'Idol' time: Top 10 contestants from Fox show perform area concerts this weekend

Got this in a google alert this morning. Nice article -- a bit of old news but some new stuff too.

'Idol' time: Top 10 contestants from Fox show perform area concerts this weekend
By Alan Sculley
Correspondent

When David Cook found out he passed his initial audition for "American Idol" and would advance in the competition on the hit Fox television series, he felt something besides happiness and anticipation.

He also felt uncomfortable about the situation.

That's because he hadn't even come to the Omaha, Neb., audition to participate. Rather, he had intended to provide moral support for his brother, Andrew, who was trying out for the show. At the prodding of Andrew and his mother, however, Cook decided to give it a go.

"We were in the same audition group in the first round, and I was the only one out of the group that made it," said Cook, who would ultimately beat out fellow finalist David Archuleta in May to win the 2008 "American Idol" competition.

Cook, along with the nine other finalists from the 2008 competition, will be in Worcester and Manchester, N.H. this weekend with the "American Idol Live" tour.

"So yeah, it was a little awkward. I made it a point, as soon as I got out of the arena, I said to him if you don't want me to do this, I won't. And his response, this kind of speaks to his character, he said, 'If you don't do it, I'll kick your (butt).'"

Cook, 25, said he never saw himself as "Idol" material, though he was well on his way to pursuing a music career in the more conventional way.

Born in Houston, Cook and his family moved to Blue Springs, Mo., near Kansas City, when he was 2. When he was 15, he formed a rock band, Axium, before he moved on to college to study graphic arts.

In 2006, he graduated from college, released a solo CD, "Analog Heart," and moved to Tulsa, Okla., where he had a gig lined up to play guitar in the regional touring band Midwest Kings.

He was working on a second solo album when he auditioned for "American Idol," and hadn't been looking to change his game plan.

"I was back in Tulsa, bartending and doing a record, so I was pretty happy with where I was at," Cook said.

Plus, he wasn't at all sold on the idea that his rock-pop sound would be a good fit for "American Idol."

"I didn't really know I was what the show was looking for," Cook said. "I had watched in the past and never seen a rocker win the show. And to me, it was kind of like, if somebody like Bo (Bice) or somebody like Chris (Daughtry) can't come on here and win it, what shot do I have?"

He wasn't the only one with doubts. He was initially dubbed by critics as a darkhorse in the field of 24 contestants who made the show. And Simon Cowell, "Idol's" famously outspoken judge, predicted that 17-year-old Archuleta would win hands down after the two Davids faced off for the final time on the "Idol" stage.

Even Cook began to buy into that line of thinking. After arriving that morning to prepare for the Wednesday evening's finale, he was told the vote was 56 percent to 44 percent. He figured that meant only one thing.

"I was like OK, 'Archie's' got it," Cook said. "I didn't really think much about it the rest of the day. I kind of went through the motions of getting ready for Wednesday night's finale. I was just stoked to be playing with ZZ Top."

Hearing his name announced as the winner was surreal, he said.

"It was kind of an out-of-body experience," Cook said. "I felt like I was watching it with everybody else."

Since that evening of May 21, Cook has been busy taking the next steps in the life of an "Idol" champion.

He jumped into rehearsals with the other top 10 finishers for this summer's "American Idols Live" tour. He performs five songs and participates in a pair of ensemble numbers.

"Everybody seems really happy with their set. And we're all able to not only do songs from the show, but also throw in some stuff that we weren't able to get on the show, but stuff that we enjoy performing," Cook said.

"Like I'm doing 'My Hero' by the Foo Fighters, and that's one of my favorite songs, just high energy. So it's cool. I think we're all getting to show a little bit more of ourselves to everybody."

Cook also has his sights set on recording his first album under his new record contract with 19 Recordings/RCA. The album is due in mid-November, which means time will be tight once the "American Idols Live" tour ends mid-September.

"I'm a rock singer, so it will be a rock record," Cook said. "But the good thing about rock music is there are some subgenres there. So there's room to meander."

His goal, he said, is to put out a record that's both eclectic and cohesive.

"If I can do that and find that balance, I think the sky's the limit," he said.

If past performance is a barometer, Cook's debut album will take the industry by storm. He already smashed all previous records from the digital music age by landing 17 songs on various "Billboard" charts at the same time at the end of May.

"The Time of My Life," the song he performed after winning "Idol," led the way, debuting at No. 1 on "Billboard's" Hot Digital Tracks chat, with a first-week total of 236,000 downloads.

"I think every so often everything kind of lines up for you, and hopefully that's what's happening now," Cook said. "I've said it a few times before: I think if this all ends tomorrow, I've already had a hell of a ride. I'm content. And I think moving forward, the goal is to keep that vibe. If I can keep being happy doing this, great. That's one thing I'm not willing to compromise."

If you go

What: "American Idols Live"

When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9

Where: DCU Center, Worcester

Tickets: $68.50, $54.50, $39.50. Call 617-931-2000 or 866-448-7849.

AND

When: 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 10

Where: Verizon Wireless Arena Manchester, N.H.

Tickets: $68.50, $54.50, $39.50. Call Ticketmaster, 603-868-7300, or visit the Verizon Wireless Arena box office.

What is your current ringtone?

So, I thought it might be interesting to see what we all have as our ringtones on our cell --- mine changes on a semi-frequent basis, but at the moment, it's David & ZZ top's version of Sharp Dressed Man. I totally ROCK OUT whenever my phone rings. And then people get mad at me for not answering because I am too busy dancing and singing along.

What about you?

Cook Storms Charts

This was in today's Boston Herald


Cook storms charts
‘Idol’ winner puts 11 songs on Hot 100
Jed Gottlieb
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - Updated 5h ago



Last week, David Cook found what he was looking for and made history on the Billboard charts.

After winning the seventh season of “American Idol� last month, Cook set a record for debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Digital Songs chart. Led by “The Time of My Life,� which made its debut at No. 3, and followed by “Dream Big,� “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For� and eight other tracks, Cook crashed the Hot 100 with 11 debut singles in one week. That’s the most songs any one artist has ever had on the pop charts aside from the Beatles, who had 14 the week of April 11, 1964.

Cook also managed to place a record-breaking 14 titles on the Digital Songs chart, including 236,000 downloads of “The Time of My Life,� a song specifically designed as the ’08 “Idol� winner’s anthem.

Billboard charts guru Geoff Mayfield doesn’t find Cook’s feat especially astonishing. He notes the massive publicity surrounding “Idol� and the fact that this season was the first in which songs performed on the show have been available for immediate download.

“I think he had the advantage of being on the most popular show in the country,� Mayfield said with a chuckle from his office in Los Angeles. “In the early days of ‘Idol,’ the CD was still the leading format for singles. Now with iTunes and its competitors, you can get really fast digital sales and really fast reads on those digital sales.�

Cook’s runner-up benefited as well. David Archuleta had three songs enter the Hot 100 last week, led by his cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine� at No. 36.

“American Idol� creator - and now Cook’s manager - Simon Fuller did even better. With three other “Idol�-spawned artists - Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and Daughtry - Fuller’s acts occupied 17 chart positions, surpassing the record set by Beatles manager Brian Epstein, whose stable landed 14 songs on the Hot 100 in one week in 1964.

Billboard’s singles chart is determined by a number of factors including sales, radio play and online streaming. Because sales in the digital age revolve around big first-week swells, all five of Cook’s big singles fell out of the Top 50 in their second week; “The Time of My Life� dropped from No 1. to No. 4 on the digital chart.

“Maybe the song can have a longer life if it hooks into radio,� said Mayfield. “But the thing about these ‘Idol’ songs is that they’re not built for radio. They’re for that big, emotional moment when all the confetti is falling.�

But radio’s power is waning. TV has become the launching pad du jour of artists from Josh Groban to Sia to the Fray, who all picked up download and physical sales bumps after TV tie-ins.

Now Cook has become the king of the music/TV nexus, thanks to the 31.7 million people who watched the “Idol� finale on Fox. At least he’s a record-setting king until next season, when a new crop of “Idol� hopefuls arise and more fans than ever start downloading their performances.

I am looking for a picture of...

Since Ive seen a bunch of threads asking for pictures (or where to find them), I thought this might act as a nice central place where we can all help each other out and nothing gets lost.

Anyway - I'll start. I am looking for the below picture in a high-quality size (I think this one is 660 x 400ish) for my desktop at work - if anyone can help me out -- that'd be great!

 normal_81196281_10.jpg ( 227.73K ) Number of downloads: 18

David's Complete AI Journey

I found this tribute video on you tube - and its amazing. Kudos to the person who put it together - because it's awesome. Brought me to tears (although, it's not often that listening to his single won't bring me to tears if I try to sing along with it)

David's Complete AI Journey

Enjoy!