The Stunning Transformation Of Adam Lambert

Back in 2009, Lambert sparked controversy when he kissed his bass player during a performance at the American Music Awards. As the singer later told Entertainment Weekly, he hadn't intended to cause an uproar — after all, he'd seen plenty of heterosexual artists behave similarly onstage. "I was feeling it," Lambert recalled. "Well, I got off stage and I got in trouble. The network was like, 'How dare you?' They banned me for a while. They threatened me with a lawsuit."

The situation made Lambert realize how hostile the industry could be toward openly gay artists. But instead of toning it down, he decided to make a statement by being "as gay as I f***ing can be." Not only did Lambert help bring more representation to gay artists, but he also encouraged others to embrace their identities. "Over the past few years, I keep meeting more and more young people that saw me when we were a kid on TV and they're like ... 'You helped me talk to my parents about being gay,'" Lambert told Entertainment Weekly.

Lambert's openness also inspired fellow gay musicians, including Lil Nas X. In 2021, the "Old Town Road" singer paid homage to Lambert by kissing a male backup dancer while performing at the BET Awards. The hip-hop star told Heavy, "I did thank [Lambert] in person, actually ... And I appreciate all the doors that him and people like him opened."