Adam's Run

I’ve had two Thanksgiving dinners with Eber Lambert, father of American Idol Adam. Last November, before we all sat down to eat, Eber was doing a lot of texting. He said, “My son just made it onto American Idol.” Eber was mum on the details, as he wasn’t allowed to talk about it.

The show ended with Adam Lambert as the runner-up. I called Eber to get his take on Adam’s run.

“Three days a week, I’d go to the Starbucks on 32nd and University before work. Half a dozen people there knew me, my drink. They figured out that Adam was my son. One person overheard me talking about going to L.A. and asked why. I said that my son was on American Idol. That’s before anyone really knew who was who. It got to the point where I couldn’t go in there because everyone knew and wanted updates. I found a new coffee shop.”

How was it for Adam dealing with paparazzi?

“They kept him bubbled in once he got into the top ten. They protected him from the paparazzi, and even from me! I was with him once when he almost got cornered. It was early in the top ten, and we went out to eat. The show was filmed at CBS Studios, and the Grove is right next door. We just left through a gate — me and his mom, Amy, and his friend Danielle. He knew a quick way to get there through the parking garage, and people were chasing him down. It was like I was walking with a Beatle. He signed autographs for a few minutes, but then it got ugly and we had to go through a back door of the garage where the dumpsters were.”

Were you ever worried he’d be eliminated?

“Oh, yeah. I was getting worried about Danny Gokey. Not because he was more talented but [he had] more national appeal. And if you looked at Idol stuff on the internet, he was the front-runner for a long time. People were working the ‘God versus gay’ showdown and all that. With Kris [Allen] and Adam, they really are good friends. My ex-wife and I, we like the Allens as well and have become good friends. They’re really good people. Progressive thinkers. They’re Midwest Christian, church-going folks. When it got down to [Kris and Adam], it was more palpable.

“When Kris made it to the finals, I was convinced he would win.”