Adam Lambert's Atrocious Performance of "Ring of Fire"

I thought it sucked too. I'm a huge Johnny Cash song, and I think Johnny was spinning in his grave last night.

You know nothing of Johnny Cash! He was a major rebel and his last recording was with Nine Inch Nails! You have obviously never seen the photo of him flipping the camera off!

Ooooh my goodness !! He sounded like a lady singing !!
Made me sick !! Like Bunny said,'Only Johnny can do Johnny' !!

Hugs, Barbie

IMHO, he didn't sound like a lady at all. I LOVED the way he sang"Ring of Fire" and so did everyone I know. So sexy and interesting and original. What would be the point of his singing it just like Johnny Cash did That would just be karaoke, yes ? Instead, Adam showed himself to be a great creative artist. I think Johnny, who was a rebel himself, would have approved of that.
Adam Lambert is a super talented singer with incredible vocal range and control. He is a mega superstar with millions of fans all over the world. Get over it folks.

You know how you can look at a dog or a baby and think, "It's so ugly, it's cute!" Well, that's kinda how I felt about Adam's performance last night. At first I was understandably flabergasted at the arrangement, but then I closed my eyes and listened only to his voice. And, as much as the performance last night was strange (to say the very least), you have to admit that the boy can sing. For what he did sing, it was in tune and showed a range that some of the other contestants don't have.

Hopefully now that country week is out of the way he can go back to singing the stuff he does so well. Because there's no way he's going home. Even with the comments Simon made last night, if Adam lands in the bottom spot I think they will pull out thier "save" a bit early in the compitition. They won't let him go home.

Indescribably bad. A train wreck. Three thumbs down. Go away, Adam. Please?

Guess that didn't happen, huh? LMAO

Adam is here to stay, if we're lucky. He is so incredibly talented - the best male singer in the world today. America had better start appreciating his amazing talent or it will lose him to Europe or some other country in the world that knows enough to honor the amazing talent he is.
Get over your petty problems, folks. The song is not "sacrosanct" - creative artistry should be valued and honored, not denigrated.

This travesty is unacceptable!!! The song Ring of Fire is sacrosanct to those of us with the Y chromosome and to treat the song in such a shoddy manner is tantamount to rejecting one's own masculinity.

Since I'm a firm believing in punishments fitting the crimes, as a fitting punishment I propose this Lambert fellow no longer be allowed to pee while standing. This will send out a clear message to all future singers: You sing like a woman, you pee like one.

Sorry, Phineas, but Adam absolutely oozed masculinity in his performance of Ring of Fire. So sexy - Women, whether gay or straight, find Adam to be incredibly and delightfully sexy. Straight men just don't get it. Most have no idea what turns a woman on, but Adam has it in spades. Sexiest man I've ever seen. And best singer and performer ever. His charisma is just off-scale.

I just heard this song "ring of fire", and I think that he really performed it well in his own way. It's a little scary though. I think he's really good. He's got amazing voice and skills. Moreover, I'm not the only one who thinks that he's good. One friend of mine likes him too. ha ha! I'm not alone in this world...ha ha! I really think that he's good.

I didn't like the version personally but I still think he's very talented and I look forward to see what he does every week. I'm a big fan of when the Idols do a remake of a well-known song and make it sound nothing like the original - like David Cook last year with "Billy Jean" - loved that!

Yes, that is what the judges are always asking contestants to do - make the song their own, not just imitate the original. If new singers just sang every song like it was sung by others, there would be no point in having new singers. New singers are supposed to show something of themselves, bring something new to the stage. Artistic creativity is a very precious thing.

Brandy, I would agree that Adam has a face only a mother would love.

I think that he could do well with some rock songs, but he just gets too karaoke at times...that would be drunk karaoke.

Are you kidding ? Adam is absolutely GORGEOUS. Handsomest man I've ever seen ! And I know lots of other women who agree.

It definitely wasn't country! But then if he had tried to sing country given his looks and personality -- it would have been terrible.
If you listen to it as if it was some new (non-country) song that you had never heard before and if you were open to the sound, it was fine. It show-cased the range and quality of his voice.

All I can say is I'm glad I no longer watch the show!!!

Yup Liz, this is 2 strikes in a row for me too on Adam. I am verging on the line of not being able to tolerate him! I understand him wanting to be different, but to abandon the original melody so much that the song becomes unrecognizable? Unforgiveable! I posted the following comment on my Idol Recap:

"It might be my growing bias for Country Music, but he totally abandoned the original melody of the song. A JOHNNY CASH classic! You just don't do that! It's a disgrace. Kinda like what Lil did at times in "Independence Day." Country Music is known for great melodies....you want to make a song your own, but come on! Stick to the original melodies! lol "

Mike, I completely agree. Adam might as well have said, "Johnny Cash sucks! My version is better." It's one thing to put a new spin on a song, but not to change the entire melody.

I was actually pretty entertained by this version and I'll tell you why:

1. He's easily the most gifted singer in the competition, and the song showcased his range. He knows he's moving on either way.

2. As Helen said, it definitely wasn't country, but Adam doing country would have been ridiculous and the judges would have killed him for it. (See last night's performance from the Fantasia clone).

3. Let's not kid ourselves. Adam Lambert will put out a country album the day I start posting cat poems and cooing over Fluffy's latest facial expression. Translation: ain't never gonna happen. He was in a no-win situation this week, so he decided he'd show how creative he can be and showed off his Steven Tyler screeching.

4. To refute Bunny's comment that only Johnny can do Johnny, I think Social Distortion, Frank Zappa, and any of the other dozens of singers/bands on this list would disagree.

I didn't like it either...kinda' creepy if you ask me....

Very very bad.

It definitely wasn't country ... but I think he would have looked more foolish trying to fit into a genre that just isn't him. I didn't like watching him, but must admit that I kind of liked the arrangement of the song. It was reminiscent of Jim Morrison and a few times his voice sounded like Roy Orbison.

I agree with Randy's comment on the show that it was like Nine Inch Nails performing Johnny Cash -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think there are a lot of young, "non-country listening" viewers out there who loved his performance and will be voting to keep him on the show. That said, I don't see him winning in the end.

I agree with Helen. I think it shows real talent to make something completely new out of a well-known song. Yes, I understand it can be upsetting to some Johnny Cash lovers but that could be said for any well-known artist out there. If he had done the same to another artist's song it would've offended a different group of people, but the point is really about making a new song out of an older one and making it sound great. They always get criticized when they sound too much like the original.

I totally agree with Randy's assessment too - I was thinking Nine Inch Nails when I listened. Hate it or love it, the boy is talented.

We're all entitled to our opinions, but i think that Adam Lambert is an amazing artist. He took a genre that he wasn't comfortable with and made it his own...I think Johnny would be proud.

I have less concern with how he reinvented the song (which was interesting, but not in genre) than how he tries so hard to seduce the camera. Creepy.

I completely disagree about Adam's vocal range. He can go high in this song, but did anyone see him last week? He was very out of tune.

well i disagree with all of you. I think Adam is brilliant! No I dont think he is american idol material, but I would definately love to see him perform. Good Luck Adam, you got my vote.

being a hard core metal head that was raised on country, i felt the arrangement was so very over the top, bordering on a farce. he should have toned it down a little.

does the boy know rock? definitely. there's no doubt. parts of the song were impressively arranged.

as for johnny can only do johnny...please...i don't think mr. cash would agree whatsoever. he covered a NIN song for goodness sake.

but simon said it best last night. adam was completely over-indulgent.

Lets get real people. Johnny Cash fit a niche in his window of time that was never before and will never again be open. What is so sacred about Johnny Cash or his punishing vocals. I personally believe that anyone OTHER than Johnny Cash should sing Johnny Cash songs. I remember when Dave Matthews Band came out with the album Before These Crowded Streets which featured a few songs that sounded ALOT like what Adam did last night. Maybe performances like the one Adam did last night will allow non-country fans to enjoy the show.

Oh yeah, Adam is an 80's hairband leadsinger throwback who missed his window by about 25 years.

I thought it was so strange and weird. Im not a big fan of his. Although I have to admit he is a strong vocalist. And I will give him credit for trying something different and making it his own. But it just didn't work.

Mia, I'm with you. The fact that he is so obvious about loving himself is very distracting.

The guy has a voice! He was attempting something different. I hated it too. I want him on a little longer so that we can study him. You must admit he is unusual, and I find that interesting. When judging an ability, we must not judge from looks. Remember gorgeous Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt? Some people dismiss him because he is gay. Well, so are such talents as Johnnie Mathis, Barry Manilow, Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, Rufus Waynewright, Lead of Pet Shop Boys Cybdi Lauper , and on an on. Talents all!

Leo L San Antonio

I may have been annoyed with him coming across so self-absorbed, but believe it or not, I don't want him to get voted off yet. As horrendous as it was, it was the most memorable performance for me last night.

I loved Adam's performance last night. I loved what he did with Ring of Fire.
Adam is too much of a product already. He came into this season with a defined look and its only getting more so. I think the scene hair and the pancake foundation is to hide the fact that he's older than he looks. He has expensive teeth.
Beyond all that, the audacious costume, the black nail polish, the emo hair, he is a highly talented singer and I think he might win.

Do you people understand what HEAVY METAL is? Adam sang this song the same way Geoff Tate of Queensryche or Ian Gillan of Deep Purple would have sung it. He has an insane brilliant Metal voice. He is a HEAVY METAL singer all you middle of the road music folks. I would never in a million years expect middle america to get, understand or even grasp the brilliance in that performance. Go to you tube and search for any Progressive metal act and you will hear the same kind of vocal. HEAVY METAL RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found the performance to be spooky - but the kid has talent. He should not be voted off because we did not like the rendition of the song. He is original and interesting to watch. And who knows . . . maybe he did it to generate the word of mouth - and keep himself memorable. In the end, that does not always translate into votes. I am excited to watch tonight!

He is talented. I disliked this performance immensely, but the problem may be that we were expecting something else-- like ,maybe Johnny Cash. I want to see more of what he can do! Just because you do not like his looks does not mean that he should be voted out. Remember the gorgeous Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt, ?

I was speechless - but it made good television!

I thought he was fantabulous!

I didn't like it either. Of course I also didn't like a few others that some of the judges thought were fantastic last night.

I didn't like it at all. It sounded strange. Kind of made me tilt my head and say, huh??

He looks like a girl...

I absolutely love Adam Lambert. He is such an amazing vocalist, and he is right up my alley when it comes to vocal style. I hate Country Music a lot. He took a boring horrible country song and made it HOT.

Even if he doesn't win, he is going to have a very loyal fan base and he will make it in the music world somewhere.

Oh my goodness are you guys kidding me? Adam Lambert's version was INCREDIBLE. I am a country fan completely. I adore Johnny Cash. But I absolutely fell in love with Adam's version. Adam Lambert should win this competition. I adore Adam. He should win this competition.
I love Adam Lambert. Even if he doesn't win, I will still be his number one fan. No matter where in the music world he is.

WE LOVE YOU, ADAM!!!!!

This long time country music and Johnny Cash fan was captivated by such an original take. As a johnny-come-lately EARLY Elvis fan, Adam's eyes and facial expressions are just as fascinating. Looking forward to his next 'cover'.

American Idol may have turned into cookie-cutter performances, but it's not what it should be. The judges are always saying they want the contestants to take a song, make it original, different, their own, and season after season, week after week, no one has really done that to such an extent as Adam Lambert. He has not only broken out of the Idol mold, but he's doing it in a way that a lot of his viewers love.

I really loved his Ring of Fire performance. I loved everything about it. His voice was wild and controlled and beautiful. Just because the theme of the week is songs sung at the Grand Ole Opry, doesn't mean it has to be sung in the same style. He took an old country song, a legendary song that I for one love, and made it new and unique and current and threw it out to a whole new genre that, previously, might not have ever wanted to listen to the Cash version. Now, many more people are loving a well written song and I can't see that as a bad thing. Adam Lambert is not a country singer. He's not singing to 100% of the viewers because I'm sure he knows that everyone has different tastes in music. Not everyone is going to like it, but every week, he's singing to those of us that do love everything he does. He's hoping that, at some point, others will come around and see what a fantastic singer/performer he is. The goal of an artist is to be appreciated. To put something of yourself out there and hope your audience likes it. I'd say America not only likes it, we love it. We want to take it home and call it ours. He's been called a chameleon, and that is exactly what he is. He can change himself as needed, and that is a good thing in the industry he has broken into. Just because he changed his hair doesn't make him fake. He's being who he wants to be, not what everyone else wants him to be. It's called individuality and that is a good thing no matter where you are from....Or at least it should be.

I hope Adam keeps doing this kind of thing to the songs he sings. Every single week, he's given us what we want from him and all I can say now, is I want more.

Well here we are 2 years on. I only just saw this article for the 1st time and want to put my 2 cents in. Firstly Adam did not make this version of ROF up. Dilana sang this version (much worse) on INXS Rockstar. Go and look it up I think you'll agree that Adams version was much better. Adam was amazing with it. Now lets move forward 2 years.. yes 2 years have gone by... as you know Adam came 2nd in Idol, has toured the States and the world doing concerts and been ultra popular. He really has moved into the realm of worldwide star that Simon said he was. Yes hes made a couple of mistakes along the way but his millions of fans have forgiven him those and we eagerly await his 2nd album with breathless anticipation.
I think Liz Goodwin you have some eating of words to do.. Adam is an incredible young man with an incredible talent. Your whole grasp on Adam as a performer seemed skewed in the wrong direction. I hope you have seen the light. And i sure hope you love his face now!!!

What an article to find two years later. I loved Ring of Fire on Idol and even more live last summer. Unfortunately, I wasn't at Ryman to witness him doing what Simon said he'd never do, singing Ring of Fire in the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Great to read this 3 years later! I LOVED ring of fire!! Listen to it regularly on YouTube! And all the idiot sheep who said the song would end his popularity get to watch as he TOURS THE WORLD, PERFORMS WITH QUEEN and watches his albums shoot to the top of the charts. This is after he nailed the song at the Ryman in Nashville!
All the people who try to say "Johnny would have hated the performance" DON'T HAVE A CLUE. When I was growing up in Nashville, Johnny was the consummate rebel. The song is about ILLICIT LUST/LOVE! Adam just gave it a more appropriate sound track!!