Hope y'all aren't tired of getting bombarded with David Cook yet....

Here's some of his studio recordings I downloaded last night.....very, very good stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm truly, honestly and completely obsessed with Mr. Cook! As are millions of others! 942,000 downloads in a week! Sheesh! The boy is on fire!

The entertainment editor completely blew off American Idol winner David Cook for some DUMB show nobody has ever heard of...so I'm gonna give David the VOX kudos he deserves! Some entertainment editor!

More music to come....(songs from his pre-Idol album and some of his stellar live performances on the show)

The Beatles, then David Cook, then Hannah Montana

David Cook isn’t up there with the Beatles…yet. That’s the story being told by the next Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which will feature 11—count ‘em, 11 – songs from the latest “American Idol” champ when it’s unveiled Thursday. The Hot 100 chart now includes digital downloads, but Billboard reports that through a deal between Apple and “American Idol,” iTunes sales weren’t reported to the charts until last week, when the new “Idol” king was crowned. Hence the “Idol” singers’ tunes have been unleashed onto both the Hot 100 and the Hot Digital Songs lists all at once. Runner-up David Archuleta will land three songs on each chart, led by his cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” (No. 36 on the Hot 100, No. 16. on Hot Digital Songs). Cook’s “The Time of My Life” debuts at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs with 236,000 downloads. Cook will have a whopping 14 titles on the Hot Digital Songs list, an arena in which the Beatles can’t compete (at least not yet). Instead, Cook has vanquished none other than Hannah Montana, who had a record eight songs on that three-year-old chart on Nov. 11, 2006. That same week, Hannah Montana also had the previous high number of Hot 100 debuts in one week: six. Cook’s 11 simultaneous Hot 100 songs are the most in the Nielsen Soundscan era (the more automated sales reporting that began in late 1991) and the most since the Beatles had 14 songs on the charts in the week of April 11, 1964. On “The Time of My Life,” this season’s “Idol” songwriting contest winner, Cook sings: I know this is the time This is the time of my life The time of my life You don’t say.

in 'American Idol', Beatles | Permalink

OK Folks! In case you missed them during the finale results show....here they are back to back...

 

Now I have to say that Archie looks like a little kid who just got ready for beddy-bye and ran back into the living room to goof around...you can also tell he's never played a guitar or guitar hero...but he's as cute as he can be...

Now Cook, on the other hand....that boy has got some moves and some legs, he's givin the ladies what they want :)

I've never been a fan of tighty-whiteys but I'll make an exception here...

Ladies?

It went up Thursday afternoon and he already has over 15,000 friends (myself included). He had a regular My Space before but they aren't allowed to use My Space to plug themselves or anything while the show is going on so he wasn't accessing that one at all.

The Kansas City My Fox site put his new My Space on their site and that's how I found it. He has the studio version of 'Time of my Life' playing.

DAVID COOK'S MY SPACE MUSIC PAGE

 

I was ecstatic when David Cook won American Idol Wednesday night. Aside from the fact that I chose him as 'my guy' and voted for him exclusively early on, I truly believed that he was the overall package as an artist in comparison to Archuleta, who, although extremely talented, was very young and inexperienced and showed little or no originality or versatility while on the show.

I fully expected the internet to be bombarded with talk about Cook's win come Thursday morning and I was correct. There was lots of talk about the show being rigged because people just couldn't digest Cook's 12 million vote advantage. It's just like people who aren't happy with the result want to over-analyze it and pick it to pieces. I even stumbled upon a thread where some people actually thought Archuleta's loss was due to him being a Mormon and how Mormon's never win anything. Puleeeez!!!

There is no doubt, both David's are extremely talented but Cook proved to be a more well-rounded artist. While Archuleta's performances were always top of the line, his journey on the show, to me, seemed like a flatline. He didn't do any original arrangements, he didn't try different singing styles and I don't fault him for that. He's just a kid. Cook, on the other hand had several stand-out performances that showed tremendous originality. He took risks. He sang many different styles of music and did them all very well.

Here's a few videos that kind of show the timeline of his journey and his growth while on the show. Not to mention an extremely amazing transformation in his appearance, thanks to the fabulous stylists and wardrobe people on American Idol. You will also hear quite a bit of negative feedback from Simon in these videos. Last night, on Larry King Cook made a very good point when he said that he respected Simon's opinion and could usually extract the constructive criticism and use it to improve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him! And YES, most definitely...the right David won!

DING, DING, DING, DING, DING, DING! (Just thought I'd put that in there to go along with the much cheesy boxing theme from Tuesday night).

So we have a new Idol and his name is David.....DAVID COOK!

When the winner was announced there was screaming and jumping and running all around at my house done by yours truly! I was in total, blissful shock!

I've watched all the finales of American Idol except for season 1 and I've never seen an upset. After the judges practically handing the crown to Archuleta Tuesday night I was totally prepared for Cook to take second. It was so exciting and I'm so happy I'm still getting goose bumps right now just remembering that moment (plus I've seen it re-aired on FOX this morning about 20 times).

I truly think the right David won. Yes, Archuleta can sing like nobody's business but he doesn't hold a candle to Cooks versatility and marketability as an artist. Even so, I felt a little sorry for the kid because I really think he thought he had it in the bag.

Congrats to David Cook on being the new American Idol!

Now just a few words about the show last night:

I really enjoyed seeing the Top 12 back together and performing although Amanda Overmyer really seemed like she did not want to be there while David Hernandez milked it for everything he could. Being #11 and #12 they don't get to go on the tour so last night was the end of Idol for them.

I loved seeing all of the Idols in the audience, Blake and Bo (my two all-time favorite runner ups) were both in the audience!

Carrie's performance was great even though I had just seen it on the ACM awards Sunday night.

Jordin sang well but her dress was horrible.

Seal looked awesome and paired up well with Sayesha.

I was surprised to see Little David performing with One Republic. I figured his star pairing would be with Josh Groban or Barry Manilow or someone like that. It was a good performance.

I loved seeing Big David with ZZ Top. LOVED that funky chicken thing David did during the song!

Loved both of the Davids' Guitar Hero spots! (loved Big David's better though).

I'm glad they passed on those Idol awards for the horrible people this year. That one guy they did showcase it seemed like they were trying to turn him into the next William Hung! (although there will NEVER be another William Hung, I mean has there ever been a situation where someone could do an album called 'Hung for the Holidays'? I think not).

Bryan Adams with the guys and Donna Summer with the girls were both awesome!

George Michael looked like they dug him up out of the ground and stuck a pair of sunglasses on him. He sang well but I did not care for the song AT ALL! When a celebrity has gone so far off the left end that they start saying that God has turned his back on the world, I'm sorry I don't care to hear that kind of shat.

I guess that's about all. So another season of American Idol is over for us but a new kind of life has just begun for David Cook. Things for him are now going to get crazier than he ever imagined. Keep your eyes on the talk shows because he will be on every one of them over the next week or so.

I'll be keeping up with things on the internet and will be blogging as the tour starts and videos start popping up on You Tube. And of course I will be waiting impatiently for David's album to be released.

Again, Congrats to David Cook. You've been a joy to root for and vote for and I know we're going to hear great things from you!

Well, first of all I'm not overwhelmed by tonights performances by either contestant. Second of all, I'm somewhat deflated and saddened by Cook's lack of charisma tonight. I'm not bashing him by any means. The guy has got a major distraction in his life with his Brother being deathly ill and I actually feared that he might quit the show if his Brother took a turn for the worse. The fact that he remained on the show and was able to perform is commendable in itself. His distraction has been obvious to me the last few weeks and was really obvious after he returned from his homecoming trip. To compound all of this, funds were raised to bring his Brother back to L.A. for the finale tonight but, sadly, he was too ill to make the trip. I cannot even imagine how tortured this young man must be and I fully commend him for sticking it out and I also totally understand that his heart wasn't fully in it tonight.

All this being said I think David Cook took his unofficial concession tonight and I hope he sleeps very well (he will need it because win or lose, both the finalists will be BOMBARDED with media following the results show tomorrow night).

On the other side of the coin toss, Archie was definitely 'in it to win it' tonight. I think booting his Dad from backstage has actually allowed David A to be himself and show some personality in his song choices and his performances. He did better tonight that I think he has any other night. Without that oppression from his Father he really seemed to shine. The judges all seemed to favor Archie. Simon called it a "knockout".

I voted 440 times for David Cook tonight and stopped (there's still a while so I'll probably vote a bit more) but I don't think it matters at this point. Either way, they are both winners and will do very well.

We will see how it all comes down tomorrow night.

I loved seeing my man Ruben on the show tonight. He was here just a week ago filming a documentary with his childhood voice coach for his upcoming role in a Broadway musical. While he was here he also visited some local elementary schools and actually singing with them! Ruben is an awesome guy!

Good luck to both David's tomorrow night!

I feel the need to blog about this because it's something that's really been bugging me. I'm so tired of reading about how some Idol winners are successful and some 'bombed'.  I read today something to the effect of 'can a male Idol winner actually succeed?' Which is obviously a reference to Ruben and Taylor's utter failure as artists. I AM NOT just writing this because Ruben and Taylor are from my hometown, I'm writing this because it seems that people have got the wrong idea of what winning American Idol really means.

The winner of American Idol gets some good stuff: They get a 1,000,000 recording contract with 19. They get to carry the banner of reigning Idol for one year and also get to wear the title of Idol winner for the rest of their lives. They gain a tremendous amount of notoriety and fame. But that's about it folks! Beyond that it's still a big question mark!

Winning American Idol is a catalyst but it doesn't ensure tremendous success. There are many factors that come into play. In America to be deemed 'successful' in the music business you have to fit into a certain genre and mold and make waves on the Billboard charts. But what if your music doesn't neatly fit into a mainstream genre?

Here's a brief rundown of the winners and how they have fared:

Kelly Clarkson - she's a mainstream pop music wet dream and has gone from Idol to achieve international fame and the record sales to back it up.

Ruben Studdard - his roots were in R & B and Christian music. He's recorded albums in both of these genres. He's been on Broadway. Here at home, he used his fame and his own money to start a music foundation for under-privileged children in the Birmingham area. He has a huge legion of fans. He's not mainstream but how can you say that's he's not been successful?  Before Idol he was playing local joints in Birmingham with his former band 'Just a Few Cats'. Nobody knew his name. Has he achieved success since Idol? You betcha!

Fantasia Barrino - what better story of success could you possibly write? A poor, teenage Mother who was functionally illiterate and living in poverty won American Idol, has recorded several R & B albums, wrote a book, recorded a Lifetime movie and appeared on Broadway. Is she mainstream? No. Has she achieved success? Definitely!

Carrie Underwood - she's been tremendously successful across several genres. Although her main genre is country, Jesus Takes the Wheel crossed over into Christian and Before He Cheats crossed over into pop. Everything she touches turns to gold platinum!

Taylor Hicks - his album played in the adult contemporary genre but Taylor is really more of a blues singer. He didn't quite fit anywhere on Billboards fabulous charts. He has lent his name and his fame to so many good causes here at home and when I heard him sing the National Anthem at Talladega a few weeks ago it was absolutely perfect and flawless. Taylor has a huge fan base called the Soul Patrol and they are loyal and dedicated to him. Taylor has recently joined the cast of Grease on Broadway as the Teen Angel. Before Idol Taylor lived in a little apartment just a couple of miles from where I live. He worked at some everyday job and played joints at night with his band. Nobody knew his name. Is he successful now compared to then? Absolutely.

Jordin Sparks - she's still just out of the gates but has had a couple of her songs played on mainstream pop radio which by some standards makes her successful. It's really too soon to tell how she will fare in the long run. But I say again, before Idol she was a teenager going to high school and working in a mall. Is she successful now? Absolutely.

American Idol is nothing more than a glorified talent show judged by America. When someone wins it gives them advantages they didn't have before winning. It doesn't guarantee them worldwide success in the mainstream music world. Some hit it big where people think big is. But they all are successful compared to their pre-Idol careers. And if the winner doesn't achieve that media glorified success that DOESN'T mean that the wrong person won or anything like that. Many people on Idol who DIDN'T win have gone on to achieve great success. Idol is about opportunity and notoriety. That's what it lends to these hopeful artists. Where they go post-Idol depends upon many factors and also a little bit of luck. Making it in mainstream music is very difficult, Idol winner or not!

When I see guys who write down a few words, hang some chains around their necks, add a few drums and talk some trash and then get a recording contract when they can't even carry a tune in a bucket, that is when I think the word 'success' is used inappropriately, but not when referring to an American Idol winner.

You take any winner of American Idol and hand them a song and ask them to sing it acapella they will sing it, and they will sing it well because they have talent.

Well, no big shocks or surprises this week. I think Sayesha was ready to go home knew she was going home and had prepared herself to be gracious. She didn't seem at all surprised. The two David's have been frontrunners for a while and I think Sayesha was just grateful to be the one who made it to the top 3 with them. There's no shame in that at all. I wish her lots of luck.

So we will have a David vs David finale. This has been predicted from way back at about top 10. VFTW still has David A as their candidate, plus I think he's been the one to command to top vote count most of the time so, in my mind, David C goes into the finale as just a slight underdog.

I personally think that from a marketability standpoint David Cook is paydirt for producers: he's got raw talent, stage presence and personal creativity. David Cook WILL make a very successful album and it will be big in the mainstream market.

David Archuleta has a beautiful voice and can play the piano but he's just so immature and inexperienced. I was telling my Mother last night, although in years he's 17, I think that he's led a somewhat sheltered life and to me, he acts more like a 14 year old boy than a 17 year old young man. He's not very articulate and still shows some nerves. After seeing David A perform a modern pop song I knew immediately that pop is not his genre. I see him doing things such as recording songs on Disney movie soundtracks or making an adult contemporary album in the same vein as Josh Groban or Clay Aiken.

Which one is more fitting to be crowned the American Idol? I really can't say. After seeing Fantasia (Season 3 winner) perform last night you can definitely see that many different genres and singing styles have won American Idol. It's all about the votes regardless of people's reasons for voting for one contestant over the other. We will see next week!

I'm not going to make any predictions until after seeing their performances because you never know! They will both have to perform the song that won the songwriting contest (and we all know what a disaster 'This is my now' was for Blake last year ***shudder***). I was so thankful that Blake didn't win just so he didn't have to make the talk show rounds singing that horrible song over and over again! Of course Jordin sang it wonderfully and it suit her to a tee!

We haven't had a guy/guy finale since Season 2 with Ruben and Clay.

I believe Simon was right when he said the finale was going to be a 'humdinger'.

I've got to be slick doing this because I'm at work....I'll keep it short and sweet....

I thought David Cook seemed kind of sad and distracted. I kept wondering if his trip home and seeing his gravely ill brother had left him really not wanting to return to the show. I cannot even imagine how much of a distraction that must be for him. He still did good and I voted for him about 500 times. I did think his second song was WAY shorter than the other contestants! I'm  not sure what was up with that!

David Archuleta was wonderful on the first song, cute on the second and horrible on the third (plus I hated his shirt, it looked like a straight-jacket).

I thought Sayesha did great on the two of her songs. I wasn't crazy about the Happy Feet song.

As far as who goes home, I HAVE NO IDEA! So I'm not even gonna cal it! Everybody on the internet is predicting Sayesha to go but at this point last year NOBODY predicted Melinda Doolittle would get the boot...this is too hot to touch so I'm not going to!

Good luck to all three contestants!