title: Adam Lambert

text: In the months leading to his album release, Lambert appeared on the cover of magazines such as "Entertainment Weekly" in May 2009, "Rolling Stone" in June 2009 and "Details" in November 2009. His "Rolling Stone" cover story became the magazine's best selling issue of the year. He appeared on the cover of "Out" magazine in their 2009 "Out 100" issue, sparking controversy as "Out" publisher issued him an open letter questioning the "gayness" of his image. In April, he became one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People 2010.


title: Adam Lambert

text: He was chosen for "Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009", and interviewed on the show of December 10. In late 2009, he performed on the "Late Show with David Letterman", "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien", the season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance"," The Jay Leno Show" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show". He performed his first official solo concert, which sold-out, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In April 2010, Lambert returned to "American Idol" as the first former contestant to mentor during an Elvis Presley themed week, where he also performed. In June, he appeared on Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards to receive the UR Fav International Video award for "Whataya Want from Me".


title: Adam Lambert

text: In early June 2010, Lambert embarked on his debut headlining "Glam Nation Tour", playing in the United States, Europe and Asia for 113 shows, nearly all of them sold out. The Indianapolis show was filmed for Lambert's first video release "Glam Nation Live", a 13-track CD with DVD. The concert, which MTV called "out of this world", and his subsequent video release, were well-received, with Entertainment Weekly saying it "sizzles" with the energy that Lambert's vocals bring in a live concert setting. "Glam Nation Live" debuted at number one on the SoundScan Music Video chart and landed at number 12 on "Billboard"s 2011 year-end music video sales chart. This followed the release of his first extended play, "Acoustic Live!", consisting of acoustic versions of songs recorded live in various countries. The EP garnered excellent reviews and was called "electrifying" by the New York Daily News.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In August, he was profiled in an hour-long documentary for VH1's "Behind the Music" series; and later in the year mentored for a second time on The Hub TV Network's "Majors & Minors", coaching singing contestants who were children. In November 2011, Lambert joined Queen as the lead singer at the MTV Europe Music Awards, where the band was honored with the Global Icon Award and they performed a medley of classic hits.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert changed management from 19 Entertainment to Direct Management Group in August 2011. The title track of his second studio album, "Trespassing", was co-written with Pharrell Williams; while the album's lead single, "Better Than I Know Myself", a collaboration with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly, was released digitally on December 20, 2011.


title: Adam Lambert

text: "Trespassing" was released on May 15, 2012, to positive reviews. On May 23, the album debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 77,000 copies. and at number three in United Kingdom's midweek chart.


title: Adam Lambert

text: His second single "Never Close Our Eyes", written by Bruno Mars and produced by Dr. Luke, was released digitally on April 17, to positive reviews. Lambert returned to "American Idol" for his third consecutive year on the results show that preceded Idol's final week. The performance of May 17 of "Never Close Our Eyes" was touted for its vibrant energy and dazzle, as well as for the powerhouse vocals that had become his signature.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Throughout the spring and summer of 2012, Lambert performed across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, appearing in festivals, on radio and television, and in concert, including one of several headlining spots at Summer Sonic Festival 2012. In September, he appeared on the finale of "The Voice of China", the country's most popular program.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert joined Queen for a six concert date collaboration, kicking off with a two-hour extravaganza under the auspices of the UEFA in Kyiv on June 30, the eve of the Euro 2012 Football Championship. Viewed live by hundreds of thousands in Ukraine's main square, the performance was touted for the strength of Lambert's showmanship, vocal excellence and interpretative skill, which confidently balanced old and new. Almost uniformly, reviews noted Lambert's vocals, his "sizzle" and "electrifying" presence; along with the synergy of the collaboration, which Brian May called "organic".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert's third single, "Trespassing", was released as part of an eight track EP of remixes that included a radio edit of the original song. Entitled "Trespassing Remixes", it became available to radio and digital outlets in October, with hard copies sold from his official website only. "Trespassing" debuted at number one on the "Billboard" Hot Dance Singles Sales chart, giving Lambert his tenth number one "Billboard" entry.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On October 23, Lambert acted and performed two songs from "Trespassing" in the Halloween special of the television series "Pretty Little Liars".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert appeared for the first time in South Africa in November, headlining arena concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg. South Africa's "The Sunday Times" called Lambert's Johannesburg performance "epic" and "electrifying", stating: "His voice is stunning and his entertainment factor is through the roof." Later that month he was in Hong Kong delivering a "powerful performance" at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards (2012 MAMA.)


title: Adam Lambert

text: The album "Trespassing" was rewarded in year end lists and polls, among them best album of the year at "Rolling Stone", number three at Billboard for "Favorite 200 No.1" albums, and number eight on "People" magazine's list of "Top Ten Music" in its year end issue. Queen + Adam Lambert was named best live act of 2012 at Gigwise, and one of "Classic Rock" magazine's top events of the year.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert left 19 Recordings when his contract expired, but remained with RCA Records. On February 17, the newly dubbed "We Are Glamily Tour" kicked off in Seoul, with seventeen stops throughout Asia and Europe. His first solo concert in Hong Kong on March 5 was noted for the live debut of two songs, "Time for Miracles" and a cover of "Shout", called "stunning" and vocally impressive.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert won the "Favorite International Artist" category at the STAR TV 17th Chinese Music Awards held in Macau in April, also performing two songs from "Trespassing". Lambert also appeared as a guest judge during auditions on "Chinese Idol".


title: Adam Lambert

text: On May 11, Lambert for his album "Trespassing" along with Frank Ocean for Channel Orange were co-recipients of the award for Outstanding Music Artist at the 24th GLAAD Media Awards. He returned to "American Idol" on May 16 for the fourth consecutive year, performing a duet with Angie Miller on the twelfth season finale of "American Idol", where Miller was a finalist in the top three. The pair tackled the song "Titanium".


title: Adam Lambert

text: In a letter sent to "The Hollywood Reporter" on July 12, Lambert revealed that he would be leaving RCA due to "creative differences" centering most directly on his next release. With RCA "pushing" for a covers album, Lambert stated: "my heart is simply not in doing a covers album ... I am already deep into writing new material with some very talented colleagues for a brand new album, and I can't tell you how excited I am to share this new sound and direction. This music is where my heart is".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert unveiled a collaboration with Nile Rodgers and DJ-producer Avicii when the three appeared onstage together for the track's US debut at an August benefit concert on Long Island. The song, entitled "Lay Me Down", released on Avicii's debut album "TRUE" on September 17 in the US, though it had already begun climbing charts worldwide. It received wide acclaim in previews, and landed at number one on a compilation of "Rolling Stone"s favorite songs, albums and videos.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert and Queen made their first live concert appearance in the United States, closing the night on September 20, at the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Arena. Reviews for the performance were stellar, with "Rolling Stone" stating that they dominated night one, also calling them most anticipated act of the evening, with Lambert "astound[ing] the audience". "Billboard" was equally laudatory, remarking on the "magnetic power" of the vocals, adding that Lambert "oozed charisma".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert made his debut on the fifth season of "Glee" on November 7, playing the role of Elliot "Starchild" Gilbert in what became a multi-episode arc. His rendition of Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" was released prior to air date, garnering publicity and positive reviews. Accolades for Lambert's debut spotlighted his powerful vocals and dynamic presence. His remake of "Marry the Night" impacted "Billboard" the following week, debuting at number 39 on the Pop Digital Songs chart.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was in attendance to receive two awards at China's Huading Music Awards, Best International Male Vocalist and the Fan Choice Award, on December 18 in Shanghai. Lambert tied at number three on "Forbes" annual list of top earning American Idols, due to his live performances and other endeavors.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In February 2014, Lambert returned to "American Idol", where he was a guest mentor during Randy Jackson's two-night "Boot Camp" workshop. He was a guest judge on the season 6 premiere of "RuPaul's Drag Race" the following week. "Glee" returned on February 25 with the episode "Frenemies" featuring Lambert in a performance of The Darkness's "I Believe in a Thing Called Love".


title: Adam Lambert

text: On May 27, 2014, a compilation album "The Very Best of Adam Lambert" was released by Sony Legacy's "Playlist" series, featuring recordings from Lambert's two studio albums along with studio recordings from "American Idol" and "Glee". It debuted on the "Billboard" Top Internet Albums chart at number 14.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert started touring with Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen in June 2014, with 35 dates in North America, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It was a critical and commercial success, as reviews highlighted the musical virtuosity of May and Taylor, alongside Lambert's impressive vocal dexterity, charisma and affinity with Queen's repertoire – all augmented by the elaborate spectacle of the production. In 2015, a second leg of eleven countries and 26 dates in Europe and the UK was performed. On November 4, Queen + Adam Lambert was named Band of the Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Following a much reviewed "soaring" performance on the UK's "X Factor", Lambert and Queen presented an exclusive New Year's Eve concert in London at Central Hall Westminster, Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live. The praised concert was called "pitch-perfect". In January, Queen + Adam Lambert appeared on the cover of "Classic Rock" magazine; he was applauded in the cover story by Taylor and May, who called him "a gift from god". In September, Queen and Lambert headlined Rock in Rio's "30 Years Celebration" in Brazil, as part of a six date South American tour. The tour was a critical success; and their Rock in Rio performance was the seven-day festival's most popular, based on ticket sales.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On January 15, 2015, Lambert became the first former contestant to appear as a guest judge on "American Idol" at the fourteenth season's New York City auditions, filling in for Keith Urban. That same day, Lambert revealed in a "Billboard" interview that he signed to Warner Bros. Records within twenty-four hours after announcing his departure from RCA. He further stated that his upcoming studio release, scheduled for early summer with a single out in April, would be executive produced by the Swedish songwriter-producers Max Martin and Shellback.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Promotion for the new album, "The Original High", began with a series of magazine cover stories, television appearances and teasers of the lead single, "Ghost Town", prior to its release on April 21, 2015. Also notable was "Ghost Town"'s performance at the 2015 Logo Trailblazer Honors; and its performance in early August on Australia's "The Voice". "Spin" named it one of 2015's best songs so far; and "The New York Times" stated it "was perhaps his best single to date." "Ghost Town" entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number 73, and charted on the "Billboard" Adult Top 40. It reached 100 million Spotify streams in early December 2015 and was certified gold in the US on January 15, 2016.


title: Adam Lambert

text: "The Original High" debuted at number three on the "Billboard" 200 selling 42,000 albums and moving 47,000 total units, including track and streaming equivalent albums. Lambert garnered his first top ten album in the United Kingdom, with a number eight debut on the UK Albums Chart. As with "Ghost Town", reviews were largely positive. The Original High Tour commenced in January 2016 with six dates in Australia and New Zealand and seven dates in Japan.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On August 29, Lambert received the award for Best Foreign Artist at the 2015 Eska Music Awards held in Szczecin, Poland. On the 30th, he made his first UK festival appearance, performing a set at Fusion Festival 2015 in Birmingham.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In early October, Lambert released "Another Lonely Night". It debuted live as the new single at 538LIVE XXL at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, and a few days later on "X Factor Australia". Twenty dates were then added to "The Original High Tour" to include thirteen European countries; "RedFest DXB", a two-day music festival, in Dubai; and two dates in China. The tour commenced at No. Celebrate2016 in The Float at Marina Bay, Singapore on December 31, 2015. In November, an online petition supported by conservative groups was launched to remove Lambert from the Singapore program, citing his controversial performance at the AMA's in 2009, and active support for LGBT rights. He was not removed from the headlining spot, but it was reiterated that his performance would conform to strict broadcast regulations.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Throughout the fall, Lambert continued appearances in the US, Europe and Asia. Notable performances included "Today", "Swedish Idol", "The Voice of Poland" and BBC One's "Strictly Come Dancing", as a musical guest. After participating in a "Billboard" news conference in Beijing announcing the inclusion of China in its music charts, he was the guest performer at Alibaba's Singles' Day event. On December 2, he performed at the CMT "Artists of the Year" special to honor Little Big Town and their controversial song "Girl Crush" in a duet with Leona Lewis. The performance was nominated for "Performance of the Year" at the 2016 CMT Music Awards.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert received several year end accolades, among them a number one in "Forbes" yearly earnings ranking of "American Idol" contestants; and the top spot in "Rolling Stone"s "The Ten Best Albums of 2015" readers' poll, with the publication noting his "vocals are as massive as his performances." In January 2016, twenty-three US dates were added to "The Original High Tour", bringing it to 56 dates worldwide. In mid-January, Lambert partnered with Oreo to launch a diversity focused global ad campaign, "Open Up", featuring his vocals in an animated spot. In February, he featured in the finale tribute to David Bowie at Clive Davis and The Recording Academy's pre-Grammy event. In March, he debuted "Welcome to the Show" in the final fifteenth season of "American Idol." The next week, the DJ produced Steve Aoki and Felix Jaehn track "Can't Go Home" debuted, with Lambert as the featured vocalist.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In May 2016, Lambert became the new face of Macy's lifestyle brand, I.N.C. International Concepts, and a participant in its "American Icons" summer campaign.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Queen + Adam Lambert headlined Rock in Rio Lisbon, Sweden Rock Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, and twelve more European festivals and shows in May and June 2016. In September, they headlined the 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, performed one date in Tel Aviv, three dates in Tokyo, and one each in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei as part of an Asia Tour. In June, Lambert joined the judging panel for the eighth season of "The X Factor Australia".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert released his first independent, self-produced music video in July to accompany "Welcome to the Show". He performed Faith on the season finale of ABC's "Greatest Hits" in August. Lambert is featured on the single "Broken", released in August by DJ/producers Tritonal in collaboration with producer Jenaux.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In October, Lambert co-starred in the television remake of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." "The X Factor Australia" wrapped its 2016 season in November, with a member of Lambert's team declared the winner. In December, he performed a duet with finalist Saara Aalto on "The X Factor UK" finale, and presented the award for British Artist of the Year on the BBC Music Awards 2016 live telecast. Lambert featured on the soundtrack album of DreamWorks Animation's "" with "Think", released in June 2017.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Queen + Adam Lambert commenced a worldwide arena tour on June 23, 2017, in Glendale, Arizona consisting of dates in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The group appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" with Lambert and Corden having a sing-off to be the Queen frontman. Lambert and Queen performed a mini-concert on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", with a four-song set list that included the debut of a new track from Lambert entitled "Two Fux". Early reviews for the shows were strongly positive, highlighting both the synergy of the collaboration, which "Billboard" stated was perhaps the most "serendipitous fusion of two established recording acts" since Fleetwood Mac; and the emergence of something new, moving the band forward.


title: Adam Lambert

text: "Two Fux" was released to digital retailers on June 30, with reviews that were similarly positive: Yahoo! Music called it "a delightfully attitudinal rock 'n' roll waltz" exhibiting a highly confident "almost superhuman" Lambert. "Esquire" stated the song was "effervescent, and a showcase for the nosebleed-inducing heights his falsetto can scale; it also serves as the conflation of Queen's influence and Lambert's own experiences and perspective". "Two Fux" is included in the Queen + Adam Lambert live show set list.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert appeared as guest judge and musical coach on an episode of the third season of "." Due to its success, the Queen + Adam Lambert tour announced a fourth leg to commence June 7 in Lisbon, ending July 8 in Dublin. In March, "Billboard" reported that Queen + Adam Lambert topped their "Hot Tours" recap, with their Australian shows.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In May, Lambert teamed up with Melissa Etheridge to open the 29th GLAAD Media Awards with a "ripping" performance of "I'm the Only One". Days later, he appeared on "Live with Kelly and Ryan", announcing a 10-date Las Vegas residency for Queen+Adam Lambert in September 2018, at the Park Theater at Park MGM. The new production, titled "The Crown Jewels", was well received. Lambert changed management to Philymack.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was a guest judge in the "Judges' Houses" segment of "The X Factor" in October. He performed the duet "As Long As You're Mine" with Ledisi on NBC's "A Very Wicked Halloween," commemorating "Wicked"s fifteen years on Broadway. The performance was lauded for its brilliant harmonies and "impressive vocal riffs", and later released on "Wicked: The 15th Anniversary Special Edition" album. On December 2, he appeared on the results show of "Strictly Come Dancing"s Musicals Week, singing "We Are the Champions", from "We Will Rock You." On the same date, he performed live at the Kennedy Center Honors in support of honoree Cher, singing "I Got You Babe" with Cyndi Lauper and an orchestral ballad version of "Believe", called an "event high point" by "The Washington Post". Following the ceremony's broadcast on December 26, Lambert's performance was widely praised.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert appeared with James Corden on "The Late Late Show" on January 20, 2019, for an NFL themed episode, singing a parody of "Don't Stop Me Now". On February 17, he performed a well-reviewed "rocking" version of "Blue Suede Shoes" on NBC's "Elvis All-Star Tribute", a recreation of Elvis Presley's "'68 Comeback Special".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert voiced the character Emperor Maximus and sung original songs for "", a combination animated live-action film released in 2019. On December 3, Queen and Adam Lambert announced a 23 date arena and stadium tour with a brand new production for North America. The Rhapsody Tour added additional dates in NYC and LA; at 25 dates the tour ran from July 10 through August 23, 2019.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert released the song "Feel Something" on February 22, called an "achingly yearning ballad" by "Rolling Stone" that "showcases [his] acrobatic vocal range". Co-written with Benedict Cork, Josh Cumbee and produced by Cumbee and Afshin Salmani, it was the first track revealed from the singer's then-upcoming fourth studio album, which was released through the independent label Empire. Calling the song "a gift" to fans and the launch of a new era prior to his official first single, Lambert explained via Instagram the process by which he emerged from a dark period of second-guessing, compromise and disillusionment - with "Feel Something" the emotional starting point for his new work. Days later he released a "captivating" live studio performance of "Feel Something", whose beauty and soothing tone capture the song's intent.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On February 24, 2019, Lambert and Queen were the first rock band to open the Oscars with an "explosive" performance of two classic Queen songs that earned a standing ovation. The following day, they announced a two-hour documentary, "The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story," depicting the journey of their ongoing collaboration. The film aired on ABC in April, offering rare behind-the-scenes concert footage and new interviews. Roger Taylor appeared on "Good Morning America" the same morning, calling the collaboration with Lambert "magical", and an example of "fate unfolding". On April 28, Lambert guest mentored "American Idol" top 8 finalists on a Queen-themed night, and was praised for actionable advice that elevated performances.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In April 2019, "The Rhapsody Tour" expanded to include seven stadium dates in Australia and three in New Zealand, slated for February 2020; four shows in Japan and two in South Korea, for January 2020; and 26 shows in Europe including a ten show residency at The O2 Arena in London.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On May 15, 2019, Lambert released "New Eyes", the lead single from his fourth studio album "Velvet", co-written with Paris Carney and produced by Jamie Sierota. The "effortlessly cool, sleek" song fuses modern and classic rock, while its video reflects the song's lyrics and '70s-inspired aesthetic. Directed by Miles & AJ, the video was the first part of a short film that accompanied the lead-up to the album release. Lambert returned to "American Idol" for its May 19 season finale to perform "New Eyes" and a duet with a contestant. On May 31, he performed the track on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and again on June 24 on the finals of "The Voice Australia".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert released The Monarch-produced track "Comin in Hot" on June 26, along with the second video installment of the short film supporting "Velvet". The video was called "bewitching" and "mesmerizing", and the song said to extend the '70s rock-driven sound of the album's first single. Lambert revealed that "Velvet" would be released in two parts, with "Side A" slated for September 2019. "Comin In Hot" saw its broadcast debut on June 28 when Lambert performed a five-song set and was interviewed on "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series, in celebration of Pride month and WorldPride NYC 2019.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On September 4, Lambert released the single and video for "Superpower", appearing on "", the first half of his fourth studio album. The Tommy English produced song was co-written by Lambert, English and Ilsey Juber, with video direction by Millient Hailes. Its weighty baseline and "smooth falsettos" reflect the '70s rock, funk-heavy core of the multi-genre album, which was released on September 27. "Billboard" called the 6 track EP his "best work yet", exuding confidence and raw vocal power. His proficiency and artistry across genres was also noted. He performed "Superpower" live on October 2 on "Live with Kelly and Ryan", and for Halloween week of BBC One's "Strictly Come Dancing". On the 12th, he delivered a "show-stopping" performance of "Superpower" on "The Talk". On October 15, a live black-and-white video version of the track "Closer to You" from "Velvet: Side A" was released, lauded as "a vocal masterclass". Its broadcast debut on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" was highly praised, characterized as "scaling the song's heights with pop operatic virtuosity."


title: Adam Lambert

text: On September 28, Lambert with Queen headlined the 2019 Global Citizen Festival in New York City's Central Park. Dedicated to mobilizing world governments to eradicate extreme poverty and address climate change, the festival posted its best ratings yet: with 60,000 in attendance and nearly 21 million views worldwide, it generated close to $1 billion in pledges.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In November, Lambert released a cover of "Please Come Home for Christmas" for the "Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection". He was among several performers at the Avicii tribute concert at Friends Arena in Stockholm on December 5, to support suicide prevention and promote mental health awareness. On December 6, Lambert released a cover of Cher's "Believe" based on his 2018 performance at the Kennedy Center Honors. He performed the song as a duet with Katie Kadan on the December 17 finale of the seventeenth season of "The Voice". On December 22, he performed on the CBS "A Home for the Holidays" Christmas special to raise awareness about adoption and the foster care system. Lambert gave four well received solo concerts throughout December to promote "Velvet: Side A".


title: Adam Lambert

text: In January 2020, Lambert was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Music Artist category for "Velvet: Side A". Lambert opened the 31st GLAAD Media Awards with a special performance on March 19 in New York City. On February 16 in Sydney, Lambert with Queen performed at the Fire Fight Australia concert to raise funds for relief from Australia's bushfires and replicated Queen's 1985 Live Aid set in its entirety.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On February 4, 2020, Lambert released the retro-funk track "Roses" featuring Nile Rodgers. The Velvet Tour begins on August 3 at Manchester Pride, followed by London's SSE Arena Wembley and seven more shows across Europe. The tour was preceded by a mini-residence of five shows at The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Las Vegas in April.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert with Queen united virtually on April 30 to release "You Are the Champions", a reimagining of "We Are the Champions", on streaming and download services, with proceeds going to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. In May, Lambert was part of a 3-day livestream event called "Stronger Than You Think", a conversation to address mental health issues affecting teens and young adults, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, he appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" to discuss his support and experience of the Black Lives Matter movement, and gave an acoustic performance of "On the Moon" from "Velvet". Lambert participated in the GRAMMY Museum's virtual "Programs at Home", with an in-depth interview and acoustic four song set.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In July, in support of Joe Biden's presidential bid, he performed "Ready to Run" at Biden's live-streaming fundraiser "Celebration for Change".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Queen with Lambert released their first album on October 2, 2020, "Queen + Adam Live Around the World". Debuting at number one on the UK's Official Albums Chart, it was followed by a concert film of the same name on January 29, 2021, with tour footage and streaming or purchase access. The group announced that their United Kingdom and European tour would be postponed a second time to 2022 with multiple shows subsequently added.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In November, "Moonbase 8" debuted, with Lambert in a non-musical guest acting role. Lambert sang "Starman" for the three hour livestream event, "A Bowie Celebration", on what would have been Bowie's 74th birthday. He played the role of "Emile" in "Ratatouille the Musical", a first of its kind collaboration between TikTok and the theater community. What emerged was a full Broadway-style musical, streamed on January 1, raising two million dollars for The Actors Fund, and scoring a Drama League Award nomination in an expanded digital category. Lambert sang on the concept recording of "Cinderella", "rocking out" in his Prince Charming solo. The album was released in July, and debuted at number one on the UK Official Compilations Chart, later garnering a 2022 Grammy nomination.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert, through his Feel Something Foundation in partnership with Pride Live, curated and headlined a three-day festival, the annual June Stonewall Day global celebration, to boost and preserve the legacy of the Stonewall riots and LGBTQ activism. He appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on January 26, and discussed the possibility of developing his own beauty brand. In March 2021, Lambert revealed that he was writing a Broadway-style rock and roll stage musical in collaboration with other songwriters. Set in the 1970s, the work will be about a real person; and represents his intent to expand into other creative spaces like acting and producing.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert sang "These Are Your Rights", an "anthemic power ballad," for the episode "The Bill of Rights" in the Netflix streaming series "We the People" released on July fourth. The program won the Emmy Award in the Outstanding Short Form Program category from the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Awards presented in December. In September, he participated in Global Citizen Live, a worldwide 24-hour broadcast and livestream event to defeat poverty and address the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May he appeared as a guest judge on the second season of "Legendary." Lambert appeared on "The Ellen Show" in advance of his role as a judge on the reality competition "Clash of the Cover Bands", that debuted in October.


title: Adam Lambert

text: He voiced the devil in a second animated program, "A Tale Dark & Grimm", that also debuted in fall 2021, and has received nominations from both the Emmy Awards and the Children's and Family Emmy Awards. He returned to Las Vegas for six solo shows, including a live stream component, at The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Las Vegas in October. In November, Lambert performed on the prime time television special, "The Queen Family Singalong".


title: Adam Lambert

text: On "The Kelly Clarkson Show", he performed the duet he recorded with Darren Criss for Criss' holiday album, a jazzy big band cover of the classic "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag"; a music video of the track was released the following day. Lambert performed two songs to close the 2021 ITV Palooza event; and appears as a judge on the new ITV talent show "Starstruck," that debuted on February 12. In April 2022, ITV announced that "Starstruck" would be returning for a second season with the same judging panel.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert performed on the second annual global livestream event, "Rise Up With The Arts", which went live on World Theater Day, March 27, but extended on demand through April 23 due to popularity. In response to the crisis in Ukraine, funds raised were designated for Save the Children's emergency appeal for Ukraine, as well as to support the theater community and the charity "icandance." Lambert headlined the April 30 show of SunFest music festival in West Palm Beach, Florida; later he announced four more Florida solo shows plus one in Georgia, unofficially dubbing the dates the "Say Gay" tour in response to Florida's recently enacted "Don't Say Gay" bill.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Queen and Lambert began the highly praised UK and European leg of The Rhapsody Tour on May 27, with 2 consecutive shows at Belfast's SSE Arena; also included were ten sold-out shows at The O2 Arena in London, and a global live stream release of the third O2 show entitled 'Rhapsody over London', available July 24 and on demand until July 31. The thirty-seven date tour concluded on July 25 with 2 shows in Finland. On June 4, they opened the Platinum Party at the Palace with a three-song set outside Buckingham Palace, in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.


title: Adam Lambert

text: It was announced in June that Lambert would appear in the Sophia Coppola produced film "Fairyland", that will debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023. He returned to Las Vegas in October for the Halloween themed concert series "The Witch Hunt", consisting of three shows at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas; five California dates were subsequently added to the mini tour that concluded with a livestreamed show at the Hollywood Palladium on October 30.In October, it was announced that Lambert would return to Warner Music Group with global representation on its UK based EastWest Records. Ahead of new music, his first single release on the label was a cover of Noel Coward's Mad About the Boy that will feature in a documentary about Coward arriving in 2023. Lambert debuted the track with an "amazing" live performance on BBC One's "Strictly Come Dancing".Also in October he performed two duets with Jennifer Hudson, including the aria Nessun dorma, on "The Jennifer Hudson Show".


title: Adam Lambert

text: In December, Lambert announced a new album slated for release on February 24th, 2023. "High Drama" is a genre-spanning collection of reimagined cover songs that he flips to embrace his own sensibilities. It arrived with the release of the video and song Ordinary world, called 'haunting' in its sound. The song debuted with a performance that "stunned" on the 2022 season finale of "The Voice" that Lambert dedicated to victims of the November shootings at the LGBTQ+ Club Q. Lambert will be a judge on ITV's Christmas special, "Britain Get Singing", a televised celebrity singing competition in support of mental health. He will perform on "The National Lottery's Big Bash", a televised end of year party special held at Ovo Arena Wembley on December 6.On December 17, he will perform on "The Jonathan Ross Show" 's Christmas episode.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Critics, celebrities and colleagues have been outspoken in their praise for Lambert's vocal command. Kathie Bretches-Urban, co-founder of Metropolitan Educational Theatre Network (now MET2) where Lambert performed as a youth, said "He has invested his entire life in music and performing ... He'd just come out onstage, and it popped". Record producer Rob Cavallo once described Lambert as having an unlimited range and able to sing every note on a guitar from the lowest to the highest. In a March 2012 interview, rock artist Meat Loaf rated Lambert's voice in the company of only two others, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, based on "that jet pack quality to their voice that just lets it take off."


title: Adam Lambert

text: In 2011, when he took the stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards, honoree Queen guitarist Brian May noted that Lambert's voice has "sensitivity, depth, maturity, and awesome range and power which will make jaws drop"; while Roger Taylor added that Lambert had "the best range I've ever heard" in a BBC interview in 2012. Pharrell Williams, after collaborating with Lambert on his "Trespassing" album, commented, "This kid has a voice like a siren – there's no guys singing in that Steve Winwood-Peter Cetera range."


title: Adam Lambert

text: In October 2012, the "Sunday Mirror" reported that Lambert insured his voice for $48 million. A source told the tabloid newspaper: "Insurance for stars is a big deal in the US and Adam's voice is his bacon."


title: Adam Lambert

text: In a 2019 interview James Michael, lead vocalist for the band , praised Lambert's vocal technique, power and the facility of his vocal control - judging him one of the best vocalists in the world.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert is best known for his theatrical performance style and meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of his personal presentation. He draws upon extensive stage experience in the ease with which he can refine and define his image through fashion and other imagery, which are essential to how he chooses to inhabit his songs, rivet his audiences and showcase his individuality. While a contestant on "American Idol", Lambert's precise yet varied stagings of himself kept audiences and judges glued as much to his presentation as to his vocal talent. His signature flamboyance and glam rock styling was a break-out moment in men's fashion, duly noted by fashion publications and taste-makers, who compared him to Lady Gaga in terms of crossing style boundaries and being unabashedly individual.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert made three fashion related TV appearances at the close of 2010. He fused his passion for music and fashion on MTV's "Talk@Playground", appearing in discussion with Skingraft designer Jonny Cota. He was a guest judge on "Project Runway" in an episode that styled a rock band for their upcoming "Rolling Stone" cover. He was the subject for whom the young designers of "All on the Line with Joe Zee" created a modern look, which he then critiqued along with the show's hosts.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert continued to grace the covers of magazines, moving more specifically into the fashion and culture space. Reflecting the mood and concept behind his album "Trespassing", the Fault Magazine fashion shoot exemplified Lambert's commitment to aligning the elements of his artistic vision so that a cohesive narrative emerges. When Lambert appeared on the December 2012 cover of London-based high style magazine "Fiasco"s "Obsession" issue, he again took the opportunity to manipulate and provoke with his image and style. Sporting a sophisticated, minimalist look that recalled old Hollywood, Lambert played with male stereotypes and representations; and in the interview, emphasized that his fashion and presentation are often disparate from gay as well as straight regimes: "For the general audience, they look at the way I style myself and they go, 'Errrr, that's gay', but you ask a handful of gay guys and they're like, 'I would never wear that!


title: Adam Lambert

text: In August 2015, he was one of four artists to appear on the cover of "Billboard"s "Music's Men of Style" issue. He discussed his natural shift towards a cleaner, more classic look; and reiterated that the intersection of music and fashion—the constant motion of trends—is a fascination and part of being a pop musician.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was inspired when his father gave him access to his large record collection of 1970s music. He was attracted to theatrical rock from artists like Madonna, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Queen, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin. Lambert referred to Michael Jackson and Madonna as "King and Queen" because they creatively merged music with makeup, fashion and cinematic video. Among his strongest influences are British singers such as Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Robert Plant: "Those are the people I really gravitate towards".


title: Adam Lambert

text: In March 2013, Lambert wrote an article for "Out" magazine's tribute to David Bowie, who was about to release a new album. In it, he explained how Bowie helped inform the expression of his own sexuality and gender in his work: "A light bulb went off—I wasn't into drag, I didn't want to dress like a woman, but I wanted to express my gender and artistic identity differently than the mainstream. Bowie was a key inspiration. It was about the androgyny of mixing it up, and that was what was so incredible about his concepts—he was one of the first rock stars to really push the idea that sexuality was not black and white but an exploration".


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert's own music has been influenced by numerous genres including classic rock, pop, and electronic music; and his performance style draws heavily from his stage experience. Lambert envisions himself as the type of artist "that creates from the ground up, not only an amazing song, but one with a beat, and a story, and a look, and a theme". For his second album, he used inspiration from classic disco, 1990s electronica, funk and dubstep music.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Since his appearance on "American Idol", Lambert has lent considerable support and time to charitable causes. , financial donations reached the $1,000,000 mark.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In January 2010, in lieu of gifts for his 28th birthday, Lambert asked fans to donate to DonorsChoose.org, as 2,435 fans donated $322,700. In June 2010, Lambert teamed with the charity for his "Glam A Classroom" campaign, raising another $208,590, supported by 3,020 fans. In October 2010, he collaborated on a second Signature Collection with The Pennyroyal Studio, which sold out after raising $43,092 for DonorsChoose. Lambert contributed to the MusiCares charity when he and The Pennyroyal Studio collaborated on the design of an Eye of Horus pendant, whose sale raised $32,000 in 7 days.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In January 2011, he began a campaign to raise $29,000 for to commemorate his 29th birthday and the campaign raised $323,803, which helped 16,190 people receive clean water. He continued his efforts for his 30th birthday, in January 2012, this time asking fans to "give up" their birthdays in an ongoing drive that raised $82,000 by May 2012. In June 2013, an accounting by charity:water listed 55 projects thus far completed with funds raised by Lambert.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert returned to the "American Idol" stage for the March 10, 2011, results show, singing an acoustic version of his "For Your Entertainment" track "Aftermath". After the performance, a dance remix version was made available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting The Trevor Project.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert performed at a Royal Albert Hall concert on June 7, 2012, benefiting the Rays Of Sunshine Children's Charity.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On June 30, Elton John and Queen + Adam Lambert coordinated with the Olena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation for a concert to benefit the fight against HIV/AIDS. On September 25, 2012, Lambert headlined a fundraising benefit in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Marylanders for Marriage Equality.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On January 31, 2013, he received the Unity Award, which honors artists whose music spreads "peaceful messages", from the We Are Family Foundation at their 2012 Celebration Gala 2.0. Lambert "donated" his 31st birthday to the charity, raising more than $82,000 in just over a week. For his 32nd birthday, he chose the charity again, coordinating with artist Chris Saunders on the creation of limited and open edition prints and posters whose sales benefited the foundation.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On May 25, Lambert was a participant in the opening ceremony of 2013 Life Ball in Vienna. Appearing as Ali Baba, he performed the gala's official song, "Love Wins Over Glamour", which he co-wrote with the Vienna-based production team Beat4Feet.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On June 23, he sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" to open Broadway Bares to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Lambert was a featured performer at the August 19 Dance Party event in Riverhead, Long Island, benefiting All For The East End (AFTEE). On November 2, he was the musical entertainer for South Florida's Make-A-Wish Foundation Ball. The sold-out 2013 Ball raised a record-breaking 2 million dollars.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert is featured in the video launch for UNICEF's #IMAGINE campaign. In collaboration with Queen, he is a participant in Coca-Cola's [RED] campaign to help end mother-to-child HIV transmission. In June 2015, he performed at the Roundhouse for the "One for the Boys" Fashion Ball. Earlier that month, he performed at the "Live Aid Uusi Lastensairaala" concert in Finland. In July 2016, he took part in the charity single "Hands", a tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In August 2017, Lambert performed a mini-set tribute to George Michael at Project Angel Food's Angel Awards gala, where Michael was the recipient of the Elizabeth Taylor Humanitarian Award, in recognition of his philanthropy. Lambert through his "Feel Something Foundation" again worked with the charity in November 2020 to deliver medically tailored Thanksgiving meals to those most vulnerable during COVID. He performed a duet in October with Cynthia Erivo for the virtual 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball in support of the Children's Diabetes Foundation. In July 2021, he helped raise $1.1 million in funds for Project Angel Food during their KTLA telethon.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert has been a contributor to social justice. Lambert stated, "I feel like with celebrity and visibility and fame, there's a responsibility to try to give back and try to use the visibility for the greater good. It's not all about me. It's about trying to raise awareness and getting people to take action." His heavily provocative AMA performance, featuring a gay kiss on live television, served to push societal boundaries by highlighting a double standard of ethics in media regulation as well.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was presented the "Equality Idol Award" by Sam Sparro at the Equality California Los Angeles Equality Awards in August 2011 for being an exemplary role model for the LGBT community. He was honored with his mother the following month at the PFLAG National Los Angeles event for his "authentic" voice.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Music Artist in 2010. The same year, he lent his voice to a one-and-a-half minute video message on YouTube for the It Gets Better campaign – a project created by columnist Dan Savage in response to school bullying and a rash of suicides among LGBT youth.


title: Adam Lambert

text: The following March, he released a Billboard remix version of his For Your Entertainment song "Aftermath" with a portion of the proceeds going to support The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBT youth. He raised an additional $43,500 for The Trevor Project after collaborating with The Pennyroyal Studio to make his own Peace pendant. In October 2011, donations on behalf of the Adam Lambert Glambert Fan Army for the MTV Dance Party Marathon raised funds to combat bullying in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month. Lambert was a participant in Spirit Day, a movement begun in 2010 to honor LGBT lives lost to suicide, "going purple" in the push to support LGBT youth in the fight against bullying.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In December, he performed at the "Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays" benefit concert, which raised funds in support of the "True Colors Fund" and the organization's "Forty to None Project", targeting the epidemic of homelessness among LGBT youth. In January 2012, in an exclusive interview with UK music news magazine "Pressparty", Lambert noted that despite social progress in the US, there was still a long way to go, particularly in the music industry: "I still long for the LGBT community's diversity to be more broadly represented in the entertainment industry. I think larger strides have been made in film and TV but we still are just at the beginning with mainstream music. I consider myself a post-gay man working in a pre-gay industry."


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was the headline performer at the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade and Festival on April 14, 2013, and was also given the key to the city. Lambert was presented with the prestigious GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award on May 11 in San Francisco. The honorary award is bestowed yearly to out media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights in the LGBT community.


title: Adam Lambert

text: On May 30, he was honored with the "Hope of Los Angeles Award" as part of the city's 3rd Annual LGBT Heritage Month. Lambert is featured in "The New F Word" campaign sponsored by the grassroots Friend Movement organization, which has launched a global effort aimed at self-empowerment and raising anti-bullying awareness through positive images in media and the arts. On June 15, declared "Adam Lambert Day" by the City Council, he headlined Pittsburgh's "Pride in the Street" concert.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In honor of Pride season, Lambert partnered with AT&T and The Trevor Project for the "Live Proud Campaign", aiming to empower and raise awareness in the LGBTQ community. The $50,000 goal was met and on July 3 a check presentation was made to The Trevor Project during the private finale show given by Lambert.


title: Adam Lambert

text: At the October 15 Los Angeles premiere of the movie "Bridegroom", Lambert revealed that he donated a song to the score, and felt "humbled" to be connected to the project. The powerful documentary about the intersection of love and the politics of marriage equality won the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival's Audience Award for Best Documentary.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert was one of the featured performers at the TrevorLIVE gala on December 8 at the Hollywood Palladium. In February 2014, he performed for the Family Equality Council's 10th Annual Los Angeles Award's dinner. In June 2014, he teamed up with AT&T for its second annual "Live Proud" campaign, again in support of LGBT Pride Month and Pride season.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In April 2015 he was the recipient of the "Music Icon" award at the 2015 British LGBT Awards, honoring those whose actions help promote equality. In October, he received the "Music Award/ International Album" at the "Attitude" Pride Awards in London.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In June 2017, Pride month, Lambert was a speaker at the Los Angeles Pride march, delivering a message against hate in all its human rights presentations. A few weeks earlier, he co-hosted BuzzFeed's first "Queer Prom" for LGBTQ high school seniors from across the US. He was featured in "Billboard"s tribute to Pride month, naming the LGBTQ community his "true inspiration" and "life lines". Released during Pride week, Lambert's newest single, "Two Fux", is a Pride anthem.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert performed for Point Foundation Honors Gala in October 2017 in recognition of those who had made a significant impact on the LGBTQ community. Point Foundation is the largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit in the country. Later in the month, he performed on behalf of GLAAD's kickoff to its annual Spirit Day at the 'Believer' Spirit Day concert event. In May 2018, along with Melissa Etheridge, he performed to open GLAAD's New York City 29th annual Media Awards; and later in the month hosted a talk for teenagers at the Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre in London. Mosaic is an organization that seeks to support, educate and inspire by offering a safe space and variety of programs for LGBTQ+ youth.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In January 2020, Lambert launched an LGBTQ+ non-profit advocacy group called the Feel Something Foundation, a name it shares with his first single release from the album "Velvet". Its mission is to support "LGBTQ+ organizations that are moving the needle for communities of all ages and backgrounds," and impacting important areas of LGBTQ life. Another specific goal is to "abolish 'coming out' as a term used to define someone simply being themselves." During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the Foundation in partnership with eBay launched two charity auctions of Lambert's stage-wear, with funds raised directed to GLAAD for LGBTQ people in need. The auction in June kicked off a series of events for Pride 2020 in support of GLAAD's youth engagement programs, including a panel with their Campus Ambassadors from around the US.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In April 2020, Lambert had participated in GLAAD's "Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone" livestream event, raising funds for LGBTQ community centers providing critical services during COVID. In early June, he announced a sizable donation from the Foundation to the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, to assist with bail for community members that were arrested during peaceful protests of Black Lives Matter. On June 28, the Pride Music Business Creatives Roundtable was hosted by the Foundation, with Lambert and special guest artists discussing discrimination in the industry, their own coming out stories, and steps forward toward LGBTQ equalty.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Other notable Pride performances included "Can't Cancel Pride" to support multiple LGBTQ+ organizations; and Global Pride, a 24-hour live-stream event, at which he also spoke on behalf of Black Lives Matter and people of color in the community. Lambert featured in a speaking segment on Conde Nast's LGBTQ brand them.'s "Out Now Live", a virtual pride celebration to educate, entertain and raise money for the Ali Forney Center targeting LGBTQ youth homelessness.


title: Adam Lambert

text: In December he again performed for Cyndi Lauper's annual "Home for the Holidays" benefit concert for True Colors United, which works to combat homelessness in LGBTQ+ youth. He hosted the first of two Stonewall Day Unplugged sessions on February 18 as part of the lead up to the June Stonewall Day celebration that Lambert, through his Feel Something Foundation, will be headlining and curating with Pride Live. The resulting OUTLOUD: Raising Voices event featured a "queer for queer" lineup of LGBTQ artists only. On March 4, he participated in a celebratory event in support of the Center for Gender-Affirming Care at San Diego's Rady Children's Hospital. Lambert, through his Feel Something Foundation, teamed up with Soundwaves Art Foundation in late March to create art prints, 100% of whose sale's profits would benefit The Trevor Project. He appeared on the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Love in Action telethon on August 14, 2021.


title: Adam Lambert

text: After being outed on the internet during his bid to win "American Idol", Adam Lambert confirmed that he was gay in a "Rolling Stone" cover interview. He was in a relationship with Finnish entertainment reporter and reality TV personality Sauli Koskinen from November 2010 until April 2013 when Lambert announced that they split up amicably. From March to November 2019, Lambert was in a relationship with model Javi Costa Polo.


title: Adam Lambert

text: Lambert got his first tattoo at age 27 and continues to accumulate the symbols and artwork as representations of important themes and moments in his life. His first tattoo, an Eye of Horus, was on his wrist, acquired just before the start of "American Idol". Since then, he's covered his arms and torso with many more. He has been tattooed by notable tattoo artists Maxime Plescia-Büchi, Daniel Meyer, and Roxx.


title: DaBaby

text: Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper and singer. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he rose to mainstream prominence with his debut album "Baby on Baby" (2019), which included the US "Billboard" Hot 100 top ten single "Suge".


title: DaBaby

text: His second studio album, "Kirk" (2019), debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200. The album spawned the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) multi-platinum singles "Intro" and "Bop". That same year, he was featured on the singles "Enemies" by Post Malone, and "Cash Shit" by Megan Thee Stallion. Dababy's third studio album, "Blame It on Baby" (2020), became his second consecutive number-one album in the US. The album included his highest-charting song, "Rockstar" (featuring Roddy Ricch), which spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number one on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, and received a Grammy Award for Record of the Year nomination.


title: DaBaby

text: His features on the 2020 singles "Whats Poppin (remix)" by Jack Harlow, and "Levitating" by Dua Lipa, both peaked at number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100. That same year, he appeared alongside Lil Baby on the top ten single "For the Night" by Pop Smoke. In 2022, he released the collaborative mixtape "Better than You", with YoungBoy Never Broke Again.


title: DaBaby

text: Jonathan Lyndale Kirk was born on December 22, 1991, in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1999, where he spent most of his early years. He attended Vance High School (now called Julius L. Chambers High School), where he graduated in 2010.


title: DaBaby

text: He attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for two years, but did not complete his studies, saying he only went to college for his parents' sake. He grew up listening to Eminem, 50 Cent and Lil Wayne with his two older brothers.


title: DaBaby

text: Kirk began taking music seriously between 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he started off his music career by releasing "Nonfiction", his debut mixtape. He later followed this up with his "God's Work" mixtape series, "Baby Talk" mixtape series, "Billion Dollar Baby", and "Back on My Baby Jesus Sh*t". He initially performed under the name Baby Jesus, which he eventually changed out of concern that it had become a distraction.


title: DaBaby

text: Kirk got his big break after signing to Arnold Taylor, the president of the South Coast Music Group label, a big radio promoter. Taylor saw Kirk perform around North Carolina clubs at the time he [Taylor] was launching his label. Taylor had been responsible for the early rise of Southern rap stars including Yo Gotti and Future. Once they started working together, the team kept building buzz around the South with mixtapes and club shows, while Kirk was finding his sound.


title: DaBaby

text: Through his deal with South Coast, Kirk signed a short-lived distribution deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation for his "Blank Blank" mixtape that would prove to be his breakout in late 2018. Thanks to the guidance of Taylor, and following major label bidding wars, Kirk landed a seven-figure recording deal with Interscope.


title: DaBaby

text: In January 2019, upon being signed to Interscope, Kirk launched his own imprint, Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment. On March 1, 2019, Kirk's debut studio album "Baby on Baby", was released via Interscope Records. He is also signed to South Coast Music Group and has a joint contract with both labels. The thirteen-track project features guest appearances from Offset, Rich Homie Quan, Rich the Kid and Stunna 4 Vegas.


title: DaBaby

text: "Baby on Baby" debuted at number 25 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart in the US. The song "Suge" debuted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number 87 on the chart dated April 13, 2019, and later reached the top 10, on the chart dated June 8, 2019. Kirk was featured on the cover of "XXL" as part of the Freshman Class of 2019.


title: DaBaby

text: Kirk featured on various hit songs throughout mid-2019, including Megan Thee Stallion's "Cash Shit" and Quality Control's "Baby", both of which reached the top 40 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. On July 5, 2019, Kirk was featured on Dreamville's compilation album "Revenge of the Dreamers III", on the opening track, "Under the Sun". He received acclaim for his guest feature, with various publications ranking it as his best verse of 2019, including "Complex" magazine calling it a "defining breakout moment for a new rap superstar".


title: DaBaby

text: In August 2019, he announced that his second album would be titled "Kirk", a tribute to his last name. It was released on September 27, and debuted atop the US "Billboard" 200. Its lead single, "Intro", was also successful, peaking at number 13 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. Around that time, Kirk also made notable appearances on singles such as Post Malone's "Enemies", which peaked at number 16 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and on the remixes to YG's "Stop Snitchin", Lizzo's "Truth Hurts", and Lil Nas X's "Panini", released on May 24, August 23, and September 13, 2019, respectively. On October 24, he made a cameo appearance in the music video for up-and-coming rapper Rich Dunk's breakthrough single "High School".


title: DaBaby

text: Kirk closed 2019 having 22 entries on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for the year, the most of any artist that year.


title: DaBaby

text: At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, held in 2020, Kirk received two nominations, both for "Suge", in the categories Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. On April 13, 2020, he announced on Twitter that his third studio album, "Blame It on Baby", would be released on April 17, 2020. The album received mixed to positive reviews, and achieved commercial success, debuting atop the "Billboard" 200 with 124,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Kirk's second number-one album. It also produced his highest-charting song, "Rockstar", featuring Roddy Ricch, which spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number-one on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and reached number-one in the United Kingdom.


title: DaBaby

text: In June, Kirk was featured on the remix for the Jack Harlow song "Whats Poppin", which peaked at number two on the Hot 100 while "Rockstar" was still at the top. This made DaBaby the 20th act to occupy the chart's top 2 positions, and the first since Ariana Grande in 2019. In July, Kirk was featured on "For the Night" by Pop Smoke and Lil Baby, which debuted at number six on the Hot 100. As a result, DaBaby became the seventh act to chart at least three songs in the top six simultaneously.


title: DaBaby

text: On July 27, 2020, Kirk released a single with his signee Stunna 4 Vegas, titled "No Dribble", included on the deluxe edition of "Blame It on Baby", which was released on August 4, 2020, and described by DaBaby as a "brand new album".


title: DaBaby

text: On November 20, 2020, DaBaby released his debut EP, "My Brother's Keeper (Long Live G)". It pays tribute to his late brother, Glenn Johnson, and features appearances from Meek Mill and Polo G, among others. Kirk also contributed a feature on the remix of "Levitating" by English singer Dua Lipa. Though the remix was released in late 2020, the song began climbing up the charts and eventually peaked at number 2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in 2021.


title: DaBaby

text: On January 15, 2021, DaBaby released the single "Masterpiece" alongside a music video for the track directed by Gemini Visions. The track includes references to his relationship with DaniLeigh and to his past legal troubles. On February 19, DaBaby released a remix to SpotemGottem's single Beat Box, along with a music video. He would continue releasing singles with "Ball If I Want To" on June 18, "Red Light Green Light" on June 25, and "Giving What It's Supposed To Give" on July 28.


title: DaBaby

text: Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment is an American record label founded by DaBaby in 2017, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Billion Dollar Baby currently has signed 5 artists to the label. DaBaby spoke about intending to focus on the record label saying "I won't be rapping in five years, I won't be rapping. I'll be creating other superstars."


title: DaBaby

text: Charles Holmes of "Rolling Stone" described Kirk's flow as a "staccato, precise, and brutal rapping style, a syllable-crushing force delivered with such forward momentum it often gives the illusion that he starts rapping before the beat begins". According to Holmes, the most notable example of this effect is in his breakthrough hit "Suge".


title: DaBaby

text: Speaking on his influences, Kirk has said he studied artists like Future, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, who he says "came up and consistently progressed". He further elaborated: "I've studied all the genius marketers throughout the rap game. I borrow from anybody with something to offer". Jeff Weiss of "The Guardian" favorably compared to Kirk to Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Missy Elliott and Ludacris, noting the similarities in their musical styles which include "inventive rap stylists unafraid to make videos full of funny parodies and rubber-faced camera goofs".


title: DaBaby

text: According to Weiss, Kirk "reflects an anachronistic approach to the rap game. If the charts are filled with opiated threnodies about addiction and sadness, he eschews singing in favor of raps that could take your head off". Kirk has said "I can't sing, but I'll hit some notes here and there".


title: DaBaby

text: In November 2018, Kirk shot a 19-year-old man in the abdomen at a Walmart in Huntersville, North Carolina. The man died soon after. Kirk confirmed his involvement in the shooting and said that he acted in self-defense. The most serious charges were dropped in March 2019, and he pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor.


title: DaBaby

text: In April 2022, "Rolling Stone" released the surveillance tape of the incident, sparking renewed scrutiny in the incident after Kirk shot a trespasser at his Troutman, North Carolina estate earlier that month. No one was charged for the incident at Kirk's Troutman home.


title: DaBaby

text: In January 2020, Kirk was detained and questioned in Miami in connection with a robbery investigation. He was later arrested after authorities found he had an arrest warrant out in Texas stemming from a battery charge. According to TMZ and other outlets, members of his crew allegedly jumped and robbed a music promoter who only paid Kirk $20,000 of the $30,000 he was owed for a performance in Miami. Reports state that he and his associates allegedly took $80 cash, an iPhone 7, and a credit card from the promoter. Kirk was charged with battery and released from Miami-Dade County jail 48 hours later.


title: DaBaby

text: During Kirk's 2020 "Up Close N Personal" tour, he slapped a female fan on his way to the stage for a performance in Tampa, Florida. The crowd responded by booing, and he left the venue without performing any songs. He said that he struck her because she placed her phone too close to his face while taking a video with the flash on. In a video posted on Instagram, Kirk said, "I do apologize that there was a female on the other end. I think by this time, you know it's a well known fact that male or female, I would've responded the same exact way."


title: DaBaby

text: In February 2022, Kirk and his crew assaulted DaniLeigh's brother Brandon Bills at a bowling alley in the Los Angeles area.


title: DaBaby

text: In July 2021, Kirk faced backlash for remarks largely regarded to be homophobic. While performing at the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami on July 25, he said, "[If] you didn't show up today with HIV/AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, then put a cellphone light in the air. Ladies, if your pussy smell like water, put a cellphone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain't sucking dick in the parking lot, put a cellphone light in the air."


title: DaBaby

text: His comments drew outrage and widespread condemnation, and he responded to the allegations with, "What me and my fans do at the live show, it don't concern you niggas on the internet, or you bitter bitches on the internet." He also went on to claim that gay fans of his do not have HIV/AIDS because they are not "nasty gay niggas or junkies."


title: DaBaby

text: In the wake of his remarks, DaBaby's scheduled appearance at Lollapalooza on August 1 was cancelled and later replaced by G Herbo. The fashion brand BoohooMAN ended its collaboration with the rapper. On August 2, the organizers of the Governors Ball Music Festival announced DaBaby had been removed from the 2021 lineup as a result of his comments. He was also cut from Parklife Festival, Day N Vegas, Austin City Limits Festival, Music Midtown, and the iHeartRadio Music Festival.


title: DaBaby

text: On August 2, 2021, DaBaby posted an apology on Instagram. He deleted the apology a week later, which spurred further backlash. As a result of the controversy, radio stations substituted a version of the "Levitating" remix without his contribution, resulting in his credit being removed on the "Billboard" Airplay Charts on August 9. On August 24, he also addressed being "canceled" in a freestyle over Bia's song "Whole Lotta Money".


title: DaBaby

text: Kirk has three children, the first born in 2017. Kirk's father died in 2019 shortly after the release of his debut studio album. His second album is a tribute to his last name and contains a picture of his father on the cover. Kirk's brother, Glen Johnson, died in November 2020, at age 34, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.


title: DaBaby

text: In August 2020, Kirk formally endorsed the presidential campaign of independent candidate and fellow rapper Kanye West.


title: DaBaby

text: Regarding his religious beliefs, he stated in 2019 that "I'm blessed. I'm covered by the blood of Christ."


title: DaBaby

text: He dated American singer DaniLeigh in 2020. They split in February 2021 after her song lyrics "yellow bone that's what he wants" stirred controversy. Months after the split, it was reportedly confirmed that Kirk had fathered a child with the singer after an incident of the two was recorded and posted on Instagram.


title: Iggy Pop

text: James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll (progressing later towards more experimental and aggressive rock), the Stooges sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Pop. He had a long collaborative relationship and friendship with David Bowie over the course of his career, beginning with the Stooges' album "Raw Power" in 1973. Both musicians went to West Berlin to wean themselves off their respective drug addictions and Pop began his solo career by collaborating with Bowie on the 1977 albums "The Idiot" and "Lust for Life", Pop usually contributing the lyrics. Throughout his career, he is well known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics, poetic lyrics and distinctive voice. He was one of the first performers to do a stage-dive and popularized the activity. Pop, who traditionally (but not exclusively) performs bare-chested, also performed such stage theatrics as rolling around in broken glass and exposing himself to the crowd.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the course of his career, including garage rock, punk rock, hard rock, heavy metal, art rock, new wave, jazz, blues and electronic. Though his popularity has fluctuated, many of Pop's songs have become well known, including "Search and Destroy" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by the Stooges, and his solo hits "Lust for Life", "The Passenger" and "Real Wild Child (Wild One)". In 1990, he recorded his first and only Top 40 U.S. hit, "Candy", a duet with B-52's singer Kate Pierson. Pop's song "China Girl" became more widely known when it was re-recorded by co-writer Bowie, who released it as the second single from his most commercially successful album, "Let's Dance" (1983). Bowie re-recorded and performed many of Pop's songs throughout his career.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Although Pop has had limited commercial success, he has remained a culture icon and a significant influence on a wide range of musicians in numerous genres. The Stooges' album "Raw Power" has proved an influence on artists such as Sex Pistols, the Smiths, and Nirvana. His solo album "The Idiot" has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk, electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division, and was described by Siouxsie Sioux as a "re-affirmation that our suspicions were true: the man is a genius." He was inducted as part of the Stooges into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. In January 2020, Pop received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.


title: Iggy Pop

text: James Newell Osterberg Jr. was born in Muskegon, Michigan, on April 21, 1947, the son of Louella ("née" Christensen; 1917–1996) and James Newell Osterberg Sr. (1921–2007), a former high school English teacher and baseball coach at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan. He is of English, German, and Irish descent on his father's side, and Danish and Norwegian ancestry on his mother's side. His father was adopted by a Swedish-American nurse surnamed Osterberg. The family lived in a trailer park in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ron Asheton later described him as having been a conventional teenager: "He hung out with the popular kids that wore chinos, cashmere sweaters, and penny loafers. Iggy didn’t smoke cigarettes, didn’t get high, didn’t drink."


title: Iggy Pop

text: Osterberg began to play drums in the fifth grade, first starting with rubber pads glued to plywood, before his parents bought him a drum set. In a 2007 "Rolling Stone" interview, he explained his relationship with his parents and their contribution to his music:


title: Iggy Pop

text: Osterberg began his music career as a drummer in various high school bands in Ann Arbor, Michigan, including The Iguanas, who covered several records such as Bo Diddley's "Mona" in 1965. He then began exploring local blues-style bands such as the Prime Movers (with brothers Dan and Michael Erlewine), which he joined at 18 years old. The Prime Movers gave him the nickname "Iggy" for having played in The Iguanas. According to biographer Jim Ambrose, the two years he spent in the band made him aware of "art, politics, and experimentation".


title: Iggy Pop

text: Osterberg eventually dropped out of the University of Michigan and moved to Chicago to learn more about blues. While in Chicago, he played drums in blues clubs, helped by Sam Lay (formerly of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band) who shared his connections with Pop. Inspired by Chicago blues as well as bands like The Sonics, MC5 and The Doors, he formed The Psychedelic Stooges. The band was composed of Osterberg on vocals, Ron Asheton on guitar, Asheton's brother Scott on drums, and Dave Alexander on bass. Their first show was played at a Halloween party at a house in Detroit, Michigan. Members of the MC5 were also in attendance. Osterberg became interested in Ron Asheton after seeing him perform in the Chosen Few (a covers band), believing "I’ve never met a convincing musician that didn’t look kind of ill and kind of dirty, and Ron had those two things covered!" The three nicknamed Osterberg "Pop" after a local character whom he resembled.


title: Iggy Pop

text: The seeds of Pop's stage persona were sown when he saw the Doors perform in 1967 at the University of Michigan and was amazed by the stage antics and antagonism displayed by singer Jim Morrison. Morrison's extreme behavior, while performing in a popular band, inspired the young Pop to push the boundaries of stage performance. Other influences on Pop's vocals and persona were Mick Jagger and James Brown.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In addition to Jim Morrison and The Doors' influence on the band, Pop also attributes the Stooges getting jump-started after seeing an all-girls rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, called The Untouchable. In a 1995 interview with "Bust", he relates:


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1968, one year after their live debut and now dubbed the Psychedelic Stooges, the band signed with Elektra Records, again following in the footsteps of The Doors, who were Elektra's biggest act at the time (according to Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton called Moe Howard to see if it was all right to call the band "The Stooges", to which Howard responded by merely saying "I don't care what they call themselves, as long as they're not The "Three" Stooges!" and hung up the phone). Pop himself told the story in the 2016 Jim Jarmusch documentary film about The Stooges, "Gimme Danger". The Stooges' first album "The Stooges" (on which Pop was credited as "Iggy Stooge") was produced by John Cale in New York in 1969. Both it and the follow-up, "Fun House", produced by Don Gallucci in Los Angeles in 1970, sold poorly. Though the release of "Fun House" did not receive the recognition expected, it was later ranked No. 191 in "Rolling Stone's" '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' in 2003. Shortly after the release of "Fun House", the group disbanded because of Pop's worsening heroin addiction.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1971, without a record deal, the Stooges kept performing in small clubs with a five-piece lineup that included both Ron Asheton and James Williamson on guitars and Jimmy Recca on bass, Pop having fired Dave Alexander the previous year when he turned up for a gig unable to play because of his chronic alcoholism. That year Pop and David Bowie met at Max's Kansas City, a nightclub and restaurant in New York City. Pop's career received a boost from his relationship with Bowie when Bowie decided in 1972 to produce an album with him in England. With Williamson signed on as guitarist, the search began for a rhythm section. However, since neither Pop nor Williamson were satisfied with any players in England, they decided to re-unite the Stooges. Ron Asheton grudgingly moved from guitar to bass. The recording sessions produced the rock landmark "Raw Power". After its release, Scott Thurston was added to the band on keyboards/electric piano and Bowie continued his support, but Pop's drug problem persisted. The Stooges' last show in 1974 ended in a fight between the band and a group of bikers, documented on the album "Metallic K.O." Drug abuse stalled Pop's career again for several years.


title: Iggy Pop

text: After the Stooges' second breakup, Pop made recordings with James Williamson, but these were not released until 1977 (as "Kill City", credited jointly to Pop and Williamson). Pop was unable to control his drug use and checked himself into a mental institution, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, to try to clean up. Bowie was one of his few visitors there, continuing to support his friend and collaborator. In 1976, Bowie took Pop along as his companion on the "Station to Station" tour. This was Pop's first exposure to large-scale professional touring and he was impressed, particularly with Bowie's work ethic. Following a March 21, 1976, show, Bowie and Pop were arrested together for marijuana possession in Rochester, New York, although charges were later dropped.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Bowie and Pop relocated to West Berlin to wean themselves off their respective drug addictions. "Living in a Berlin apartment with Bowie and his friends was interesting…" Pop recalled. "The big event of the week was Thursday night. Anyone who was still alive and able to crawl to the sofa would watch "Starsky & Hutch"."


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1977, Pop signed with RCA Records. Bowie helped write and produce "The Idiot" and "Lust for Life," Pop's two most acclaimed albums as a solo artist, the latter featuring one of his best-known songs, "The Passenger". "Lust for Life" featured another team of brothers, Hunt and Tony Fox Sales, sons of comedian Soupy Sales. Among the songs Bowie and Pop wrote together were "China Girl", "Tonight", and "Sister Midnight", all of which Bowie performed on his own albums later (the last being recorded with different lyrics as "Red Money" on "Lodger"). Bowie also played keyboards in Pop's live performances, some of which are featured on the album "TV Eye Live" in 1978. In return, Pop contributed backing vocals on Bowie's "Low".


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop had grown dissatisfied with RCA, later admitting that he had made "TV Eye Live" as a quick way of fulfilling his three-album RCA contract. He moved to Arista Records, under whose banner he released "New Values" in 1979. This album was something of a Stooges reunion, with James Williamson producing and latter-day Stooge Scott Thurston playing guitar and keyboards. Not surprisingly, the album's style harkened back to the guitar sound of the Stooges. "New Values" was not a commercial success in the U.S., but has since been highly regarded by critics.


title: Iggy Pop

text: The album was moderately successful in Australia and New Zealand, however, and this led to Pop's first visit there to promote it. While in Melbourne, he made a memorable appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's nationwide show "Countdown". During his anarchic performance of "I'm Bored", Pop made no attempt to conceal the fact that he was lip-synching (shoving the microphone down his pants at one point), and he even tried to grab the teenage girls in the audience. He was also interviewed by host Molly Meldrum, an exchange which was frequently punctuated by the singer jumping up and down on his chair and making loud exclamations of "G'day mate" in a mock Australian accent. His "Countdown" appearance is generally considered one of the highlights of the show's history and it cemented his popularity with Australian punk fans; since then he has often toured there. While visiting New Zealand, Pop recorded a music video for "I'm Bored", and attended a record company function where he appeared to slap a woman and throw wine over a photographer. While in Australia, Pop was also the guest on a live late-night commercial TV interview show on the Ten Network. The "Countdown" appearance has often been re-screened in Australia.


title: Iggy Pop

text: During the recording of "Soldier" (1980), Pop and Bowie argued with Williamson over various aspects of the project. Williamson recalled, "I was not at all happy with a number of aspects of that record including the band, the material and the recording facilities. So I was unhappy in general and vice versa". Williamson left the project. Bowie appeared on the song "Play it Safe", performing backing vocals with the group Simple Minds. During a live performance in Brooklyn in 1981, Pop smashed a microphone into his own face, knocking out a front tooth.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Both "Soldier" and its follow-up "Party" (1981) were commercial failures, and Pop was dropped from Arista. His drug habit varied in intensity during this time, but persisted.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1980, Pop published his autobiography "I Need More", co-written with Anne Wehner, an Ann Arbor arts patron. The book, which includes a selection of black and white photographs, featured a foreword by Andy Warhol. Warhol wrote that he met Pop when he was Jim Osterberg, at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 1966. "I don't know why he hasn't made it really big," Warhol wrote. "He is so good."


title: Iggy Pop

text: The 1982 album "Zombie Birdhouse" on Chris Stein's Animal label, with Stein himself producing, was no more commercially successful than his Arista works. In 1983, Pop's fortunes changed when David Bowie recorded a cover of the song "China Girl". The song had originally appeared on "The Idiot", and was a major hit on Bowie's blockbuster "Let's Dance" album. As co-writer of the song, Pop received substantial royalties. On "Tonight" in 1984, Bowie recorded five more of their co-written songs (2 from "Lust for Life", 1 from "New Values", and 2 new songs), assuring Pop financial security, at least for the short term. The support from Bowie enabled Pop to take a three-year break, during which he overcame his resurgent heroin addiction and took acting classes.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Additionally, Pop contributed the title song to the 1984 film "Repo Man" (with Steve Jones, previously of the Sex Pistols, on guitar, and Nigel Harrison and Clem Burke, both of Blondie on bass and drums) as well as an instrumental called "Repo Man Theme" that was played during the opening credits.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1985, Pop recorded some demos with Jones. He played these demos for Bowie, who was sufficiently impressed to offer to produce an album for Pop: 1986's new wave-influenced "Blah-Blah-Blah", featuring the single


title: Iggy Pop

text: "Real Wild Child", a cover of "The Wild One", originally written and recorded by Australian rock 'n' roll musician Johnny O'Keefe in 1958. The single was a Top 10 hit in the UK and was successful around the world, especially in Australia, where it has been used since 1987 as the theme music for the ABC's late-night music video show "Rage". "Blah-Blah-Blah" was Pop's highest-charting album in the U.S. since "The Idiot" in 1977, peaking at No. 75 on the "Billboard" 200 chart.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Also in 1985, Pop and Lou Reed contributed their singing voices to the animated film "Rock & Rule". Pop performed the song "Pain & Suffering" in the final sequence of the film.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1987, Pop appeared (along with Bootsy Collins) on a mostly instrumental album, "Neo Geo", by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The music video for "Risky", written and directed by Meiert Avis, won the first ever MTV Breakthrough Video Award. The groundbreaking video explores transhumanist philosopher FM-2030's ideas of "Nostalgia for the Future" in the form of an imagined love affair between a robot and one of Man Ray's models in Paris in the late 1930s. Additional inspiration was drawn from Jean Baudrillard, Edvard Munch's 1894 painting "Puberty", and Roland Barthes "Death of the Author". The surrealist black-and-white video uses stop motion, light painting, and other retro in-camera effects techniques. Meiert Avis recorded Sakamoto while at work on the score for "The Last Emperor" in London. Sakamoto also appears in the video painting words and messages to an open shutter camera. Pop, who performs the vocals on "Risky", chose not to appear in the video, allowing his performance space to be occupied by the surrealist era robot.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop's follow-up to "Blah Blah Blah", "Instinct" (1988), was a turnaround in musical direction. Its stripped-back, guitar-based sound leaned further towards the sound of the Stooges than any of his solo albums to date. His record label dropped him, but the "King Biscuit Flower Hour" radio show recorded the "Instinct" tour (featuring guitarist Andy McCoy and Alvin Gibbs on bass) in Boston on July 19, 1988. Working with rock attorney Stann Findelle, Pop scored more movie soundtrack inclusions in 1989: "Living on the Edge of the Night" in the Ridley Scott thriller "Black Rain"; and "Love Transfusion", a song originally written by Alice Cooper (who does backing vocals) and Desmond Child, in "Wes Craven's Shocker". Also, at the same time, Pop, dissatisfied from RCA's decisions, revoked copyrights of his RCA releases, assigned it to his company "Thousand Mile", and signed a contract with Virgin Records, which was a unique hybrid of distribution deal for his RCA releases and a recording contract for new albums. Virgin first reissued "Lust for Life" and "The Idiot" in 1990, then "TV Eye Live 1977" in 1994. Virgin continues to distribute these albums to this day.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1990, Pop recorded "Brick by Brick", produced by Don Was, with members of Guns N' Roses and The B-52's as guests, as well as backup vocals by many local Hollywood groups, two of whom (Whitey Kirst and Craig Pike) would create his band to tour and perform on his "Kiss My Blood" video (1991), directed by Tim Pope and filmed at the Olympia in Paris. The video attracted much controversy, as it featured much footage of Pop performing with his penis exposed to the audience. The album featured his first Top 40 U.S. hit, "Candy", a duet with B-52's singer Kate Pierson.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Also in 1990, Pop sang the role of "The Prosecutor" for the POINT Music/Philips Classics recording (released in 1992) of composer John Moran's multimedia opera "The Manson Family". That year he also contributed to the Red Hot Organization's AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Blue project, singing a version of "Well Did You Evah!" in a duet with Debbie Harry.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In the early to middle 1990s, Pop would make several guest appearances on the Nickelodeon show "The Adventures of Pete and Pete". He played James Mecklenberg, Nona Mecklenberg's father.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1991, Pop and Kirst contributed the song "Why Was I Born (Freddy's Dead)" to the soundtrack of the film "". The song also plays over the end credits of the film, with a compilation of clips from the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series running alongside the end credits. In the same year, Pop sang a leading role in the John Moran opera "The Manson Family".


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1992, he collaborated with Goran Bregović on the soundtrack for the movie "Arizona Dream" by Emir Kusturica. Pop sang four of the songs: "In the Deathcar", "TV Screen", "Get the Money", and "This is a Film". Also in 1992, he collaborated with the New York City band White Zombie. He recorded spoken word vocals on the intro and outro of the song "Black Sunshine" as well as playing the character of a writer in the video shot for the song. He is singled out for special thanks in the liner notes of the band's album "".


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1993, Pop released "American Caesar", including two successful singles, "Wild America" and "Beside You". The following year Pop contributed to Buckethead's album "Giant Robot", including the songs "Buckethead's Toy Store" and "Post Office Buddy". He appears also on the Les Rita Mitsouko album "Système D" where he sings the duet "My Love is Bad" with Catherine Ringer.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1996, Pop again found mainstream fame when his 1977 song "Lust for Life" was featured in the film "Trainspotting". A new video was recorded for the song, with clips from the film and studio footage of Pop dancing with one of the film's stars, Ewen Bremner. A Pop concert also served as a plot point in the film. The song has also been used in TV commercials for Royal Caribbean and as the theme music to "The Jim Rome Show", a nationally syndicated American sports talk show.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 1996, Pop released "Naughty Little Doggie", with Whitey Kirst returning on guitar, and the single "I Wanna Live". In 1997, he remixed "Raw Power" to give it a rougher, more hard-edged sound; fans had complained for years that Bowie's official "rescue effort" mix was muddy and lacking in bass. Pop testified in the reissue's liner notes that on the new mix, "everything's still in the red". He co-produced his 1999 album "Avenue B" with Don Was, releasing the single "Corruption".


title: Iggy Pop

text: On January 1, 1998, Pop made a guest appearance on Paramount Television's science fiction series "". Pop played a Vorta in an episode based upon the film "The Magnificent Seven", titled "The Magnificent Ferengi". Pop also contributed the theme song for "Space Goofs".


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop sang on the 1999 Death in Vegas UK Top-10 single "Aisha". The same year he appeared on Hashisheen, The End of Law, a collaborative effort by Bill Laswell, reading on the tracks "The Western Lands" and "A Quick Trip to Alamut". He also sang on the tracks "Rolodex Propaganda" and "Enfilade" by At the Drive-In in 2000.


title: Iggy Pop

text: For New Year's Eve 1997, Pop was the headliner for the annual Australian three-day concert the Falls Festival. He gave one of the most memorable performances in the history of the festival. A member of the audience got to do the countdown for the new year with Pop as part of a competition to guess Pop's new year's resolution (it was "To do nothing and make a lot of money!")


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop's 2003 album "Skull Ring" featured collaborators Sum 41, Green Day, Peaches, and The Trolls, as well as Ron and Scott Asheton, reuniting the three surviving founding members of the Stooges for the first time since 1974. Pop made a guest appearance on Peaches's song "Kick It" as well as the video. Also in 2003, his first full-length biography was published. "Gimme Danger – The Story of Iggy Pop" was written by Joe Ambrose; Pop did not collaborate on the biography or publicly endorse it. Having enjoyed working with the Ashetons on "Skull Ring", Pop reformed the Stooges with bassist Mike Watt (formerly of the Minutemen) filling in for the late Dave Alexander, and "Fun House" saxophonist Steve Mackay rejoining the lineup. They have toured regularly since 2004. That year, Pop opened Madonna's "Reinvention" World Tour in Dublin.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop and the Stooges played the Glastonbury Festival in June 2007. Their set included material from the 2007 album "The Weirdness" and classics such as "No Fun" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog". Pop also caused controversy in June 2007 when he was interviewed on the BBC's coverage of the Glastonbury Festival. He used the phrase "paki shop", apparently unaware of its racist connotations, prompting three complaints and an apology from the BBC.


title: Iggy Pop

text: On March 10, 2008, Pop appeared at Madonna's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Together with the Stooges, he sang raucous versions of two Madonna hits, "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light". Before leaving the stage he looked directly at Madonna, quoting "You make me feel shiny and new, like a virgin, touched for the very first time", from Madonna's hit song "Like a Virgin". According to guitarist Ron Asheton, Madonna asked the Stooges to perform in her place, as a protest to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for not inducting the Stooges, despite six appearances on the nomination ballot. Pop also sang on the "No Fun" cover by Asian Dub Foundation on their 2008 album "Punkara".


title: Iggy Pop

text: On January 6, 2009, original Stooges guitarist and Pop's self-described best friend Ron Asheton was found dead from an apparent heart attack. He was 60 years old.


title: Iggy Pop

text: On December 15, 2009, it was announced that the Stooges would be inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2010. Pop had "about two hours of a strong emotional reaction" to the news.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop produced 2001's "Beat 'Em Up", which gave birth to The Trolls, releasing the single "Football" featuring Trolls alumni Whitey Kirst and brother Alex.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In 2005, Pop appeared, along with Madonna, Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, and The Roots' Questlove, in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone. In early 2006, Pop and the Stooges played in Australia and New Zealand for the Big Day Out. They also began work on a new album, "The Weirdness", which was recorded by Steve Albini and released in March 2007. In August 2006, Pop and the Stooges performed at the Lowlands pop festival in the Netherlands, Hodokvas in Slovakia and in the Sziget Festival in Budapest.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Author Paul Trynka completed a biography of Pop (with his blessing) called "Open Up and Bleed", published in early 2007. More recently, Pop and the Stooges played at Bam Margera's wedding and Pop appeared on the single "Punkrocker" with the Teddybears in a Cadillac television commercial. Pop was also the voice of Lil' Rummy on the Comedy Central cartoon "Lil' Bush" and confirmed that he has done voices for "American Dad!" and "Grand Theft Auto IV", which also included the Stooges song "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (though the game's manual credited Iggy Pop as the artist).


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop guested on "Profanation", the new album by the Bill Laswell-helmed group Praxis, which was released on January 1, 2008.


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop collaborated with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse on the album "Dark Night of the Soul", singing the track "Pain".


title: Iggy Pop

text: Pop's fifteenth solo album, "Préliminaires", was released on June 2, 2009. Inspired by a novel by French author Michel Houellebecq called "La Possibilité d'une île" (2005; Trans. as "The Possibility of an Island" by Gavin Bowd, 2006), Pop was approached to provide the soundtrack for a documentary film on Houellebecq and his attempts to make a film from his novel. He describes this new release as a "quieter album with some jazz overtones", the first single off the album, "King of the Dogs", bearing a sound strongly influenced by New Orleans jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton. Pop said that the song was his response to being "sick of listening to idiot thugs with guitars banging out crappy music". The album is available on legal download sites, CD, and a deluxe box set is available at only 6000 units worldwide. This box set contains the "Préliminaires" album, a collector "Les Feuilles Mortes" b/w "King of the Dogs" 7 inch, the cover of which is Pop's portrait by Marjane Satrapi, and a 38-page booklet of drawings also by Marjane Satrapi.


title: Iggy Pop

text: In January 2009, Pop was signed up as the face of Swiftcover, the UK-based online insurance company. He fronted a £25 million TV ad campaign for Swiftcover, using the strapline "Get a Life". The advert was then banned by the Advertising Standards Authority on April 28, 2009, for being misleading – it implied that Pop himself had an insurance policy with Swiftcover when at the time the company did not insure musicians.