Cook is one of the most beloved American Idol ever to grace the competition. He won the hearts and votes of millions of people over the grueling eleven week period. In the end, he earned the respect of all three judges on the show through his hard work and determination. Although runner-up David Archuleta was a stiff competitor, Simon Cowell stated that Cook had done more to deserve the title than anyone else.

Now that the media frenzy over Cook’s victory and debut album has died down, what has the post-grunge artist been up to?

Cook spent the year 2009 on his first major tour, “The Declaration Tour”. The tour covered states from Florida to Oklahoma and California to Tennessee. The tour finally ended in North Carolina. Cook had performed in 153 shows and extended the tour twice.

After the tour, Cook began writing and recording his second album. “This Loud Morning” was finally released on June 28, 2011. The CD release was followed by a second tour, “The Loud Tour” in the fall of 2011. This time, Cook only performed 22 shows in 15 states. The tour ended on November 10, 2011 in Athens, Georgia.

Since 2008, Cook has won multiple awards including “Song of the Year” and “Top 40 Male Artists of the Year”, which he won in 2008 and 2009. Cook also broke several Billboard records. At one time he had eleven songs on the Hot 100 list. His first single, “The Time of My Life” was number 3 on the list. A photo of Cook was featured alongside President Barack Obama on the cover of The World Almanac.

On January 18, of this year, the Hollywood Reporter named David Cook one of the 10 American Idol Game Changers since the show began eleven seasons ago. According to the article, Cook was more relatable, confident and appealing than the majority of contestants on the show. He had a knack for giving songs a special twist. This could have been disastrous, but instead it propelled Cook to victory. Since then, dozens of contestants have tried to emulate Cook’s style and most have been unsuccessful.

Given Cook’s past success and inevitable charm and artistry, we look forward with great anticipation to his next album, tour or hit single. We’ll keep you posted!

Anyone with knowledge of American Idol knows about Simon Cowell and how he operates on the idea that “tough love” is the best way to determine whether or not a contestant has what it takes.

Well, lo and behold, it seems that Simon’s menacing personality has continued to haunt David to this day – or at least his subconscious. That’s right, in an interview with MTV earlier this year, David told the reporter that he had recently had a Simon Cowell nightmare!

What The Nightmare Was About

In his dream, David had decided to audition for another season of ‘Idol,’ believing that he would make it again because of his prior success and victory. But alas, after his audition performance, he was “reamed” off the stage by Simon and didn’t end up making it into the top 20.

“For some reason, that bothered me a little bit,” said David as he recounted the effect the dream had on him to MTV. “i got in front of Simon Cowell and he reamed me and i didn’t make it.”

When The Nightmare Occurred

Ironically, David had his dream while working on his newest album, ‘This Loud Morning,’ which was released back in June. In fact, much of the album and its tracks are derived from and inspired by dreams that David has had. If you find this hard to fathom, just pay attention to the lyrics and songs on ‘This Loud Morning’ and you may just get a taste of how and what David dreams.

Interesting Stat

That being said, people like you, I, and David, actually forget almost 95% of our dreams according to scientists. If this is the case, what kind of dreams has David had that he’s forgotten and left out of his album? It kind of makes you wonder what else goes on in David and his artistic mind…

Final Thought

Lastly, if you’re a struggling artist that is having problems coming up with things and ideas to sing about, you can always try what David did and sing about your dreams. Hey, it would be a start wouldn’t it? And who knows, you may just end up producing something that becomes your best work.

Just remember to jot down your dreams as soon as you wake up, ’cause their pretty “fleeting” by nature.

If you’re like me and didn’t know a whole lot about David until his songs starting hitting the Hot-100 list/post-Idol days, then you may find this post pretty informative.

In this post, I want to briefly retrace David’s steps to that first day when he auditioned in front of Simon, Paula, and Randy…

Audition

Ironically, David never even planned on giving American Idol a shot when he showed up in Omaha, Nebraska. Rather, he was there to support his brother – who was trying out. Lo and behold, after some coaxing from his brother, mom, and a show producer who must have noticed something special about David, he decided to give it a go.

For his very first audition, David wowed the judges while performing the Bon Jovi hit, ‘Livin’ On A Prayer.’ To make a long story short, his vocal performance landed him a spot in Hollywood and the 7th season of American Idol where his music career truly began.

On American Idol

Perhaps the neatest thing about David, is his ability to adapt to any genre of song. He can sing whatever you put in front of him – literally. And this talent showed while he was on American Idol.

His covers included songs ranging from classics such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and Phantom of the Opera-famous, “The Music of the Night,” to modern-day pop hits by Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, U2, and more.

As many of you well know, David’s singing talent helped him to reach the finals of American Idol where he faced his stiffest competition yet in David Archuleta.

In the heated sing-off between the two, Cook came out victorious as he tallied 56% of America’s votes and over 12 million more than Archuleta.

After Idol

Just a week after winning American Idol, Cook started his attack on the Billboard charts. Within days after his Idol victory, Cook already had 11 songs debut on the Hot 100 list! The feat easily broke the old debut record held by Miley Cyrus, who only had 6 songs hit the charts in her debut week.

During the months following Idol, Skechers also signed Cook to an endorsement deal, and Cook also graced the cover of The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009…alongside two pretty popular people in current President, Barack Obama, and his rival in the 2008 Presidential election, Senator John Mccain.

Final Thought

Well, there you have it. That’s how David’s singing career began – on the stage of American Idol. Along those lines, that’s the cool thing about hidden singing talent like Cook.

All they need is one chance to shine. Take Susan Boyle’s story for instance. Sure, she doesn’t look like much of a celebrity with her drab attire. But she wowed her country, and the world in 2009 with her performance’s in ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’

So if you think you have what it takes, or know somebody who you think has what it takes, then why not tryout for American Idol, Sing-Off, or the X factor? You never know what will come from your willingness to just try!

You may just become the next David Cook, Carrie Underwood, or maybe someone ever greater…

David has been known to participate in charity concerts in the past to raise awareness and money for a certain cause. But this time around, he’s letting his legs do the talking – rather than his voice.

That’s right, he announced earlier this month that he’ll be running in the 2012 Honda LA Marathon. Not only that, but he’ll be running in behalf of the Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure Foundation (ABC).

In Memory of His Brother

If you don’t know much about David’s past, his desire to support brain cancer research may sound somewhat random. But in fact, he has a very good reason for supporting this cause. That’s because his brother died just two years ago from brain cancer.

By running 26.2 miles, David hopes that he can help others avoid the experience that he, his brother, and his family had to go through. Of course, laboring through 26.2 miles won’t be an easy task for someone who doesn’t train that often either.

He’ll need all the help he can get in terms of donations. So if you’re interested in donating to ABC, click on this link for further information.

Not His First Charity Run

Lastly, if you’re worried that David won’t be fit enough to finish an entire marathon, you should at least know that he’s been in similar situations before. Over the past several years, he’s ran in various charity races in support of brain cancer research.

That being said, this will be Cook’s first marathon ever. Still, we doubt motivation will be a factor for David…he’ll make it across the finish line – whether that be in 5 or 15 hours.

Here’s what he had to say about his participation in the 2012 Honda La Marthon: “Running a full marathon has always been a goal of mine. I’m looking forward to pushing myself physically, and to use the Marathon as an opprtunity to raise money for a cause that is close to my heart.”

So far, Cook has been able to raise $13,426 in behalf of ABC. Again, if you would like to donate, find the link above and it’ll take you to the page where you can donate (just look for the orange button on the upper, right hand corner of the page.)

This past May, the residents of Joplin, Missouri had their lives turned upside down -quite literally. The tornado that struck the town was so devastating that it reached an entire mile in width, killed at least a 162 people, and is considered one of the worst tornado’s ever witnessed in our country.

Needless to say, its been a hard 5 months for Joplin residents as they’ve tried to rebuild their homes and lives. But what they didn’t know, was that someone very special – ahem, David Cook – has been paying attention to their heartache and needs.

David Performs at Homecoming Dance

Cook, who hails from Blue Springs, Missouri, has kept close tabs on Joplin and its rebuilding process. Recently Joplin’s Wal-Mart invited him to play at the local high school’s Homecoming Dance which occurred this past weekend.

Without much thought, Cook accepted the invitation and hoped that his guest appearance would come as a special surprise for the students and faculty of Joplin High School. Alas, he’s become too popular for his own good.

The night before the dance occurred, Cook was spotted eating at the local Olive Garden. From there, the message that Cook was in town, spread like wildfire. By the time Cook stepped on stage at the dance, there wasn’t one surprised soul in the audience — just a whole bunch of excited and enthusiastic teenagers ready to hear an Idol winner who hailed from their state.

Boost in Morale

The concert must have been great, but more important than the music was simply Cook’s appearance in the tornado-ravaged city as he boosted the morale and spirits of students and teachers alike.

According to one news report, Cook really wanted to do something special for the community of Joplin, which he firmly accomplished according to the principal of Joplin High School.

JHS Principal Kerry Sachetta, made this comment to a local Joplin news reporter, saying, “It just makes you feel how much people really care, and how much people want to make sure the kids feel good about what’s going on and getting back to school.”

What made Cook’s sacrifice even more special, was the fact that he had a concert with Gavin Degraw on Penn State campus that very same evening! After finishing in Joplin, Cook caught a plane to the “kick-off” concert for he and Degraw’s nationwide tour.

That being said, his concert in Joplin was probably just as important, if not more.

The much anticipated fall tour that will feature David and Gavin DeGraw, and band ‘Caroline Liar’ who will open for the two, has been finalized – at last!

One Month of Fun

The nationwide tour will feature 22 concerts and will run from October 9-November 10, with the opening concert scheduled in State College, PA, on the campus of Penn State.

The tour will start out in the east, head west, then head back east, before turning south for its final few performances.

Both musicians will most likely litter their performances with selections from their latest albums. Cook’s latest record, “This Loud Morning,” was released on June 28, while DeGraw’s “Sweeter,” just came out yesterday, September 20.

Ticket sales for the tour opened on September 16 in most locations, and it seems as if prices are falling between $25-$50 dollars in order to get inside the door of most of the venues.

If you would like to view ticket prices for a location near you, you can check out Gavin’s website for more information.

On a Side Note…

Also, if you’re wondering why David and Gavin are not performing in New York, it may stem from the fact that DeGraw was attacked in The Big Apple on August 8 while touring with ‘Maroon 5’ and ‘Train.’

After the attack, DeGraw took a two-week hiatus before rejoining the tour for its last few performances, but it seems as if he’s taken a permanent hiatus from performing in New York for now.

Itinerary

And lastly, here is the schedule for the fall tour for those of you who are dying to take a glance at it.

October 9: State College, PA @ Pennsylvania State University
October 10: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
October 11: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
October 13: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
October 15: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
October 17: Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
October 18: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
October 20: Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
October 21: Reno, NV @ Silver Legacy Resort Casino
October 23: Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona State Fair
October 24: San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
October 26: Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater Pomona
October 29: Houston, TX @ Arena Theatre
October 30: Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
November 1: Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
November 2: Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
November 4: Winston-Salem, NC @ Wake Forest University
November 5: York, PA @ Pullo Center at Penn State
November 6: Cleveland, OH @ Palace Theatre
November 7: Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
November 9: Greenville, SC @ Peace Center Concert Hall
November 10: Athens, GA @ Classic Center

Good luck landing tickets to one of these concerts!

According to David’s official website, www.davidcookoffical.com, he’s been asked to sing the national anthem for his hometown Kansas City Chiefs at their game this Sunday. This is obviously a big deal considering the fact that the game will be held on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The Chiefs will be hosting the Buffalo Bills, and the game will start at noon, local time.

This is a great honor for David to be able to sing in his hometown of KC on this special day, and I’m sure he will not disappoint his fans, the fans in attendance at the game, and all those who were involved in that emotional event that none of us will forget.

Tour Update with Gavin Degraw

On a side note, David has announced that he will be touring with Gavin Degraw this upcoming fall, as many of you probably already know. That said, many of the dates and cities in which Gavin and David will be performing are still being confirmed and put together.

Be sure to visit our site again for updates on the tour and when the two will be coming to your city! You won’t want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime concert that will feature two of the most popular and gifted musicians today.

Also, please leave any thoughts and comments that you may have about either of these upcoming events, especially David’s opportunity to sing the national anthem in front of his hometown on 9/11.

Let’s face it: we’ve all pirated something in our lifetimes. I used to look up my favorite songs on limewire because I reasoned that the paying users of the program made up the cost of the stuff I was downloading for free. No unhappy artists, right?

Wrong of course. Whenever we download music without paying for it, we’ve just stolen food out of some artist’s mouth, so to speak. Musicians earn their living by selling music. If we steal it, it’s the same as stealing a car from a used car lot. That used-car salesman may have been annoying, but he has to make his living somehow.

However, there is the other side of the coin. I inherited an old I-phone from my dad (now it’s my I-”pod” touch) which has all my music on it. I was a little worried that i could only sync it to 6 computers, but didn’t worry about it much then.

Then my laptop died, and I got a temporary one. And then the one I use now. Let’s take a quick tally: my 3 computers + my dad’s 2 & mom’s 1 which it was originally synced to. That accounts for all 6. And those first two and my mom’s & dad’s first computer’s don’t work any more so I can’t un-sync them.

Fast forward a while and I’m married. I can’t share my music with my wife or our desktop because of all the lost shares. And by now, my third laptop won’t sync with my I-”pod” without erasing everything. My I-”pod” hasn’t been synced in years.

Apple is going to make me buy music that has been mine legitimately for years. This isn’t my teenage-fazed copy of one of Nickleback’s songs: it’s my family’s Collective soul albums, that I love timelessly (they remind me of my dad).

So what do I do? Steal music I already own? Or just bite my tongue and pay hundreds of dollars for music I already own? Hey, wouldn’t that be Apple stealing from me?

A True album (not just a concept album) flows in a full circle from beginning to end, each song telling a story of a doomed relationship. The darker theme’s show David’s emotional attachment to his music and show how the events in his life influence his songwriting.

Submit! Now!! Submit your questions for our favorite singer to answer when he guests on VH1 forBig Morning Buzz live at 9.30 am this Friday. Maybe you will get lucky?

So far questions include one from a Venezuelian fan who wants to know if our Dave is off to her country soon. What is your favorite movie? Momradgag congratulates our Dave on his ability to “change up” any of the songs he performed on American Idol and then asks if he will be recording any of those songs on a future album. ChinaLovesCookie wonders if David will be going back to Montana on his tour, and would he grow long hair to donate to a charity, (he would raise more by auctioning his hair and he does make a tremendous contribution to Race for Hope already) and if there will be more bonus tracks for the new album.

So there you have a few examples of what is being asked. Now ask yourself if these are the type of questions that will get a response; a personal reply from David. If you are wishing and hoping that your question will be selected then it better be a screamin question. You gottabe creative. You can choose serious or you can choose funny, but don’t choose boring. Favorite this or favorite that? The only way to win with that one is to learn as much as you can about David. His life and likes. Then ask a really pertinent question that gets him thinking about some of those things that truly interest him. Think up a really crazy question like if you were the current President of the USA who would you fire right now because the advice you are getting has led this country into such a mess it will be hard to dig out. If you were stranded on Mars after buying a spot on the first spacecraft to fly there how long would you last without going completely mad (allowing for unlimited supplies of food, water, and oxygen) and what would you miss most?  If you could only eat one brand of candy bar for the rest of your life and no other food, what would you choose?

You have just about 18 hours to get it right.