Alexander Don Lambert (born December 10, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter from

North Richland Hills, Texas North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 69,917 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. In ...

, who was a semi-finalist on the ninth season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' and starred on a web show, ''

If I Can Dream "If I Can Dream" is a song made famous by Elvis Presley, written by Walter Earl Brown for the singer and notable for its similarities with Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. The song was published by Elvis Presley's music pub ...

.''

Early life

Lambert was born and raised in

. He is the son of Harold Lambert and Gwen Henderson-Lambert and has six siblings.Philpot, Rober
"'Idol' singers agree that Mom knows best"
''Star Telegram'', February 24, 2010. Lambert attended Richland High School, where he played junior varsity and varsity football and was a member of the 2008 7-on-7 state and national championship team. Lambert started singing and playing the guitar at the age of nine; at sixteen, he began taking his music more seriously and writing his own songs, citing his grandfather, a country musician who worked with

Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...

and

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

, as his main inspiration. Prior to auditioning for American Idol, Lambert was self-taught, both vocally and on guitar, and had only played in front of small coffee shop audiences for friends and family with his band, Hands that Hurt.Reiter, Am
"Alex Lambert's post-'Idol' appearance on 'Ellen'"
'Los Angeles Times', March 17, 2010. Lambert's musical influences include

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

, James Morrison,

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

and

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

''American Idol''

Lambert auditioned for the ninth season of ''

'' on August 25, 2009, in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, Texas, at the encouragement of his mother, and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood Week."Alex Lambert on Ellen"
'USA Today', March 17, 2010. During Hollywood Week, Lambert sang " Sunday Morning" by

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

in the first round, "

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...

" by

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

in the group round along with Mary Powers, Hope Johnson, Erynne Hundley and Margo May, and " I'm Yours" by

Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single " The Remedy (I Won't ...

for his final solo performance."Alex Lambert: 'People are going to like my style of music'"
'USA Today', February 24, 2010. Although Lambert's group, The Dreamers, gave a rocky performance, his ukulele-accompanied final solo was well received by the judges, and he secured a spot among the Top 24 finalists. On the first night of the live semi-finals, Lambert sang " Wonderful World" by James Morrison, giving a performance that was described as "uncomfortable" by Simon Cowell due to Lambert's nerves; however, all the judges complimented his voice and tone, and Lambert moved into the Top 20. In the next round, Lambert sang " Everybody Knows" by

, which earned praise from the judges. Lambert was eliminated following his performance of "

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

" by

Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums: ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', ''God Willin' & the Creek Don' ...

during the Top 16 round, in what was labeled one of the most shocking elimination nights in the series' history. The ''LA Times'' has ranked Lambert 57th in their list of the top 120 ''American Idol'' contestants, selected from seasons 1 to 9 of the show.

Performances

Post-''Idol''

Immediately after his elimination, Lambert was invited to appear on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...

'', where he discussed his ''American Idol'' experience and sang " Let Me Love You" by

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...

, the song he had initially intended to perform during the Top 16 round. Backstage on Ellen, Lambert was filmed playing "Butterflies", an original song written the day after his elimination. He also made an appearance on ''Good Day Texas'', performing another original song, "I Been Workin'". Lambert's elimination continued to create a stir, due in large part to an online petition. The petition called for his reinstatement to the show and was signed by over 19,000 people, including notable celebrities like

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Bra ...

. The outpouring of support caught the attention of

19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...

executive

Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...

, the creator of ''American Idol'' and new venture ''If I Can Dream.''

''If I Can Dream''

On April 1, 2010, Lambert joined then-cast members Giglianne Braga,

Justin Gaston Justin Michael Gaston (born August 12, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actor who was also a contestant on ''Nashville Star'' on season 6. He finished 10th overall out of 12 contestants. He portrayed the role of Ben Rogers on ...

, Ben Elliott,

Kara Killmer Kara Killmer (born June 14, 1988) is an American actress, best known for starring as paramedic Sylvie Brett in the NBC drama series ''Chicago Fire'' (as well as the associated series ''Chicago Med'' and ''Chicago P.D.'', which together make ...

and Amanda Phillips on ''

'', a web reality series that followed aspiring artists as they pursued their dreams in Hollywood. His entrance was watched live by over a million internet viewers. While on ''If I Can Dream,'' Lambert collaborated with numerous notable songwriters and music producers, and completed multiple tracks for inclusion on an album. Several demos were released, but most were kept under wraps. "Dream With My Eyes Open", one of the first songs Lambert wrote and demoed, became the theme song of the show i, replacing

's "

" in episode eleven. Notable performances include the

U.S. Open of Surfing The U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long surfing competition held annually during the summer in Huntington Beach, California. Generally held on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of the qualification process for the ...

Huntington Beach Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, maki ...

, the 2010

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...

Music Festival and Elvis Week in

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

. Celebrity appearances include ''

Don't Forget the Lyrics! ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' is an international game show in the United States. The American show originally aired on Fox from July 11, 2007, to June 19, 2009, and after a year off the air, a third overall season, and first as a syndicated show ...

,'' celebrity presenter at the 2010

Young Hollywood Awards The Young Hollywood Awards was awards presented annually which honored the year's biggest achievements in pop music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also hon ...

and a "Star Spangled Banner" performance at

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

. Lambert had a romantic relationship with a house guest country-pop singer

Veronica Ballestrini Veronica Jean Ballestrini (born October 29, 1991) is an Italian-American singer and songwriter. She has released two studio albums. Her self-made success story has caught national attention as Jon Caramanica wrote in ''The New York Times'', "... ...

. The couple broke up in the Winter of 2010. Since the end of the show, Lambert remained in Los Angeles and continued to work with 19 Entertainment songwriters and producers. Lambert has performed in support of several charities including Stickam Live for Japan Relief and Breast Cancer Awareness.

"I Didn't Know"

"I Didn't Know", a soulful pop song written by Lambert with

Nasri Atweh Nasri Tony Atweh ( ar, نصري طوني عطوة, born 10 January 1981), known mononymously as Nasri, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is the lead vocalis ...

and

Adam Messinger Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Grammy Award-winning Canadians, Canadian songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is a producer for Canadian reggae band Magic!, but was initially a producer/ ...

, was selected and made into a music video by Clear Channel and 19 Entertainment, and then released on July 26, 2010, through

iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...

, then across the web. The video features Lambert playing at several Play Me I'm Yours piano art installations across the five boroughs of New York City, including prominent tourist locations such as the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

and

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

. The 15th Annual Webby Awards selected Lambert's "I Didn’t Know" music video as an Official Webby Honoree in the Online Film & Video: Best Editing category.

Songwriting

Lambert saw his first significant songwriting placements in 2012. On June 26, 2012, "

," a song co-written by Lambert and

busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...

was released as ''

The X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' finalist

Chris Rene Christopher Rene (previously René; born December 25, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He was in a band called Diversion and also had a solo career, releasing the album ''Soul'd Out''. Chris auditioned for the fi ...

's second single. In September 2012, Lambert had his second studio album writing credit when his original song "What Makes You So Beautiful" (later shortened to "Beautiful"), co-written with

Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and producin ...

, was included on

Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...

's album ''

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

.''BMI Repertoir
"Beautiful – Carly Rae Jepsen'"
'BMI', Retrieved November 4, 2012.

References

External links

Alex Lambert
on Myspace *
Alex Lambert
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, Alex 1990 births American Idol participants American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American multi-instrumentalists American pop guitarists American pop pianists American male pianists American male pop singers American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Living people Singer-songwriters from Texas People from North Richland Hills, Texas American rhythm and blues singers 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from Texas 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers