Celebrity Mound

Adam Lambert Promotes His Debut Album “For Your Entertainment” In Tokyo

For the second time since his controversial American Music Awards performance, ABC has canceled an appearance by Adam Lambert, this time on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

On his Twitter account, glam rocker Lambert, who finished as runner-up on “American Idol” in May, wrote, “Yes, sadly friends, ABC has canceled my appearances on Kimmel and NYE. don’t blame them. It’s the FCC heat … I AM doing Leno though. And lookin into something for NYE … It’ll all blow over. Let’s focus on being positive! )”

“NYE” presumably means ABC’s telecast of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Sources say Lambert’s appearance on the Dick Clark-produced event was still tentative.

Lambert was booked to perform on Kimmel’s outdoor stage December 17 before his performance at the November 22 American Music Awards. During the live telecast of the awards show, the openly gay Lambert caused a furor with a rendition of his debut single, “For Your Entertainment,” that included simulating oral sex and kissing a male keyboard player.

After ABC, which had broadcast the show, received more than 1,500 complaints about Lambert’s performance, the network canceled Lambert’s scheduled appearance on its “Good Morning America” news and talk show.

CBS’ “Early Show” swooped in and booked Lambert instead, only to get blasted by some viewers for blurring video footage of the kiss between Lambert and the keyboard player.

Disney/ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney recently said the company was reviewing the steps it takes to vet live performances and plans to contractually obligate artists to match their stage shows to their rehearsals.

“We certainly don’t want to suppress artistry at any level, but we also have to be very cognizant of who our audience is,” Sweeney said.

Adam Lambert may be flaunting his sexuality all over network TV, but not so long ago, he was a self-described ugly duckling with no personal life. For a time, he was also seriously overweight, he said in a recent radio interview.

The singer told Sirius Satellite Radio’s Larry Flick, “I suffered from a bit of an ugly duckling complex in my early 20s, definitely in my teens.”

At which point the host, who is himself on the portly side, broke in a little too eagerly: “Were you ever fat?”

Lambert replied, “When I was in high school I was 250 pounds.”

“Really? Oh my God, I love him so much more,” Flick gushed.

The weight issue, Lambert continued, “That creates some stuff, some body image stuff, some confidence issues, things like that. And I got a lot of my confidence from the validation I got as a performer.”

But his focus on his career was ultimately not enough to boost his self-esteem. He said that while trying to support himself as a singer in his 20s, “My personal life was just nonexistent and it was lonely and it was like not happening.”

It wasn’t until he traveled to Europe, which he describes as “self discovery kind of thing,” and had other life experiences that “slowly, I started feeling beautiful from the inside out,” the singer revealed.

Now he is sharing that inner beauty with fans, kissing men and simulating oral sex onstage at the American Music Awards, canoodling with women in a magazine spread in Details and generally looking hot everywhere he goes.

And like Sirius XM host Flick, his chubby fans may love him even more, now that they know there used to be more of him to love.

Check out the video below:

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Adam Lambert’s racy American Music Awards performance cost him a gig on “Good Morning America,” but he will perform live instead on ABC’s morning rivals at CBS.

Lambert was to sing Wednesday on “GMA,” but the network said Tuesday it was canceling the openly gay singer because “we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”

While singing his new song, “For Your Entertainment,” at the awards program on Sunday, Lambert kissed a male keyboardist, fondled a dancer and had another dancer briefly stuff his face in Lambert’s crotch. The performance prompted many complaints to ABC, and the network cut out the brief oral sex simulation for its West Coast broadcasts.

“Obviously, I respect their decision – they gotta do what they gotta do,” Lambert said Tuesday in an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “It’s too bad – I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me.

“They probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren’t happy about it,” he said.

ABC News’ top management made the decision to cancel Lambert, spokeswoman Cathie Levine said. She said there was no pressure from ABC’s parent The Walt Disney Co.

CBS had invited Lambert before the “GMA” cancellation, and when ABC balked, the singer’s management turned to “The Early Show” and they gratefully accepted. Lambert will be interviewed, perform live and answer questions from audience members, said Zev Shalev, the show’s executive producer.

Shalev said he expected no problems with the performance. Lambert won’t sing “For Your Entertainment,” but will perform two other songs instead.

“We spoke to them about who our audience is and our expectations,” Shalev said. “He’s a very smart, sophisticated performer,” he said.

While women have often crossed the threshold regarding sexually provocative appearances on television – think Madonna kissing Britney Spears – Lambert’s performance was perhaps the first time it has been done by an openly gay man. The singer said before Sunday’s show that he was hoping to accomplish just that.

“There are a lot of double standards as far as that goes,” Lambert said backstage, a few days before the awards show. “We’ve seen female pop and rock performers do that for the last 10 years. They’ve been very provocative, owning their power and sexuality. You just don’t see men doing it very often. And I’m hoping to break down that double standard with this number.”

Said Alicia Keys when asked about Lambert’s performance, “I don’t know. You make different choices as a performer. It’s all about opinion. It’s all about what works for the performer.”

ABC said it felt burned because Lambert went further on the air with sexuality than he did in rehearsals – including the kiss. But the man putting his face to Lambert’s crotch was included in a rehearsal, according to an Associated Press reporter who attended the rehearsal. It was that sort of unpredictability that bothered ABC, particularly on a morning show with many young viewers watching.

Shortly after ABC’s cancellation, CBS quickly announced Tuesday that Lambert would appear on “The Early Show” Wednesday morning both to perform and discuss the reaction to Sunday’s appearance. Lambert is also appearing on David Letterman’s “Late Show” Wednesday, which was scheduled weeks ago.

The morning news ratings leader, NBC’s “Today” show, did not consider Lambert because it already has a Bon Jovi concert scheduled for Wednesday, said its executive producer, Jim Bell.

The “Good Morning America” Web site was flooded with comments from viewers about the Lambert cancellation. Some applauded ABC for taking a stand against vulgarity, while others suggested the network was being homophobic.

ABC News representatives spoke to members of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination about the decision to cancel Lambert and assured the group that Lambert’s sexual orientation had nothing to do with it, said Richard Ferraro, a GLAAD spokesman. Ferraro said GLAAD was also told that ABC’s “Good Morning America” will work with Lambert and other gay and lesbian performers in the future.

Still, “it is disappointing that `Good Morning America’ did not give Adam Lambert the opportunity to tailor his performance to their audience, as he did in August,” said Jarrett Barrios, GLAAD president.

Meanwhile, the conservative Culture and Media Institute of the Media Research Center criticized CBS for allowing Lambert’s “brand of raunch” on the air.

“Rather than back ABC’s decision to temper such trash, CBS is compounding the problem and rewarding Lambert with not one but two TV appearances,” said Dan Gainor, the group’s vice president.

The glam rocker finished second on “American Idol” this spring. His performances on the reality singing contest were not as provocative, but he was among the show’s most colorful competitors with a voice compared to Queen’s Freddie Mercury. After the competition, he came out publicly as gay.

“For Your Entertainment” is the first single from Lambert’s new album, which went on sale Monday.

The “Good Morning America” cancellation was first reported on TVNewser and Hollywood Life Web sites.

ABC says more than 1,500 people have called to complain about Adam Lambert’s sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards.

The network characterized the response as “moderate.” Before his performance, Lambert said that he wanted to break down a double standard that existed where female performers are often sexually provocative while men don’t do it that often.

There were also hostile comments online about the “American Idol” glam rocker who sang his new song “For Your Entertainment” on Sunday’s show with an elaborate, S&M-themed production. Lambert fondled a dancer, led another around on a leash, had a dancer briefly stick his head in Lambert’s crotch and kissed a man.

I’m glad people are complaining – not about the sexual element – but because his performance SUCKED!

“AMERICAN Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert has steadfastly refused to talk about his sexuality despite photos of him on his Web site tongue-kissing men and dressed in full drag — but not for much longer. A well-placed magazine source tells Page Six that Lambert will be coming out officially on the next cover of Rolling Stone. (This week’s issue has Lady Gaga on the cover.) “He didn’t want it to be an issue during the contest, but he’s fine with his sexuality,” we’re told. In the past, when asked about it, Lambert has only said, “Keep speculating.” A rep for Rolling Stone said, “We don’t comment on future covers.” Lambert’s rep, Roger Widynowski, didn’t return e-mails.

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Will he, will he rock you? Adam Lambert won’t rule out a stint as the new frontman of Queen, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the “American Idol” runner-up will make his living on the classic rock station. The legendary band has expressed interest in employing his formidable vocal skills, and Lambert is a big fan of the group once fronted by the late Freddie Mercury.

But the 27-year-old California native said Tuesday that he’d feel torn about joining the band.

“That’s a tough question because, honestly, how do you say no to being in Queen?” said Lambert, sporting his trademark dark nail polish and blue-streaked hair. “I mean, that’s unbelievable. But at the same time, I do have my own thing to do right now, and that’s my goal. So if I could, I would try to do both. That’s the honest question. I would try to do both. I would love to perform with them anytime they wanted me to but I also have my record to do. So, we’ll see.”

Lambert, a former theater actor, has ambitious plans for his post-”Idol” debut album.

“My record will be kind of a rock-pop-electronic-dance thing,” he said. “I don’t know how to describe it. I think it’s gonna take on a life of its own, as far as genre goes.”

The album is in the very early stages and Lambert aims to co-write much of the material.

On “Idol,” Lambert was the resident glam rocker, staging elaborate, over-the-top performances and daring to don goth-inspired outfits (with guyliner) on an otherwise family-style show.

“There’s a way to take the glam rock of the ’70s and the classic rock of the ’70s and kind of modernize it. … I want it to be produced in a very very current, almost futuristic, way. So we’re going to come up with something really fresh,” he said.

The musical mix will include “sexy, dance-y, vibe-y” numbers and more emotional songs that “appeal to people that are going through a hard time or don’t believe in themselves,” he said.

“I want to communicate the liberation that is being comfortable in your own skin and that is being your own person,” said Lambert, who has largely kept his personal life under wraps. “And the spirit of being different, and how strong that can make you feel.”

Any dream collaborators?

“Madonna would be amazing,” he gushes. “I’d love to work with Madonna – I think she’s a genius. She has great ideas. Lady GaGa is brilliant. She’s got her finger on the pulse. She’s the hot thing right now. Katy Perry’s amazing, absolutely amazing.”