David Roland Cook (born December 20, 1982) is an American rock singer-songwriter. On May 21, 2008, he won the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol. Prior to Idol he worked as a bartender at the "Blank Slate" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and released an album entitled Analog Heart.

EARLY LIFE

Cook was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Blue Springs, Missouri. His parents are Beth and Stan Cook. He is the middle of three brothers.

Cook's interest in music began early in life; he received his first guitar at the age of 2. He began singing in second grade, when his elementary school music teacher gave him a solo in a school choir performance. He proceeded to perform in virtually every Christmas and PTA program. He also participated in choir and drama programs in middle school and high school. At Blue Springs South High School, he performed in musicals, including The Music Man, West Side Story, and Singin' in the Rain.

He had also been an avid baseball player during high school. After losing interest in sports, he focused more on music. He earned a theater scholarship to the University of Central Missouri, but he abandoned theater after two semesters, graduating from the school in 2006 with a degree in graphic design. While in college, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. After his college graduation, he relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to pursue a career in music, telling his family, "I just want to give myself until I'm 26 years old to get a job."


MUSICAL BACKGROUND


Cook was the lead singer and guitarist of the band Axium from 1999 until 2006. He formed Axium in his junior year of high school with drummer Bobby Kerr. One of the band's songs, "Hold," was picked up by AMC Theatres Movie Tunes and was played before previews on over 20,000 screens nationwide. Axium was also named one of the top 15 independent bands in the country in the "Got Milk?" independent band contest, and it was chosen as the best band in Kansas City in 2004.

In 2006, after the breakup of Axium, Cook relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and joined the regional touring band Midwest Kings, playing guitar, bass, and singing backup vocals. He recorded one EP, Incoherent with Desire to Move On, with the band in 2006. He also worked as a bartender at several Tulsa clubs, including Blank Slate and Rehab Lounge.

Cook released a solo independent album, Analog Heart, in 2006,[20] for which he also designed the artwork. The album was chosen as the fourth-best CD released in 2006 by website Music Equals Life. Cook also won the Urban Tulsa Weekly's "Absolute Best of Tulsa" award for "Best Locally Produced, Independent Album" in 2007. He had completed recording his sophomore album before his appearance on American Idol. Over the weekend of April 18 to April 20, 2008, Analog Heart was listed as the number one album for "Today's Top MP3 Albums" on Amazon.com. Soon there after, the album was removed from Amazon. His musical influences include Our Lady Peace, Alice in Chains, Big Wreck, Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, Switchfoot, The Nixons, 8Stops7 and Collective Soul.




Top 24 (12 Men) "Happy Together"
Top 20 (10 Men) "All Right Now"
Top 16 (8 Men) "Hello"
Top 12 "Eleanor Rigby"
Top 11 "Day Tripper"
Top 10 "Billie Jean"
Top 9 "Little Sparrow"
Top 8 "Innocent"
Top 7 "Always Be My Baby"
Top 6 "The Music of the Night"
Top 5 "I'm Alive" & "All I Really Need Is You"
Top 4 "Hungry Like the Wolf" & "Baba O'Riley"
Top 3 Judge's Choice (Simon Cowell) - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
Contestant's Choice - "Dare You to Move"
Producer's Choice - "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" R
Finale Clive Davis's Choice - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
New Song - "Dream Big"
Contestant's Choice - "The World I Know"



This is David Cook's band BEFORE idol called Axium. The album is called The Story Thus Far. Here is the link to download it: http://www.sendspace.com/file/tsupej


This is David Cook's SOLO project BEFORE idol. The album is called Analog Heart. Here is the link to download it: http://www.sendspace.com/file/t3yhlz

ATTENTION ALL ART MAKERS. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME ART FOR THIS THREAD!


Also, would love some fan videos, anything you wanna share.

it sure is ok for you to start this! and I'm glad that you did. I wish that I would've thought of it. :lol:

I LOVE David Cook. He's hot and that voice. *sigh*

I didn't watch much of AI, but what I saw of David Cook I really like! I hope that he comes out with a great album.... I love his voice :)

I was a closet fan because I swore since season five that I would never watch AI again :P

Finally America gets it right :) He's so talented and from what I can tell, very professional. I'm SO mad that they didn't have him make a studio recording of "Baba O'Riley"! That was one of his best performances.

I have a feeling he's not going to like the control that comes with the title, though.

I agree. He is going to want to do his own thing. I can't wait to for his album. I am going on August 16th and see the IDOLS LIVE!

have you all heard any of his PRE- idol stuff? Very good.

I have not. Is there any where I can go to listen to it?

I know he was in a couple of bands before Idol, one of which was Axium. I was listening to their stuff on their Myspace a couple of weeks ago, but I don't know if they've taken the songs down since then, kind of like what they did with Chris Daughtry's band.

Uh, I have it. I can upload it for you all. I will work on that ASAP!

Cook told a fan at one of the IDOL tour stops, that he wants the fans to have the pre-idol stuff, no matter how they have to get it! lol.

Aww I love David Cook! He was definitely the best this season :D

yay! I can't wait to hear it :) Thanks

Okay, I have the Analog Heart album and the Axium album zipped. Just waiting for the uploads to finish!

okay, they are in the main post!

Thanks so much Sarah for posting those!

Since I never watched AI this season except for the finale, I really didn't hear him sing anything else but the winning song, but I just went and downloaded some songs and OMG I freaking love his voice! Super sexy :)

I have the following songs, if any of you want them let me know and I will upload them for you :)

I'm Alive
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Always Be My Baby
Billie Jean
Time Of My Life

Thanks Ashley. If you want any other David's other performances, I have them all I believe!

That is awesome :D

Thanks for the uploads! <33

you are welcome. I am going to work on the opening ASAP.