American Idol David Cook Speaks Out on Women, Family
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By Cathy Beers
Jun 3, 2008

What's it like to win American Idol and be the latest rock star sex symbol? David Cook isn't really sure yet. "I need a couple more days to wrap by head around what happened," the 25-year-old Missouri rocker, who topped runner up David Archuleta by a landslide 12 million votes told People magazine. "It's such a life changing thing." And the magazine notes that it was a bittersweet victory: Cook's brother Adam, 36, has been battling brain cancer but was able to attend the May 21 finale.

The article notes that David wiped away tears as he spoke about dealing with his brother's struggle during the competition. "I know that he's proud, and that is kind of getting me through at this point," he says. "He's still fighting, which is all we can ask for right now." His mom, Beth Foraker, and brother Andrew joined Cook onstage after his win: "I loved that I got to share that moment with them."

The magazine notes this week that the new idol hunk was tending bar in Oklahoma less than a year ago and he is just now getting used to paparazzi, who recently caught him stepping out with season 2 Idol alum Kimberly Caldwell, 26, to Ruth's Chris steak house in L.A., after he asked her out live on the TV Guide Channel's Idol Tonight preshow. Cook, who says he's "single-ish", finds all of the female attention "very, very new."

And odd. "I'm thinking, where was that before the show?" he jokes. "I'm just a nerd. I'm a goofball. You guys might want to get to know me a little bit more." A lot of women would like to take Cook up on that.