'Idol' finalists relieved, excited about future

CNN) -- On Tuesday's "American Idol," judge Simon Cowell declared David Archuleta delivered a knockout over his competitor David Cook. However, fans felt otherwise as Cook won the Fox singing competition by 12 million votes.

Cook and Archuleta appeared on "Larry King Live" Friday. The two finalists discussed their lives after the final and what they think their futures will bring.

Larry King: So you weren't -- so you weren't surprised when they -- when Ryan (Seacrest) said Cook?

David Archuleta: No. Of course -- I don't know, I just thought, I already knew this guy was just, just so talented. I mean he's just someone -- he's actually someone I've looked up to since the beginning. And we just -- all my friends have been rooting for Cook, too. They're just -- like three people -- I told him three people on MySpace, three of my friends on their sites, they had his song on there. I just thought that was really funny. It was -- it was cool.

David Cook: Yes.

King: All right, guys, where do you want to go with this? David, what do you want to do?

Cook: Well, I kind of half jokingly said at the beginning of the season that I wanted to win an Oscar and a Grammy. And now I'm in a position where I get to try. So, but first off, I just want to -- I want to put out a record with some substance and something that's going to be able to stand on its own in 10 years, that's the goal.

King: We have an e-mail for David Cook from Tyler in Crown Point, Indiana: "I'm 8 years old. I've been studying guitar since I was six."

Cook: Oh, wow!

King: "How old were you when you started guitar lessons and what advice would you give me?"

Cook: I started playing guitar when I was 12 or 13, and there are a couple pieces of advice. One is it gets really tedious in the beginning, but you've got to push through it. And, secondly, your fingers are going to hurt, as you probably already know by now. But if you can work through that, I mean it's -- it's one of the best instruments, I think, to play just because what's cooler than playing guitar, so...

King: It sounds great.

Cook: Yes.

King: We have an e-mail for David Archuleta from T.D. In Bakersfield: "Are you going to focus on pursuing a record contract and a musical career or do you plan to attend college?"

Archuleta: Well, music is my love -- the love of my life. And I just -- it's something I've always enjoyed and it's really changed my life. And so that's just definitely something I've always dreamed about doing. And now that I have the opportunity, that's definitely something that I'd like to do.

And if music doesn't work out, I'd still like to try and -- I'm still looking, I'm still pretty young and I'm still trying to look at what other things interest me. I haven't quite figured it out yet, other than music. Interactive : What happened to previous "Idols"? »

King: Yes, well...

Archuleta: But I'm still -- I'm still looking at things and, different...

King: You're off to a good start. Did you feel, David, relieved when it was over?

Cook: Yes, in a way. The whole show, the eight-month process from first audition to this, it feels like you're holding your breath a little bit. And I've been asked a few times why I cried at the end. And for me, that was just an exhale, to step back and really think about what just happened. It's pretty heavy.

So, yes, I am relieved, because, now I get to move on to the next phase of all this, which is a record and a tour and all the good stuff, so.

King: David, are you relieved?

Archuleta: Oh, yes. You know, it's been -- it's been a pretty long few months here. But, it's been a lot of fun and I just had great times, great memories.

King: You'd recommend it to people?

Archuleta: Oh, definitely. If you...


King: Go for it.

Archuleta: If they really love music and really want to do this, it's definitely an experience of a lifetime. You're going to learn so much from this.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/23/l...ref=mpstoryview