The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (April 2011)

Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.

Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming.^[1] Through the evolution of the common law in various jurisdictions, and the codification of common law torts, most jurisdictions now broadly recognize three trespasses to the person: assault, which is "any act of such a nature as to excite an apprehension of battery";^[2] battery, "any intentional and unpermitted contact with the plaintiff's person or anything attached to it and practically identified with it";^[2] and false imprisonment, the "unlaw[ful] obstruct[ion] or depriv[ation] of freedom from restraint of movement."^[3]

Trespass to chattels, also known as trespass to goods or trespass to personal property, is defined as "an intentional interference with the possession of personal property...proximately caus[ing] injury."^[4] Trespass to chattel, does not require a showing of damages. Simply the "intermeddling with or use of...the personal property" of another gives cause of action for trespass.^[5][6] Since CompuServe Inc. v. Cyber Promotions,^[7] various courts have applied the principles of trespass to chattel to resolve cases involving unsolicited bulk e-mail and unauthorized server usage.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Trespass to land is today the tort most commonly associated with the term trespass; it takes the form of "wrongful interference with one's possessory rights in [real] property."^[12] Generally, it is not necessary to prove harm to a possessor's legally protected interest; liability for unintentional trespass varies by jurisdiction. "[A]t common law, every unauthorized entry upon the soil of another was a trespasser", however, under the tort scheme established by the Restatement of Torts, liability for unintentional intrusions arises only under circumstances evincing negligence or where the intrusion involved a highly dangerous activity.^[13]

Trespass to the person[link]

There are three types of trespass, the first of which is trespass to the person. Whether intent is a necessary element of trespass to the person varies by jurisdiction. Under English decision, Letang v Cooper,^[14] intent is required to sustain a trespass to the person cause of action; in the absence of intent, negligence is the appropriate tort. In other jurisdictions, gross negligence is sufficient to sustain a trespass to the person, such as when a defendant negligently operates an automobile and strikes the plaintiff with great force. "Intent is to be presumed from the act itself."^[15] Generally, trespass to the person consists of three torts: assault, battery, and false imprisonment.

Assault[link]

Under the statutes of various common law jurisdictions, assault is both a crime and a tort. Generally, a person commits criminal assault if he purposefully, knowingly, or recklessly inflicts bodily injury upon another; if he negligently inflicts bodily injury upon another by means of dangerous weapon; or if through physical menace, he places another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.^[16] A person commits tortious assault when he engages in "any act of such a nature as to excite an apprehension of battery [bodily injury]."^[2] In some jurisdictions, there is no requirement that actual physical violence result—simply the "threat of unwanted touching of the victim" suffices to sustain an assault claim.^[17] Consequently, in R v Constanza,^[18] the court found a stalker's threats could constitute assault. Similarly, silence, given certain conditions, may constitute an assault as well.^[19] However, in other jurisdictions, simple threats are insufficient; they must be accompanied by an action or condition to trigger a cause of action.^[20]

Incongruity of a defendant's language and action, or of a plaintiff's perception and reality may vitiate an assault claim. In Tuberville v Savage,^[21] the defendant reached for his sword and told the plaintiff that "[i]f it were not assize-time, I would not take such language from you." In its American counterpart, Commonwealth v. Eyre,^[22] the defendant shouted "[i]f it were not for your gray hairs, I would tear your heart out." In both cases, the courts held that despite a threatening gesture, the plaintiffs were not in immediate danger. The actions must give the plaintiff a reasonable expectation that the defendant is going to use violence; a fist raised before the plaintiff may suffice; the same fist raised behind the window of a police cruiser will not.^[23]

Battery[link]

Battery is "any intentional and unpermitted contact with the plaintiff's person or anything attached to it and practically identified with it[.]" The elements of battery common law varies by jurisdiction. In the United States, the American Law Institute's Restatement of Torts provides a general rule to determine liability for battery:^[24]

An act which, directly or indirectly, is the legal cause of a harmful contact with another's person makes the actor liable to the other, if:

(a) the act is done with the intention of bringing about a harmful or offensive contact or an apprehension thereof to the other or a third person, and

(b) contact is not consented to by the other or the other's consent thereto is procured by fraud or duress, and

(c) the contact is not otherwise privileged.

Battery torts under Commonwealth precedent are subjected to a four point test to determine liability:^[25]

1. Directness. Is the sequence of events connecting initial conduct and the harmful contact an unbroken series?
2. Intentional Act. Was the harmful contact the conscious object of the defendant? Did the defendant intend to cause the resulting harm? Though the necessity of intent remains an integral part of Commonwealth battery,^[26] some Commonwealth jurisdictions have moved toward the American jurisprudence of "substantial certainty."^[27] If a reasonable person in the defendant's position would apprehend the substantial certainty of the consequences of his actions, whether the defendant intended to inflict the injuries is immaterial.^[27]
3. Bodily Contact. Was there active (as opposed to passive) contact between the bodies of the plaintiff and the defendant?
4. Consent. Did the plaintiff consent to the harmful contact? The onus is on the defendant to establish sufficient and effective consent.^[28][29]

False imprisonment[link]

False imprisonment is defined as "unlaw[ful] obstruct[ion] or depriv[ation] of freedom from restraint of movement."^[3] In some jurisdictions, false imprisonment is a tort of strict liability: no intention on the behalf of the defendant is needed, but others require an intent to cause the confinement.^[30] Physical force, however, is not a necessary element,^[31] and confinement needn't be lengthy;^[32][33] the restraint must be complete,^[34] though the defendant needn't resist.^[35]

Conveniently, the American Law Institute's Restatement (Second) of Torts distills false imprisonment liability analysis into a four-prong test:

1. The defendant intends to confine the plaintiff. (This is not necessary in Commonwealth jurisdictions.)
2. The plaintiff is conscious of the confinement. (Prosser rejects this requirement.)^[36]
3. The plaintiff does not consent to the confinement.
4. The confinement was not otherwise privileged.

Defenses[link]

Child correction[link]

Depending on the jurisdiction, corporal punishment of children by parents or instructors may be a defense to trespass to the person, so long as the punishment was "reasonably necessary under the circumstances to discipline a child who has misbehaved" and the defendant "exercise[d] prudence and restraint."^[37] Unreasonable punishments, such as violently grabbing a student's arm and hair, have no defense.^[38] Many jurisdictions, however, limit corporal punishment to parents, and a few, such as New Zealand, have criminalized the practice.^[39]

Consent[link]

Denning, LJ: "[I]n an ordinary fight with fists there is no cause of action to either of [the combatants] for any injury suffered."

Perhaps the most common defense for the torts of trespass to the person is that of volenti non fit injuria, literally, "to a willing person, no injury is done," but shortened to "consensual privilege" or "consent." If a plaintiff participates in a sporting activity in which physical contact is ordinary conduct, such as rugby, they are considered to have consented. This is not the case if the physical contact went beyond what could be expected, such as the use of hand gun during a fistfight, as in Andrepont v. Naquin,^[40] or where the injuries were suffered not from the plaintiff's participation in the sport but inadequate safety measures taken, as in Watson v British Boxing Board of Control Ltd.^[41] Where the plaintiff and defendant voluntarily agree to participate in a fight, some jurisdictions will deny relief in civil action, so long as the injuries caused are proportionate: "in an ordinary fight with fists there is no cause of action to either of [the combatants] for any injury suffered."^[42] Other jurisdictions refuse to recognize consent as a defense to mutual combat and instead provide relief under the doctrine of comparative negligence.^[43][44][45]

Medical care gives rise to many claims of trespass to the person. A physician, "treating a mentally competent adult under non-emergency circumstances, cannot properly undertake to perform surgery or administer other therapy without the prior consent of his patient."^[46] Should he do so, he commits a trespass to the person and is liable to damages. However, if the plaintiff is informed by a doctor of the broad risks of a medical procedure, there will be no claim under trespass against the person for resulting harm caused; the plaintiff's agreement constitutes "informed consent."^[47] In those cases where the patient does not possess sufficient mental capacity to consent, doctors must exercise extreme caution. In F v West Berkshire Health Authority,^[48] the House of Lords instructed British physicians that, to justify operating upon such an individual, there " (1) must...be a necessity to act when it is not practicable to communicate with the assisted person ... [and] (2) the action taken must be such as a reasonable person would in all the circumstances take, acting in the best interests of the assisted person."

Self-defense/defense of others/defense of property[link]

Self-defense, or non-consensual privilege, is a valid defense to trespasses against the person, assuming that it constituted the use of "reasonable force which they honestly and reasonably believe is necessary to protect themselves or someone else, or property."^[49] The force used must be proportionate to the threat, as ruled in Cockcroft v Smith.^[50]

Trespass to chattels[link]

Trespass to chattels, also known as trespass to goods or trespass to personal property, is defined as "an intentional interference with the possession of personal property...proximately caus[ing] injury."^[4] While originally a remedy for the asportation of personal property, the tort grew to incorporate any interference with the personal property of another.^[51] In some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom^{[dubious – discuss]}, trespass to chattels has been codified to clearly define the scope of the remedy;^[52][53] in most jurisdictions, trespass to chattel remains a purely common law remedy, the scope of which varies by jurisdiction.

Generally, trespass to chattels possesses three elements:

1. Lack of consent. The interference with the property must be non-consensual. A claim does not lie if, in acquiring the property, the purchaser consents contractually to certain access by the seller. "[A]ny use exceeding the consent" authorized by the contract, should it cause harm, gives rise to a cause for action.^[54]
2. Actual harm. The interference with the property must result in actual harm.^[7] The threshold for actual harm varies by jurisdiction. In California, for instance, an electronic message may constitute a trespass if the message interferes with the functioning of the computer hardware, but the plaintiff must prove that this interference caused actual hardware damage or actual impaired functioning.^[55]
3. Intentionality. The interference must be intentional. What constitutes intention varies by jurisdiction, however, the Restatement (Second) of Torts indicates that "intention is present when an act is done for the purpose of using or otherwise intermeddling with a chattel or with knowledge that such an intermeddling will, to a substantial certainty, result from the act" and continues, "[i]t is not necessary that the actor should know or have reason to know that such intermeddling is a violation of the possessory rights of another."^[56]

Remedies for trespass to chattel include damages, liability for conversion, and injunction, depending on the nature of the interference.^[57]

Traditional applications[link]

Trespass to chattels typically applies to tangible property and allows owners of such property to seek relief when a third party intentionally interferes or intermeddles in the owner's possession of his personal property.^[58] "Interference" is often interpreted as the "taking" or "destroying" of goods, but can be as minor as "touching" or "moving" them in the right circumstances. In Kirk v Gregory,^[59] the defendant moved jewelry from one room to another, where it was stolen. The deceased owner's executor successfully sued her for trespass to chattel. Furthermore, personal property, as traditionally construed, includes living objects, except where property interests are restricted by law. Thus animals are personal property,^[60] but organs are not.^[61]

Modern US applications[link]

In Intel v. Hamidi, the Supreme Court of California ruled that a plaintiff in a suit for electronic trespass to chattels must establish actual damage.

In recent years, trespass to chattels has been expanded in the United States to cover intangible property, including combating the proliferation of unsolicited bulk email as well as virtual property interests in online worlds. In the late 1990s, American courts enlarged trespass to chattels, first to include the unauthorized use of long distance telephone lines,^[62] and later to include unsolicited bulk email.^[7] In 1998, a federal court in Virginia held that the owner of a marketing company committed trespass to chattels against an Internet service provider's computer network by sending 60 million unauthorized email advertisements after being notified that the spam was unauthorized.^[9] In America Online, Inc. v. LCGM, Inc.,^[63] AOL successfully sued a pornographic website for spamming AOL customers and forging the AOL domain name to trick customers. By the new millennium, trespass to chattel expanded beyond bulk email. In eBay v. Bidder's Edge,^[64] a California court ruled that Bidder's Edge's use of a web crawler to cull auction information from eBay's website constituted trespass to chattel and further, that a plaintiff in such a suit need not prove that the interference was substantial.^[65] A number of similar cases followed until, in Intel v. Hamidi,^[66] the Supreme Court of California held that a plaintiff must demonstrate either actual interference with the physical functionality of the computer system or the likelihood that such interference would occur in the future. The Hamidi decision quickly found acceptance at both the federal and state level.

To date, no United States court has identified property rights in items acquired in virtual worlds; heretofore, virtual world providers have relied on end-user license agreements to govern user behavior.^[67] Nevertheless, as virtual worlds grow, incidents of property interference, a form of "griefing", may make trespass to chattel an attractive remedy for deleted, stolen, or corrupted virtual property.^[57]

Trespass to land[link]

Trespass to land involves the "wrongful interference with one's possessory rights in [real] property."^[12] It is not necessary to prove that harm was suffered to bring a claim, and is instead actionable per se. While most trespasses to land are intentional, British courts have held liability holds for trespass committed negligently.^[68] Similarly, some American courts will find liability for unintentional intrusions only where such intrusions arise under circumstances evincing negligence or involve a highly dangerous activity.^[13] Exceptions exist for entering land adjoining a road unintentionally (such as in a car accident), as in River Wear Commissioners v Adamson.^[69] In some jurisdictions trespass while in possession of a firearm, which may include a low-power air weapon without ammunition, constitutes a more grave crime of armed trespass^[70].

Subsoil and airspace[link]

Aside from the surface, land includes the subsoil, airspace and anything permanently attached to the land, such as houses, and other infrastructure, this is literally explained by the legal maxim...`Quinci quid plantator salo salo cedit'.

Subsoil[link]

William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England articulated the common law principle cuius est solum eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos, translating from Latin as "for whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell."^[71] In modern times, courts have limited the right of absolute dominion over the subsurface. For instance, drilling a directional well that bottoms out beneath another's property to access oil and gas reserves is trespass,^[72] but a subsurface invasion by hydraulic fracturing is not.^[73] Where mineral rights are severed from surface ownership, it is trespass to use another's surface to assist in mining the minerals beneath that individual's property,^[74] but, where an emergency responder accesses the subsurface following a blowout and fire, no trespass lies.^[75] Even the possible subsurface migration of toxic waste stored underground is not trespass,^[76] except where the plaintiff can demonstrate that the actions "actually interfere with the [owner's] reasonable and foreseeable use of the subsurface[,]"^[77] or, in some jurisdictions, that the subsurface trespasser knows with "substantial certainty" that the toxic liquids will migrate to the neighboring land.^[78]

Airspace[link]

Douglas, J: "[E]very transcontinental flight would subject the operator to countless trespass suits."

The rights of landowners over airspace are quite limited; in United States v. Causby et ux.,^[79] Justice Douglas reasoned that, should it find in the plaintiff/respondent's favor and accept the "ancient doctrine that at common law ownership of land extend[s] to the periphery of the universe — Cujus est solum ejus est usque ad coelum[,]" "every transcontinental flight would subject the operator to countless trespass suits." Additionally, the Air Commerce Act of 1926 gave the United States government "exclusive sovereignty of airspace of the United States."^[80] Thirty one years later, in Bernstein v Skyviews & General Ltd,^[81] an English court reached a similar conclusion, finding an action for trespass failed because the violation of airspace took place several hundred meters above the land: "[i]f the latin [sic] maxim were applied literally it would lead to the absurdity of trespass being committed every time a satellite passed over a suburban garden."^[82] Parliament subsequently reinforced Berstein in the Civil Aviation Act 1982, providing that it is not trespass if the aircraft is flying at a reasonable height.^[83] Objects hovering above a person's property, though attached to the ground, may constitute trespass. An overhanging crane can constitute trespass, as in Woolerton v Costain,^[84] as can an 8 foot advertising sign, as in Kelsen v Imperial Tobacco Co.^[85] However, should the overhang fail to generate actual harm, the court may deny a plaintiff equitable relief despite the technical trespass.^[86]

Interference[link]

The main element of the tort is "interference". This must be both direct and physical, with indirect interference instead being covered by negligence or nuisance.^[87] "Interference" covers any physical entry to land, as well as the abuse of a right of entry, when a person who has the right to enter the land does something not covered by the permission. If the person has the right to enter the land but remains after this right expires, this is also trespass. It is also a trespass to throw anything on the land.^[88] For the purposes of trespass, the person who owns the land on which a road rests is treated as the owner; it is not, however, a trespass to use that road if the road is constructed with a public use easement, or if, by owner acquiescence or through adverse use, the road has undergone a common law dedication to the public.^[89] In Hickman v Maisey^[90] and Adams v. Rivers,^[91] the courts established that any use of a road that went beyond using it for its normal purpose could constitute a trespass: "[a]lthough a land owner's property rights may be [s]ubject to the right of mere passage, the owner of the soil is still absolute master."^[92] British courts have broadened the rights encompassed by public easements in recent years. In DPP v Jones.^[93] the court ruled that "the public highway is a public place which the public may enjoy for any reasonable purpose, providing that the activity in question does not amount to a public or private nuisance and does not obstruct the highway by reasonably impeding the primary right of the public to pass and repass; within these qualifications there is a public right of peaceful assembly on the highway."^[94] The principles established in Adams remain valid in American law.^[92][95]

Defenses[link]

There are several defenses to trespass to land; license, justification by law, necessity and jus tertii. License is express or implied permission, given by the possessor of land, to be on that land. These licenses are irrevocable unless there is a flaw in the agreement or it is given by a contract. Once revoked, a license-holder becomes a trespasser if they remain on the land. Justification by law refers to those situations in which there is statutory authority permitting a person to go onto land, such as the England and Wales' Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which allows the police to enter land for the purposes of carrying out an arrest, or the California state constitution, which permits protests on grocery stores and strip malls, despite their presenting a general nuisance to store owners and patrons.^[96] Jus tertii is where the defendant can prove that the land is not possessed by the plaintiff, but by a third party, as in Doe d Carter v Barnard.^[97] This defense is unavailable if the plaintiff is a tenant and the defendant a landlord who had no right to give the plaintiff his lease (e.g. an illegal apartment rental, an unauthorized sublet, etc.).^[98] Necessity is the situation in which it is vital to commit the trespass; in Esso Petroleum Co v Southport Corporation,^[99] the captain of a ship committed trespass by allowing oil to flood a shoreline. This was necessary to protect his ship and crew, however, and the defense of necessity was accepted.^[100] Necessity does not, however, permit a defendant to enter another's property when alternative, though less attractive, courses of action exist.^[101]

Gallery[link]

• 

  No trespassing lawn signs are common.

See also[link]

• Trespass on the case
• Trespass in English law
• Castle Doctrine
• Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (UK)
• Forced entry
• Freedom to roam
• Easement
• Rights of way in England and Wales
• Rights of way in Scotland
• Property is theft!

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

Books[link]

• Elliott, Catherine; Francis Quinn (2007). Tort Law (6th ed.). Pearson Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-4672-1. 
• Smith, Kenneth; Denis J. Keenan (2004). English Law (14th ed ed.). Pearson Education Ltd. ISBN 0-582-82291-2. 

Periodicals[link]

• Anderson, Owen L. (2010). "Subsurface "Trespass": A Man's Subsurface is Not His Castle". Washburn L.J. 49. 
• Ledgerwood, Garrett (2009). "Virtually Liable". Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 66. 
• Trinidade, F.A. (1982). "Intentional Torts: Some Thoughts Assault and Battery". Oxford J. Legal Stud. 2 (2). 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Trespass

Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert at the 21st GLAAD Media Awards (2010)
Background information
Birth name	Adam Mitchel Lambert
Born	(1982-01-29) January 29, 1982 (age 30) Indianapolis, Indiana
Origin	Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego
Genres	Pop,[1] pop rock[1]
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2009–present
Labels	19, RCA
Associated acts	Queen
Website	adamofficial.com

Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and stage actor. Born in Indianapolis but raised in San Diego, Lambert had dreamed of becoming a performer after appearing in numerous amateur productions in his childhood and adolescence. His passion overtook him when deciding to drop out of college, pursue his career, and perform in various professional theatrical productions across the world.

Lambert came to prominence following his appearance on the eighth season of American Idol.^[2] Although he was runner-up, Lambert launched a music career with the release of his debut studio album For Your Entertainment (2009) after signing with 19 in a joint venture with RCA. Debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 198,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, and reaching the top 10 in several countries worldwide, the album subsequently achieved international success with its singles "For Your Entertainment", "Whataya Want from Me" and "If I Had You".^[3][4][5] Soon after, he embarked on his first headlining worldwide concert tour, Glam Nation, making him the only American Idol contestant to do so in the year following his Idol season. The tour was followed by two live releases: an extended play entitled Acoustic Live! (2010), and a live CD/DVD Glam Nation Live (2011), which debuted at number one on the SoundScan Music Video chart.^[6] Lambert took executive producer credit and was a principal writer on his second studio album, Trespassing, which was released to critical acclaim on May 15, 2012.^[7] Trespassing made its debut in the number one spot on the Billboard 200 album chart,^[8] also topping the Billboard Digital Albums Chart and Canada's Digital Albums Chart.^[9][10]With this accomplishment, Lambert makes music history as the first openly gay artist to achieve the top charting position.^[11][12][13]

Citing influence from various artists, Lambert has become recognized for his flamboyant, theatrical and androgynous performance style, and his powerful and technically skilled tenor voice with multi-octave range.^[14][15] He has accrued numerous awards and nominations, including a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and has sold nearly two million copies of his debut album worldwide as of April 2012^[16] and 4.2 million singles worldwide as of January 2011.^[17] The Times identified Lambert as the first openly gay mainstream pop artist to launch a career on a major label in the U.S., while The LA Times ranked him fifth in its list of the top 120 American Idol contestants.^[18][19]

Biography[link]

Early life (1982–2000)[link]

Adam Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 29, 1982, to mother Leila (née Mitchel), an interior designer; and father Eber Lambert, a program manager for Novatel Wireless.^[20] He has a younger brother, Neil.^[20] His father is of mostly Norwegian descent and his mother is Jewish. Lambert was raised in his mother's religion^[21][22][23] and has since performed in Hebrew at Jewish events, singing songs such as "Shir LaShalom" at a 2005 tribute concert to assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin^[24] and performing at the San Diego Temple of the Arts multiple times, including at the Kol Nidre service on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.^[25]

Shortly after Lambert's birth, his family moved to California when a job opportunity opened for his father in San Diego.^[26] At first, they lived in Rancho Bernardo but settled in Rancho Peñasquitos after his brother was born.^[26] Attending Deer Canyon Elementary School, Lambert began performing with Metropolitan Educational Theatre network from the age of nine and appeared in local productions of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Fiddler on the Roof with the company.^[26][27] Around this age, he also received voice coaching and continued his passion for performing while he attended Mesa Verde Middle School.^[20]

While attending Mount Carmel High School (MCHS), he became heavily involved with theater and choir, frequently performed vocals with the school's jazz band, MC Jazz, and loyally competed in the local Air Bands competitions.^[26] Some of his memorable MCHS performances included Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and "It's Only a Paper Moon" with MC Jazz.^[28] Still thrilled by the stage, Lambert auditioned for Starlight Theatre, a professional outdoor theater company in Balboa Park, where he performed in the ensemble for Hello, Dolly!, Camelot, The Music Man, Grease and as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.^[20][26] After graduating in 2000, he moved to Orange County to attend college. Shortly after enrollment, Lambert had a change of heart, pushed by his intense desire to perform. He left school after only five weeks and moved to Los Angeles. "I just decided that what I really wanted to do was try to work in the real entertainment world," he said. "Life is all about taking risks to get what you want."^[28]

Career beginnings (2001–2008)[link]

At 19, Lambert landed his first job, touring on a cruise ship with Anita Mann Productions for ten months.^[29] Afterwards, he began auditioning again and performed in light opera in Orange County, California.^[29] By 21, he was signed with a manager and cast in a European tour of Hair for six months.^[29] "That was a huge turning point for me personally, because I finally got comfortable in my own skin. I was discovering a lot about myself. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, a lot of it."^[29] He dyed his hair black, and while in Germany, reportedly started smoking cannabis and tried ecstasy.^[30] In 2004, he appeared in the Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) production of Brigadoon^[31] and a Pasadena Playhouse production of 110 in the Shade,^[32] before being cast in the role of Joshua in The Ten Commandments: The Musical at the Kodak Theatre alongside Val Kilmer. Lambert, still unknown, was one of the few facets of the production to garner a positive review.^[32][33] After coming to the attention of the casting director for the musical Wicked, he was hired as the understudy for the role of Fiyero in addition to being an ensemble member in the first national touring production of the musical from 2005, and the Los Angeles production from 2007. He finished performances with the musical in 2008.^[32] Beginning in 2004, he regularly performed at the Upright Cabaret and the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls.

During this same period, Lambert briefly moonlighted as the front man for underground rock band The Citizen Vein with Steve Sidelnyk, Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman.^[34] He remembers, "We did three gigs and that was it and we recorded a couple things, like rough recordings, and I don't know, it didn't quite click."^[35] He also worked as a demo singer and a session musician; a compilation of his 2005 recordings were later released on the album Take One (2009)^[36] by Hi Fi Recordings and Wilshire Records. Upon their release, Lambert issued a statement: "Back in 2005 when I was a struggling artist, I was hired as a studio singer to lend my vocals to tracks written by someone else. I was broke at the time and this was my chance to make a few bucks, so I jumped at the opportunity to record for my first time in a professional studio. The work I did back then in no way reflects the music I am currently in the studio working on."^[37]

[edit] American Idol (2009)

Lambert singing the national anthem during his visit to MCAS Miramar (2009)

Lambert auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco, California. He recalls his decision to audition for the show came after a week at Burning Man where he experimented with "certain funguses." He went on to say that "I had a psychedelic experience where I looked up at the clouds and went, 'Oh!' I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen."^[38] During his initial audition, Lambert sang the songs "Crazy", "Rock With You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody".^[35] Although advancing to Hollywood week and performing "What's Up" and "Believe" as solos and "Some Kind of Wonderful" in the group performance,^[39] judges Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi feared he was too theatrical.^[35] Nonetheless, he advanced to the top 36 where contestants were split into three groups of 12. Lambert was in group 2 and performed "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction",^[39] after which, he was voted into the top 13, joining fellow group 2 performers Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. Lambert and Allen became roommates in the Idol mansion.^[21]

The first week of live shows, Lambert sang Michael Jackson's "Black or White", leading to praiseful support from all four judges.^[40] The following week, Lambert sang a version of "Ring of Fire". While Randy Jackson, DioGuardi, and Paula Abdul all liked his performance, Cowell called it "indulgent rubbish".^[40] On Motown night, Lambert sang an acoustic version of The Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears". The judges all liked it, and Smokey Robinson, the week's mentor and the original singer-songwriter, gave Lambert a standing ovation. When Lambert performed "Play That Funky Music", DioGuardi capped the judge's across-the-board positive reaction with: "Every week I cannot wait to get to the show and see what you’re going to do next."^[40] Advancing to the top 8, he sang the 2001 Michael Andrews and Gary Jules arrangement of "Mad World". Because the show had exceeded its time slot, only Cowell gave a critique, which he did by simply giving Lambert a standing ovation. During the results the next night, the other judges agreed that a standing ovation was the best critique of Lambert's performance.^[40] The next week, he performed "Born to Be Wild" to which Abdul responded, "You're one of the bravest contestants I've ever witnessed", but Cowell questioned the performance's overall likability factor in the general public.^[40]

Photos of Lambert romantically kissing another man surfaced in the midst of the American Idol competition. Highlighted as controversial, they were presented and discussed by conservative commentators on The O'Reilly Factor, who called them "embarrassing", but did not agree that the images would impact the competition.^[41] Lambert confirmed that the photos were of him, stating he had nothing to hide and has always been open about his life.^[42] Mainstream media speculation centered on Lambert's sexuality; presuming he was gay, he would be the first gay American Idol.^{[43][note 1]} Much of the media focus regarded the readiness of American Idol voters for an openly gay winner.^[43] Asked by Rolling Stone whether the speculation surrounding his sexual orientation impacted the final vote, Lambert laughed and said "probably".^[44] He confirmed that he was gay in a Rolling Stone cover story interview shortly after he was named the American Idol runner-up.^[30]

For his second top 7 performance, Lambert sang "If I Can't Have You", delivering what DioGuardi described as his "most memorable performance", while Cowell described his vocals as "immaculate" and Abdul was reduced to tears.^[40] A week later, he returned with "Feeling Good" which received mixed reception from the judges who felt his edgy and dramatic theatrical performance was "a little too Broadway." For the first and only time, he ended up in the bottom two after the public vote, but received enough votes to remain in the competition.^[40] Down to the top 4, Lambert was the first to perform and sang "Whole Lotta Love". Cowell commented, "that was one of my favorite performances" admitting that "nobody can top that now", while Abdul described Lambert's performance as "a whole lotta perfect." He followed it by "nailing" his duet of "Slow Ride" with fellow competitor Allison Iraheta later in the night.^[40] For the top 3 show, he performed "One" before Cowell declared, "If you are not in the final next week, it will be one of the biggest upsets", and followed it with "Cryin' before Abdul affirmed, "we'll be seeing you next week and many years after that."^[40] He also visited his hometown and reprised his earlier successes of "Black or White" and "Mad World" at his alma mater, Mount Carmel High School.^[45] Afterwards, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders declared May 8, 2009, "Adam Lambert Day."^[46]

Friends from the start, Lambert and Kris Allen were safe, and into the final. Lambert performed three solo songs in the final, reprising "Mad World" as his choice. He followed this by the 1960s civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come", picked by producer Simon Fuller, to a tremendously positive judge reaction. "That was the best I've EVER heard you sing, EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!" cooed Abdul. "Whatever happens with this Idol journey, I know you're going to be iconic."^[40] The mandatory winner's single, "No Boundaries", was then performed by both Lambert and Allen. After the performance, Cowell summed up Lambert's journey, "Over the entire season, you've been one of the best, most original contestants we've ever had on the show. The hope and whole idea of a show like this is to find a worldwide star, and I truly believe we've found that in you."^[40] Alongside the usual solo performances, Lambert also performed a medley of "Beth", "Detroit Rock City", and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with rock band Kiss and joined with Kris Allen, Brian May and Roger Taylor (of Queen) to perform the anthem "We Are the Champions" during the final episode before the results were announced.^[47] Lambert was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol but, upon winning, Kris Allen stated, "Adam deserved this." Explaining this remark later, Allen said that he thought Lambert deserved to win as much as he did, and that Lambert "was the most consistent person all year. He was seriously one of the most gifted performers that I've ever met."^[48] Lambert's version of the winner's single was released alongside Allen's version. The LA Times later ranked Lambert 5th in its list of the top 120 American Idol contestants, selected from seasons 1 to 9 of the show, above Allen.^[49]

[edit] American Idol season 8 performances and results

• ^ Note A: Due to the judges using their one save to save Matt Giraud, the Top 7 remained intact for an additional week.
• ^ Note B: It was only announced that Allison Iraheta received the lowest number of votes this week. The other member(s) of the bottom two or three were never revealed, and the safe contestants were announced in random order.

Fresh from the competition, Lambert participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 with his fellow top 10 contestants which visited 50 cities in the United States and Canada from July 5 to September 15, 2009 and was the recipient of two 2009 awards: the Young Hollywood Award for Artist of the Year and the Teen Choice Award for Male Reality/Variety Star.^[50][51] He reteamed with fellow American Idol contestants Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta for a special Idols Rock My Town concert in February which was held at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.^[52] When Lambert appeared a guest on Larry King Live (guest-hosted by Ryan Seacrest) along with Kris Allen, judge Paula Abdul, and the rest of the top ten finalists, he stated that he planned to create a pop rock, multi-genre album fused with electronic production.^[53] Lambert stuck to those intentions; the album he subsequently released conformed highly to his description of the album he planned to make.^[54]

[edit] For Your Entertainment and touring (2009–2011)

Lambert at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010)

For Your Entertainment, Lambert's debut studio album, was released in 2009. Number three on the Billboard 200^[55] and selling 198,000 copies in the United States in its first week,^[5] the album sees Lambert in collaboration with a number of producers, majorly Rob Cavallo, and a string of writers that includes Matthew Bellamy, Ryan Tedder, Rivers Cuomo, Justin Hawkins, P!nk, Linda Perry and Lady Gaga.^[56] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" with Entertainment Weekly writing, "he's still the belle of what turns out to be one heck of a glitter-pop ball," and All Music Guide stating, "there's a lot of pure pop pleasure here, more than any immediate post-Idol album has ever delivered." But Rolling Stone gave it a more mixed review: "The songs sound great but feel strangely stuffy--[it] seems like a disc that was overthought."^[57] Its Claude Kelly and Dr. Luke-produced lead single "For Your Entertainment" preceded the album's release but was not as successful as its second single "Whataya Want from Me" which impacted on charts worldwide, became his highest-peaking single (at number 10) on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd awards ceremony. Another notable single included on the album was "Time for Miracles", which was originally intended as only the ending theme for the disaster movie 2012; Queen guitarist Brian May lauded the "truly sensational" song, admitting that he was "completely blown away" upon hearing the track.^[58] Since its release, For Your Entertainment has sold nearly 2 million copies worldwide ^[59] and was certified gold in the US.^[3][60][54]

On November 22, Lambert performed "For Your Entertainment" at the American Music Awards of 2009. The controversial performance, which was the night's finale, showed Lambert kissing a male bassist, grinding a dancer's head against his pelvis, and grabbing the crotch of another.^[61] In response, the Parents Television Council, a conservative decency campaigning group,^[62] urged viewers to complain to the FCC,^[63] despite the fact that the performance occurred "outside the FCC's usual 6am-10pm time frame prohibiting the broadcast of indecent material".^[64] ABC received about 1,500 telephoned complaints and cancelled Lambert's scheduled November 25 performance on Good Morning America.^[65][66] Consequently, CBS invited Lambert to perform on The Early Show instead, on the same date, in New York City.^[67] When discussing the incident in a backstage Rolling Stone interview after the performance, Lambert stated: "Female performers have been doing this for years—pushing the envelope about sexuality—and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out. We're in 2009—it's time to take risks, be a little more brave, time to open people's eyes and if it offends them, then maybe I'm not for them. My goal was not to piss people off, it was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom."^[61] Lambert returned to the AMA's two years later as a presenter, and was warmly received.^[68]

In the months surrounding his album release, Lambert appeared on the cover of a number of high-profile magazines including Entertainment Weekly in May 2009,^[69] Rolling Stone in June 2009^[70] and Details in November 2009.^[71] In his Details shoot he was photographed with a nude woman, sparking controversy.^[72] His Rolling Stone cover story became the magazine's best selling issue of the year.^[73] He appeared on the cover of Out magazine in their "Out 100" issue (11/09),^[74] again sparking controversy when Out's publisher issued him an open letter questioning the "gayness" of his image.^[75] The Canadian website and magazine Rockstar Weekly published an Adam Lambert fan magazine in February 2010 featuring fun and inspirational stories from Lambert fans around the world. The issue sold out quickly in its limited first run and was re-issued in October 2010 with extra pages.^[76] In April it was revealed that Lambert had been chosen one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People 2010.^[77] He appeared on the cover of Japan's May 2010 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, after his single "For Your Entertainment" reached its fifth consecutive number-one spot on their radio airplay charts.^[78] In November 2011, Lambert appeared on the cover of The Advocate, which included an in-depth interview about his upcoming album and other topics.^[79] The issue immediately became a sought-after item, since the magazine is available by subscription only.^[80]

In support of the album, Lambert performed at various events since its release, both in the US and internationally. These included radio-sponsored events, live concerts, and televised events. In December 2009, he hosted and performed at a number of radio-sponsored Jingle Balls, in New York, Miami, and Tampa, Florida.^[81] And, to ring in the New Year, he headlined the Gridlock New Year's Eve 2010 festival at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The event, hosted by Pamela Anderson, benefited the American Red Cross.^[82] In February 2010, AOL Music unleashed a special, intimate, five-song mini-concert on AOL Sessions where Lambert performed "Whataya Want from Me", the Lady Gaga-written "Fever", "Strut", "If I Had You" and "Soaked".^[83] The same month, he performed another intimate acoustic concert for IHeartRadio where he stopped the performance of "Whataya Want from Me" to ask an audience member to stop talking on her cell phone.^[84] Later that month, Lambert performed his first official solo concert, held at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California,^[85] where played to a sold-out audience of 3,500 fans, some of whom came from as far away as Thailand and Australia to attend the concert.^[86] On March 31, 2010, Lambert performed  a set in Berns, Stockholm, Sweden.^[87] In April 2010, he performed two concerts in British Columbia, Canada; the first on April 8 in Coquitlam, BC, and another concert at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond B.C. the following night.^[88] A year later in May 2011, Lambert performed at the Maxidrom Festival in Moscow, Russia, to an estimated crowd of 50,000 people^[89] while July saw him at the Ste Agathe en Feux Festival in Quebec, Canada.

At the start of June 2010, Lambert embarked on his debut headlining concert tour Glam Nation, playing throughout the United States with Allison Iraheta and Orianthi before performing throughout Europe and Asia. His concert in Malaysia on October 10, 2010, went ahead as planned, despite protests from an Islamist political party.^[90] Lambert performed a total of 113 shows; nearly all of them sold out.^[91] The concert performed at Indianapolis was filmed for Lambert's first video release Glam Nation Live, a package included a 13-track CD with a DVD which featured the concert and behind-the-scenes footage.^[92] The concert, which MTV called "out of this world", and his subsequent video release, were well-received, with Entertainment Weekly saying that it "sizzles" with the energy that Lambert's vocals bring in a live concert setting.^[93] Glam Nation Live debuted at number one on the SoundScan Music Video chart^[94] and landed in the number-12 spot on Billboard's 2011 year-end chart for music video sales.^[95] This followed the release of his first extended play (EP), titled Acoustic Live!, which included acoustic versions of his songs recorded live in various countries. The EP garnered excellent reviews and was called "electrifying" by the New York Daily News.^[96][97][98]

On November 6, 2011, Lambert joined the legendary band Queen as lead singer for a special performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the band was honored with the Global Icon Award. In a "spectacular" performance that closed the show, Lambert and Queen presented a medley of the classic hits “The Show Must Go On”, "We Will Rock You", and "We Are the Champions".^[99] On December 9, Roger Taylor was quoted as saying they are in talks with Lambert about fronting some more live shows for Queen, calling the artist "a really great performer with an astonishing voice."^[100]

[edit] Trespassing (2012–present)

After changing management from 19 Entertainment to Direct Management Group in August 2011,^[101] Lambert announced that his second studio album, Trespassing, would be released on March 20, 2012; and that he would serve as executive producer.^[102] In mid-February, he reported that the release had been delayed to "Mapril", citing last minute additions of new songs and collaborations.^[103] After unveiling snippets of four more album tracks, Lambert announced in late March that the album would drop on May 15, 2012.^[104][105] Anticipation for the release has been building and is considerable.^{[106][107][108]} The title track was co-written with Grammy Award winning Pharrell Williams,^[109] while the album's lead single, "Better Than I Know Myself", a collaboration with Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly,^[110] was released on December 20, 2011 to all digital retailers.^[102] His debut live performance of the single on January 17, 2012, on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno received overwhelmingly positive reviews, focusing on Lambert's soaring and impeccable vocals on this melodically challenging song, as well as his more stripped down and sophisticated look.^{[111][112][113][114]} Its reprise on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show two days later, brought equally favorable reviews as well as an interview.^[115][116] The commanding album cover art by Lambert's friend and Art Director/Photographer for Trespassing, Lee Cherry, was revealed on January 24. The image is a dramatic departure from Lambert's depiction on the 2009 cover of For Your Entertainment, signaling a new era in his career.^[117][118]

On January 29, Lambert's 30th birthday, he was the first American artist to play the Q-Snowcase in Zell Am See, Austria. In a five-song acoustic set, he performed three songs from the new album—including a debut unplugged version of the title track "Trespassing," described as "fierce and funky" in this rendition.^[119]

Lambert premiered his provocative and "stunningly art-directed" video of "Better Than I Know Myself" on his Vevo channel on February 3, 2012.^[120] Directed by Ray Kay, the video provides the viewer with split screen and split personality entree into an interpretative world where dark and light collide and coalesce. The multiple meanings attached to the work serve as the introduction to the theme of the album Trespassing, which Lambert says reflects the dark and light sides of himself through song.^[121][122]

It was announced in February that Lambert would take the stage with Queen to headline the U.K.'s Sonisphere Festival on July 7, 2012. The performance was to have particular significance as its location at Knebworth Park marks the site of Freddie Mercury's final performance with the band in August 1986. In announcing the lineup, Sonisphere cited the "potent chemistry" between Lambert and Queen at the EMAs, as well as the event's historic significance.^[123][124] Discussing the date, Brian May remarked that he expected Lambert to be a "great interpreter" of Mercury's songs: “It will be challenging – my God, it will be challenging," said May.^[125] Queen announced an additional appearance with Lambert in Moscow's Olympic Stadium, on June 30, 2012.^[126][127] Subsequently, the Sonisphere Knebworth festival was cancelled due to logistics and "circumstances,"^[128] with both Queen and Lambert expressing disappointment and sadness respectively, but also hope for "redress" in the future.^[129][130] Days later, Roger Taylor announced that Queen and Lambert would perform three summer dates in addition to their Moscow show: two in London in early July and one in Kiev that would also feature Elton John as a headliner.^[131][132] In late April, another concert was added in Wrocław, Poland, for July 7, where Queen and Lambert will headline a new rock festival.^[133] Queen announced that a third London show would be added on July 14, as a result of the instantaneous sell-out of the earlier two London dates.^[134][135]

Lambert performed "Trespassing" on April 9, 2012, at the Logo channel's fifth annual NewNowNext Awards, where he closed the show with a "rousing" and "in-your-face" performance.^[136][137] On April 11, he announced via twitter, that the album's next single would be Never Close Our Eyes, written by Bruno Mars and produced by Dr. Luke.^[138][139] Reviews for the song, which was released digitally on April 17,^[140] have been overwhelmingly positive.^[141][142] "Never Close Our Eyes" debuted on national television on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on April 27, 2012, when Lambert performed for their concert series, again garnering positive reviews.^[143][144] He appeared on Good Morning America -- the show from which he was cut following his controversial American Music Awards of 2009 performance—on May 14, to sing "Never Close Our Eyes" and co-host the Pop News segment.^[145] He announced via Twitter that he would return to the American Idol stage for his third consecutive year to perform "Never Close Our Eyes" on the results show that precedes Idol's final week.^[146] The May 17 performance was touted for its vibrant energy and dazzle, as well as for the powerhouse vocals that have become Lambert's signature.^{[147][148][149]}

Trespassing was released on May 15, 2012, following more than a week of major news stories and a preponderance of positive reviews.^{[150][151][152][153]} Lambert tweeted his excitement at finding that the album had spent its first day at the top of the U.S. iTunes album chart.^[154][155]On May 23, the album debuted in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart, selling upwards of 77,000 copies.^[156][157]Lambert again took to twitter, referencing the historic significance of being the first openly gay artist to reach this pinnacle, and as usual, acknowledging the help of his fans.^[158]

The video for "Never Close Our Eyes," released on May 29, flipped the song's more personal, manifest content on its head, as Lambert had done with "Trespassing"'s first video release, "Better Than I Know Myself." Directed by Dori Oskowitz, it depicts a a drab, futuristic, Orwellian-type landscape which becomes transformed through rebellion, visually represented by dazzling neon color and celebratory dance. The latter signify the return (and triumph) of individual expression, advancing the album's themes of dark vs. light, and suppression vs. self-affirmation.^{[159][160][161]}

Television (2009–2011)[link]

Lambert has made numerous television appearances since leaving the American Idol stage.

In May 2009, he performed outdoors at the Fifth Avenue studios of CBS' The Early Show with his rendition of "Mad World".^[162] The following morning, he was interviewed on Live with Regis and Kelly, and again performed “Mad World.”^[163]

He was interviewed for a segment of the ABC News magazine show 20/20 in June 2009, which was promoted as the first televised discussion by Lambert of his sexuality. The interview reviewed much of his musical career, leading into the up-coming 2009 Idol Tour.^[164]

In August 2009, he appeared with fellow Idols David Cook and Kris Allen on the Good Morning America televised concert series held in Central Park, New York City. He sang a nearly acoustic version of Muse’s “Starlight,” which had become part of his set list for the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009, then running concurrently.^[165][166]

On November 25, 2009, Lambert performed his single "Whataya Want from Me" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Earlier that day, he had debuted the song live on The Early Show, where he also sang "Music Again" from the newly released For Your Entertainment album. The appearances provided a segue from his controversial American Music Awards performance that had occurred only days earlier.^[167]

Lambert began December 2009 with an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The interview segment covered his AMA performance as well as the newly released For Your Entertainment. Lambert later performed his new single "Whataya Want from Me",^[168] which he reprised in an acoustic version on Ellen’s February 10, 2011 show, soon after being nominated for a Grammy Award for his vocal performance of the song.^[169] In May 2010, he returned to perform a new single, "If I Had You".^[170]

Lambert was chosen for Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009, and appeared on the December 10 show to be interviewed by Walters.^[171] That same morning, he appeared on The View, another interview format which also included a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".^[172] Both the Barbara Walters special and The View are ABC shows: the same network which had reacted by banning Lambert after receiving complaints following his November American Music Awards appearance. As a result, the performance on The View was pre-recorded.

Lambert appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on December 14, 2009, and performed his single.^[173] He provided another live performance two days later on the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Appearing with other superstar artists, Lambert's "Whataya Want from Me" stole the show, according to an MTV review. Earlier that day, he appeared on Chelsea Lately, with host Chelsea Handler.^[174]

Lambert appeared for the first time on The Jay Leno Show on December 21, 2009, giving a lengthy interview and performing "Whataya Want from Me".^[175] He was invited back in March 2010 to close the second episode of The Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno, with a performance of the song "Sleepwalker" from his debut album.^[176] Lambert performed his newly released single "If I Had You" on Leno's May 21, 2010, show.^[177]

Lambert began 2010 with a January interview and performance of "If I Had You" on The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[178] A few days prior, he was interviewed for the Fuse TV "On the Record" segment.^[179] In February, he could be seen as Grammy correspondent on the Red Carpet for Entertainment Tonight.^[180] In March, as part of his swing through Australia to promote his album, he performed on "So You Think You Can Dance", as well as the popular morning show "Sunrise".^[181] Lambert also did a series of television appearances in Japan,^[182] as part of his Asian and European promotional tour.

In the same month, Lambert was selected to inaugurate the newly resurrected award-winning VH1 Unplugged concert series, for which he interviewed as well as performed stripped-down versions of five songs from For Your Entertainment.^[183] March 2010 also saw him as a featured artist on the ABC News Nightline "Playlist" segment, in which he discussed his musical influences and favorite tracks.^[184]

In April 2010, Lambert returned to American Idol as the first former contestant to mentor during an Elvis Presley themed week, followed by a performance of "Whataya Want from Me".^[185] His contributions drew praise, including from then Idol musical director Rickey Minor.^[186] In May, continuing his swing though Europe, he gave a guest interview for Finland X Factor 's the "Chaos Tube," also performing "Whataya Want from Me" on the show.^[187]

Lambert appeared on Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards on June 20, 2010, picking up the UR Fav International Video award for "Whataya Want from Me" which he also performed.^[188] On November 11, 2010 he was the subject of his own E! True Hollywood Story, which included in-depth interviews with family members, friends, music journalists and others.^[189] In December, Lambert was the subject of another in-depth interview for CNN Talk Asia, which he recorded while on the international leg of his tour.^[190]

Lambert walked the 2011 Grammy Awards red carpet on February 13, 2011, in honor of his nomination in the Best Male Pop Vocal category for "Whataya Want from Me". He was also one of five participants in the Grammy Social Media Rock Stars Summit, which kicked off a three-day online Grammy event preceding the show. Other participants included senior executives from Facebook, Pandora and Foursquare, and Grammy award winner Chamillionaire. The summit focused on issues relevant to music and its interface with social and new media platforms.^[191][192]

In the February 19, 2011, episode of MTV’s “10 0n Top”, Lambert was interviewed during a limo ride to the Grammy Award event, where he discussed his nomination, fashion and favorites for the evening. The show focusses on the ten “most texted and talked about young celebs at the moment.”^[193][194]

Lambert returned to the American Idol stage for the March 10, 2011, results show, singing an acoustic version of his song "Aftermath", accompanied only by guitar. The track appears in its original form on his debut album For Your Entertainment. After the performance, a dance remix version was made available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting The Trevor Project.^[195]