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Happy Birthday, David Cook!

Posted 12/20/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


It's always a bit of a bummer for kids whose birthdays are so close to Christmas. They always get somewhat shafted on gifts growing up, right? But that probably hasn't mattered in a few years for David Cook, who turns 28 years old today. The man who won the seventh season of "American Idol" (arguably the show's second or third best season ever) has two albums, a bunch of singles and a number of dream collaborations under his belt, and you can be certain he is celebrating this holiday season.

Cook grew up in Missouri and started playing guitar at age 12. He famously had no intentions of auditioning for "American Idol" (he was only going to the auditions as support for his brother (who ironically was not given a pass to the Hollywood round). He was something of a quiet underdog in the beginning, but he slowly began to amass a number of excellent, memorable performances with unusual arrangements (including the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby"). By the end, it came down to Cook and David Archuleta, with the former ultimately beating the latter by 12 million votes for the victory.

Since his win on the show, Cook produced an excellent self-titled album that allowed him to collaborate with some of his favorite artists and personal heroes (including Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin) as well as Grammy-winning producer Rob Cavallo. To celebrate his big day, check out the video for the single "Light On," which was co-written by Cornell.


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The Perfect 'American Idol' Champion, Built From Scratch

Posted 5/27/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Now that Lee DeWyze has become the latest victor on "American Idol," the show has officially crowned nine champions. Though the first few seasons ended with some eclectic choices (Kelly Clarkson, Rueben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks and the like), the past three seasons have found the show settled into a relatively steady groove. DeWyze, Kris Allen and David Cook — the last three winners — all exist in a very similar idiom, as they are generally pleasant dudes from the middle of the country who have a sort of singer/songwriter kind of vibe. They've all spent some quality time in bars, are humble and came from relatively modest backgrounds. They all have generally pleasant (if unspectacular) voices, and their borrows from modern acts like the Fray, Maroon 5 and John Mayer. Apparently, this is exactly what America wants in its music stars.

But what if you could design the ideal "American Idol" winner based on elements taken from every single "Idol" winner? What would that FrankenIdol look like? (And, perhaps most importantly, sound like?) If all nine could come together like Voltron, what would they do? We're glad you asked.

Kelly Clarkson: Clarkson's biggest asset is still her versatility, as she can handle straight pop, dance music, powerful rock and everything in between.

Reuben Studdard: There has never been a winner as smooth as Studdard, but the thing that really made him a champion was his warmth. The dude always came across as friendly, which is probably how me won the hearts of the "American Idol" voters across the country.

Fantasia Barrino: The winner from season three took home her crown because of her incredible willingness to take risks. Her voice was hardly the most traditional in "American Idol" history, but she was always trying to test its limits and explore what it can do.

Taylor Hicks: Though not as smooth as Studdard, Hicks was carried to victory by his smoothness-loving "Soul Patrol." Read More...

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Did Crystal Bowersox Have The Best 'American Idol' Performance Of All Time?

Posted 4/21/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


On Tuesday night's episode of "American Idol," Crystal Bowersox did something that she normally does every single week on the show: She looked like the eventual winner. But something else happened during her stunning, teary-eyed performance of "People Get Ready," and that was she elevated herself to the rare echelon of "American Idol" contestants who are in the conversation for the title of "Greatest 'Idol' Performance of All Time." It was honest, soulful and made for tremendous television.

MTV News "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello doesn't quite think that the Bowersox performance was the best ever (she missed too many notes for that), but it definitely gets mentioned in the list that includes such key "Idol" moments as Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There," Fantasia Barrino's "Summertime," Bo Bice's "In a Dream" and David Cook's "Billie Jean."

Attaining "American Idol" immortality requires more than just being able to hit the notes. A killer performance is obviously key, but there are more criteria. Context is important, especially if the contestant in question has come through a series of poor performances or has recovered from some sort of personal struggle. Song selection is also key. After struggling to find her voice, Melinda Doolittle managed to find the absolutely perfect song for her in "My Funny Valentine," and Clay Aiken's take on "Build Me Up Buttercup" proved that he had a fun side and could play fast and loose with songs.

There is also something intangible that has to happen with an all-time great "Idol" performance, a vague feeling that says, "This person is a winner." When Kelly Clarkson busted out "Stuff Like That There" during the Top Six show in the very first season, everybody knew at that moment that Clarkson would win and was destined for greatness. That was certainly present in Bowersox's performance last night, but was the rest of her chemistry enough?

So take a look at the song selections below and vote for the one performance you think is the best of all time. Let us know in the comments if you have any write-in votes, and stay tuned for plenty more "American Idol" coverage here on the MTV Newsroom Blog and at MTV News.

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Adam Lambert's Album Cover Reminds Us Of The Most Insane 'American Idol' Covers

Posted 10/27/09 7:09 pm EST by in Music


Adam Lambert revealed his album cover for "For Your Entertainment" and it’s as spectacularly over-the-top and jaw-dropping as his memorable “American Idol” performances. The dude is a walking water-cooler conversation. And by golly, he’s done it again.

In the Tweet that linked to the cover, Lambert wrote, “Glam is back!!!” Judging from this album art, however, I don’t know that I’d say it’s back so much as hanging out at the mall Glamour Shots kiosk. (Will this eye-catching retro look help sell albums? We'll find out when it lands in stores November 23.)

The thing is, “American Idol” has a long history of eyebrow raising album covers. Read More...

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David Cook And A Rubber Chicken Poke Fun At 'American Idol,' The Media

Posted 8/18/09 1:10 pm EST by in American Idol, Music


David Cook has been in the limelight for less than two years, but he's apparently already burned out by reporters asking him the same five questions. Late last week, Cook posted a new episode of his webshow "Pork Beans" in which the singer interviews a rubber chicken (named "Crazy Legs") by regurgitating particularly inane questions he's been asked since winning "American Idol" in 2008.

Among the vapid queries:

"Is Simon really that mean in person?"

"What's the last year of your life been like since I won 'American Idol?'"

"Who do you like better from Season 8, Adam or Kris?"

"What are your thoughts on Paula Abdul leaving 'American Idol?'" (Whoops. I totally asked Kris Allen that question last week. So kill me, I still think it was newsworthy!)

On one hand, I think the video — entitled "A Ficus Flows Between Us" — is a rather sharp satire on the state of music reporting. Bad questions that will make for easy "clickable" headlines? Check. (Although no "Twilight" question, David? Tsk tsk.) Generic responses from the artist/chicken which could all be interchanged with each other? Check! Fake interest from the interviewer after each answer? Yep, he nails that, too. One could even look deeper into the video and note that the chicken can't respond until a hand (or perhaps record label?) squeezes it.

But on the other hand, David Cook should be careful not to come off as a jaded rock star. While I find the clip to be amusing, I could see how others might look at it and go, "Well forget that guy. I won't bother interviewing him when he plays the California State Fair next week."

The interview lasts for about four minutes and then second half is a series of outtakes. (Hmm ... I wonder where he got that idea?) So check it out and let us know what you think! Too funny or too bitter? Also, are there any questions David missed that you hope "Idol" reporters retire from their tired repertoire? I know I could live without the generic "Give advice to future contestant"s line. Yawn!

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Spotted: Britney Spears Shops, Ne-Yo Shills

Posted 8/12/09 12:28 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with staff members. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Has anybody had a better recovery than 2009 Video Music Award nominee Britney Spears? It seems like it wasn't too long ago when she was shaving her head, running around with Kevin Federline, getting into traffic accidents and generally looking like a disaster. But with a big comeback album, a massively successful world tour and a general sense of calm, it seems like Britney is back and better than ever. Not a bad turnaround really. While on a break from the "Circus" tour (she resumes next week in Canada before coming to Madison Square Garden for a huge three-night stand), she took some time out to go shopping at Vionnet, an arty clothing and jewelry boutique in Los Angeles.

(Click here for more Spotted! photos of Britney Spears, Ne-Yo, Chris "Captain Kirk" Pine and more!)

Yesterday was a busy day not just for Britney but also for Ne-Yo (another VMA nominee), who unveiled the new fall ad campaign for Alfani in New York. Meanwhile, the cast of "Gossip Girl" got back to the business of that show, Fergie ducked into an L.A. recording studio and former "American Idol" winner David Cook signed autographs in Hollywood. Be sure to check out those photos plus the entire "Spotted!" archive at the link above. Or hey! Here it is one more time.

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'American Idol' Winner David Cook Vants To Be Alone

Posted 3/24/09 2:59 pm EST by in American Idol, David-Cook


By Cara Alwill

David Cook

To quote an '80s hit, "American Idol" champ David Cook always feels like somebody's watching him.

In a recent MySpace plea, Cook begged fans to respect his privacy while on tour, according to People.com. In a blog titled "Attention," he wrote that "efforts by some fans to find our hotel rooms, call our hotel rooms, attach things to our bus, etc., is something I have to condemn." The reigning Idol warned fans that if their behavior continues, he may have to take strict security measures that will in turn limit their interaction with him.

"This relationship only works when it remains healthy for both parties," he continued, "and should this behavior continue, the only thing we can do is take more preventative measures to maintain our privacy, which in turn makes us less accessible to you."

Well, Cook always said he auditioned for the show on a whim and didn't have big dreams of stardom. Still, enjoy the attention while it lasts, David ...

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On The Set Of David Cook's 'Light On' Video

Posted 10/22/08 4:13 pm EST by in American Idol


David CookBy Matt Elias

L.A. Valley College's football stadium was the home field for "American Idol" winner David Cook's video, "Light On." We spent the night on the 50-yard line as David shot his first video from his upcoming self-titled album, due out November 18. Although he looked like he'd been doing it for years, David told us he felt really timid on his first take: "Obviously I don't have any experience — it's not like I grew up shooting music videos."
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Decoding 'American Idol' Winner David Cook's Song Titles

Posted 10/15/08 2:10 pm EST by in American Idol, David-Cook


David CookWe're not going to pretend we know what goes on in "American Idol" season-seven winner David Cook's swirly little head. But a peep at some of the song titles on his upcoming self-titled debut, due November 18, definitely made us say, "Huh?" (But first, a caveat: We have not heard the album at all.)

The first one that grabbed our attention was "Bar-ba-sol," which is either an homage to the original premium shave cream — in which case we applaud his blatant Chris Brown-like product placement at a time when musicians have to get their hustle on any way they can — or an homage to season-six pinup Antonella Barba, which we would also applaud.
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'American Idol' Runner-Up David Archuleta Getting Made By the Mafia ... Rock Mafia, That Is

Posted 8/6/08 12:04 pm EST by in American Idol


Mary Kate-OlsenIt seems safe to assume that "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta is sprinting in the opposite direction from "Idol" champ David Cook. While the "Idol" winner is working with renowned rock producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls) and writing with members of the rock bands Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul, according to E! News Archadorable, 17, is hunkering down to work on songs for his debut with Rock Mafia Records, the Santa Monica, California-based production duo who have whacked out hits for Aly & AJ, Vanessa Hudgens, Mariah Carey and, most recently, Miley Cyrus with "7 Things."

An unnamed source told E! that Archuleta and his father/manager recently met with Mafia producers Antonia Armato and Tim James, and the Archuletas came away convinced that they should go "in that direction," hoping for a "Miley touch to the album." It will certainly make for a clash of the pop idol-versus-the budding rock star, as Archuleta's album is reportedly due to drop the same day as Cook's in November Archuleta is expected to record at least two songs with the Rock Mafia over the next two weeks, which his label hopes might yield the album's first singles. "David knows he needs to have a big radio hit, and Miley's producers are the closest thing he can get to a guarantee," the unnamed source told E!

A spokesperson for Archuleta could no be reached for comment at press time.

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