Adam Lambert, the most praised and accomplished runner up in American Idol history, shares his journey to superstardom in an upcoming E! True Hollywood Story.

Lambert has come a long way from his freckle faced, red-headed days of playing “Linus” in a school production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  Now, Lambert is seen as a revolutionist, a boundary pusher, a glam-rocker, and a universal sex symbol.

Chronicled in the E! True Hollywood Story special is Lambert’s emotional rollercoaster of controversial milestones he has faced as a person: how Lambert told his parents he was gay; the potentially career damaging photos of him kissing an ex-boyfriend that surfaced during the height of his American Idol experience; his risqué Rolling Stone Magazine cover shoot; and his extremely criticized American Music Awards performance. 

Lambert tells E! “My fans have been really supportive of my choice to be open and upfront about my sexuality and my lifestyle.  I have come from the belief that hiding something from people and manipulating what they think of you is far more offensive and disrespectful than just being upfront and being who you are.”

Joining Lambert in the E! interview are his mother, Leila; father, Eber; and brother, Neil.  “I’m very fortunate to have parents that recognized that I was different… They didn’t ever try to box me in,” says Lambert.

Close friends also give their thoughts on Lambert’s career, and widely respected music journalists Anne Powers and Vanessa Grigoriadis weigh in on Lambert’s contribution to the music industry.  Also featured in the special is American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who discusses with E! his memory of first hearing Lambert’s voice at the initial American Idol audition: “I was like ‘oh my god, I’ve been looking for this guy, where has this guy been?’”

Perhaps the most compelling part of E!’s interview with Lambert is the discussion of the widely speculated results of American Idol, where Lambert came in second to Kris Allen.

E! True Hollywood Story’s Adam Lambert special raises new questions, surprising revelations, and even exclusive photos and videos from Lambert.  Airing November 21^st at 9:00 exclusively on E!, the special is not to be missed.