Adam Lambert has traveled far since his days as a freckle faced, red-headed kid playing Linus in his school production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Along the way, he's pushed boundaries, reinvented glam-rock and transformed himself into a universal sex symbol. The most beloved runner-up in "American Idol" history shares his journey to stardom in his own words in the upcoming "E! True Hollywood Story," set to premiere November 21st at 9:00 PM, ET/PT.

Also sitting down with E! are Lambert's mother, Leila; father, Eber; brother, Neil; close friends and widely respected music journalists Anne Powers and Vanessa Grigoriadis. Lambert's family shares intimate anecdotes from the pop star's childhood in North San Diego County. "I'm very fortunate to have parents that recognized that I was different and recognized how I was special. They didn't ever try to box me in," says Lambert. The singer also divulges wild stories from his days performing in various musical theater gigs on cruise ships and throughout Europe. He explains, "I was exploring my sexuality a lot more aggressively. I was living a rock star lifestyle. I tried a lot of things—it was a big eye-opener for me." Lambert also tells E! the revelation he experienced while attending the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert that landed him at American Idol auditions in San Francisco. American Idol judge Randy Jackson shares with E! his recollections of that fateful day when he heard Lambert's Idol audition - "I was like 'Oh my God; I've been looking for this guy, where has this guy been?" To the shock of many, Lambert did not walk away the winner of the popular singing competition, losing to Kris Allen in the final vote. This new "E! True Hollywood Story" examines the speculation surrounding the Idol results and Lambert's reaction to being a runner-up.



Also chronicled in the one-hour program are the emotional and controversial milestones in Lambert's personal life. From how he told his parents that he was gay, to the release of potentially damaging photos of him kissing an ex-boyfriend during the height of the American Idol craze, to his Rolling Stone magazine cover story and his highly criticized American Music Awards performance, Lambert reveals all. Says the singer, "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."

With new stories, surprising revelations and exclusive photos and videos straight from an extremely candid Lambert himself, this "E! True Hollywood Story" is not to be missed. Be sure to tune-in to the "E! True Hollywood Story: Adam Lambert" on November 21th at 9:00 PM only on E!.