don’t like his music at all to be honest. Also he is kinda lame for waiting for idol to end to come out.
Jurnee
@Alexa:
Your memory is faulty if you believe this. George Michael was completely in the closet while he was with Wham and Elton John waited until 1976 (well into his career) when he coyly said in a Rolling Stone interview that he was bisexual – NOT gay. Get your facts straight before posting.
mk
@Jurnee: She didn’t claim they were out and proud at the moment they were signed. As I recall, Adam wasn’t out and proud at the moment when he was signed either. He came out earlier in his career than Elton and George but he is starting his career in very times than they did. The level of gay acceptance is much higher now (in no small part due to the out gay and bisexual musicians who came before Adam whose existence he has benefited from) and the internet allowed people to spread the pics of Adam making out with a guy all over the world while he was still competing in AI.
I have to add all the guys from the Scissor Sisters to the list of gays who were out and proud before their first album. They are signed to a major label and have had huge success in countries like the UK, Australia and Canada even if they have comparatively modest success at home in the US.
Jason, musical artists like David Bowie and Marilyn Manson have played up androgyny and male/male sexual activity in a way designed to provoke attention and discussion. That’s not just a female/female thing.
Karin
@Alexa: The artists you mention established their career first and THEN came out. Adam was out prior to starting his career.
Gene
@Rick Dunn
You are wrong. Will Young came out AFTER he released his first single “Evergreen”. Plus, Will has been acting like an asexual guy and doesn’t show his gayness in the mainstream media at all. We often see people saying they don’t want anything gay “forced” on them. So most of gay artists have to stay closeted or they have to hide any trait that might be construed as “too homo-sexual”.
kallie
Adam grew up in a liberal area, had liberal parents,and never was “in” at any time during his adulthood. He hid it during idol, whether advised by TPTB or on his own, and still tries to drop the bisexual idea, though he’s gay, not bi. He’s using the gay community to advance HIS career, not help advance gay rights.
He’s no trailblazer for gay rights.
mk
@Karin: Adam was in an unusual situation for a new artists since the public had an enormous introduction to him every week through American Idol before he was even signed by a label. Normally a new artist recruited by a label does not have the power position Adam had when he emerged from that show already popular and with many fans. He also was in a weird position because while he was on AI the make out pics circulated everywhere online and were even shown on TV shows, so there was hard evidence of his sexuality from the start and the only question being asked at all is whether he’s gay or bi. A trail had also blazed for him by previous out artists.
Rufus Wainright and the Scissor Sisters were both out from the very beginning. They are not asexual. Rufus writes romance songs and the Scissor Sisters are very sexual in their music, videos and stage shows.
swarm
Well here’s a switch. Adam haters flocking here instead of Glamberts. So much bullshit stated as fact. First of all to OP #1 microdermabrasion will do nothing for acne scars. EVEN IF Adam Lambert wanted to and why SHOULD HE? Second, whoever claims he had “plenty of money ” to get skin treatment in the past, uh NO. What do you know about his financial situation? duh. Get a clue, acne scarring cannot be “removed”. Talk about shallow.
You somehow think starving artists are rolling in money. He was living in a studio apt when he tried out for idol working local clubs and being a backup role in Wicked. Further, what? While he’s been working non stop since Sept he’s supposed to run around with bright red healing skin from treatments? You are clueless.
Regarding being “out”. Not one of the people offered up here were openly OUT until YEARS into their careers. KD LANG came OUT in 1992 – her first album was 1989 and she was HARDLY any type of “pop star” she was a random singer. Etheridge? Same thing. Came out in 1993 and her first album and signing was in 1986 and her first “success” was with a record put out in 1988. And it wasn’t any type of overnight “success” at that. And BTW, American Idol does not permit press during the show. He gave the interview at the very first time permitted. The interview was his FIRST and released AFTER the show was over. You want to consider Rufus a “pop star”? LOL ok. What radio station ever played him? Uh, none. Go look at his discography he never charted AT ALL even in CANADA (he’s a CANADIAN artist BTW) let alone got radio play. CHEECH people stop living in your own alternate reality.
Charting? Adam Lambert’s album was released in November, he is charting internationally and For Your Entertainment was number 1 on Japan’s pop chart in 4 days. It’s NOT EVEN RELEASED IN THE UK YET. His recent international trip was only PRE PRESS for the album’s release internationally.
WWFM is number 10 on HAC American chart this week. 13 on All Genre Top 40 dominated by women and hip hop. Or maybe you didn’t notice the top 10 with Kesha “I wanna dance with no pants on” and Rhianna “is you big enough, can you get it up”. Gaga fell OFF the charts before her success with her album last year.
And the only reason WWFM is at 13 and not in Top 10 yet is because of Cumlulus network who refused to add it when they added every single other song surrounding WWFM in the top 24. Cumulus is the network who censored Dixie Chicks after their Bush comments. You cannot get to top 10 in Top 40 airplay without Cumulus. They added Kris Allen the first 2 weeks and not Lambert for over 3 months. duh.
Adam Lambert was mentoring this season’s Idols this weekend in Las Vegas while the “winner” Kris Allen was there playing to Pet-A-Palooza people with dogs in the audience. Literally. LMAO.
The boy is doing great and NOBODY can compare to that awesome AMA throwdown huge leap for the LGBT community. NO doubt the detractors here are likely Clay Aiken, Cook or other “idol” fans. As usual.
Ed
Like attracts like and both Adam and his fans are freaks.
Nick
@ folks suggesting laser treatments. Before idol he didn’t have the money, now I suspect he has the money but not time. Treatments take healing time of which he does not have if he is running around promoting.
Laura
Re: AMA peformance
More people were probably offended by the guy’s face in Adam’s crotch than the kissing. I know I was!!
Ed
So bloody what if he came out before during or after his album. Is the music good? No. Will I buy it? No. Do I care if he’s gay? No.
Ed
Will Young came out AFTER he released his first single “Evergreen”. Plus, Will has been acting like an asexual guy and doesn’t show his gayness in the mainstream media at all.
——————-
Are you suggesting that all gays are freakishly flamboyant and if they are more modest and reserved that they are faking it? Good god!