Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: Lambert was runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol and is the first openly gay mainstream pop artist to launch a career on a major label in America .
Simplified: In May 2009 , he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol . The Times identified Lambert as one of the few openly gay mainstream pop artists to launch a career on a major label in the United States .