When David Cook found out he passed his initial audition for "American Idol" and would advance in the competition on the hit Fox television series, he felt something besides happiness and anticipation.
He also felt uncomfortable about the situation.
That's because he hadn't even come to the Omaha, Neb., audition to participate. Rather, he had intended to provide moral support for his brother, Andrew, who was trying out for the show. At the prodding of Andrew and his mother, however, Cook decided to give it a go.
"We were in the same audition group in the first round, and I was the only one out of the group that made it," said Cook, who would ultimately beat out fellow finalist David Archuleta in May to win the 2008 "American Idol" competition.
Cook, along with the nine other finalists from the 2008 competition, will be in Worcester and Manchester, N.H. this weekend with the "American Idol Live" tour.
"So yeah, it was a little awkward. I made it a point, as soon as I got out of the arena, I said to him if you don't want me to do this, I won't. And his response, this kind of speaks to his character, he said, 'If you don't do it, I'll kick your (butt).'"
Cook, 25, said he never saw himself as "Idol" material, though he was well on his way to pursuing a music career in the more conventional way.
Born in Houston, Cook and his family moved to Blue Springs, Mo., near Kansas City, when he was 2. When he was 15, he formed a rock band, Axium, before he moved on to college to study graphic arts.
In 2006, he graduated from college, released a solo CD, "Analog Heart," and moved to Tulsa, Okla., where he had a gig lined up to play guitar in the regional touring band Midwest Kings.
He was working on a second solo album when he auditioned for "American Idol," and hadn't been looking to change his game plan.
"I was back in Tulsa, bartending and doing a record, so I was pretty happy with where I was at," Cook said.
Plus, he wasn't at all sold on the idea that his rock-pop sound would be a good fit for "American Idol."
"I didn't really know I was what the show was looking for," Cook said. "I had watched in the past and never seen a rocker win the show. And to me, it was kind of like, if somebody like Bo (Bice) or somebody like Chris (Daughtry) can't come on here and win it, what shot do I have?"
He wasn't the only one with doubts. He was initially dubbed by critics as a darkhorse in the field of 24 contestants who made the show. And Simon Cowell, "Idol's" famously outspoken judge, predicted that 17-year-old Archuleta would win hands down after the two Davids faced off for the final time on the "Idol" stage.
Even Cook began to buy into that line of thinking. After arriving that morning to prepare for the Wednesday evening's finale, he was told the vote was 56 percent to 44 percent. He figured that meant only one thing.
"I was like OK, 'Archie's' got it," Cook said. "I didn't really think much about it the rest of the day. I kind of went through the motions of getting ready for Wednesday night's finale. I was just stoked to be playing with ZZ Top."
Hearing his name announced as the winner was surreal, he said.
"It was kind of an out-of-body experience," Cook said. "I felt like I was watching it with everybody else."
Since that evening of May 21, Cook has been busy taking the next steps in the life of an "Idol" champion.
He jumped into rehearsals with the other top 10 finishers for this summer's "American Idols Live" tour. He performs five songs and participates in a pair of ensemble numbers.
"Everybody seems really happy with their set. And we're all able to not only do songs from the show, but also throw in some stuff that we weren't able to get on the show, but stuff that we enjoy performing," Cook said.
"Like I'm doing 'My Hero' by the Foo Fighters, and that's one of my favorite songs, just high energy. So it's cool. I think we're all getting to show a little bit more of ourselves to everybody."
Cook also has his sights set on recording his first album under his new record contract with 19 Recordings/RCA. The album is due in mid-November, which means time will be tight once the "American Idols Live" tour ends mid-September.
"I'm a rock singer, so it will be a rock record," Cook said. "But the good thing about rock music is there are some subgenres there. So there's room to meander."
His goal, he said, is to put out a record that's both eclectic and cohesive.
"If I can do that and find that balance, I think the sky's the limit," he said.
If past performance is a barometer, Cook's debut album will take the industry by storm. He already smashed all previous records from the digital music age by landing 17 songs on various "Billboard" charts at the same time at the end of May.
"The Time of My Life," the song he performed after winning "Idol," led the way, debuting at No. 1 on "Billboard's" Hot Digital Tracks chat, with a first-week total of 236,000 downloads.
"I think every so often everything kind of lines up for you, and hopefully that's what's happening now," Cook said. "I've said it a few times before: I think if this all ends tomorrow, I've already had a hell of a ride. I'm content. And I think moving forward, the goal is to keep that vibe. If I can keep being happy doing this, great. That's one thing I'm not willing to compromise."
If you go
What: "American Idols Live"
When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9
Where: DCU Center, Worcester
Tickets: $68.50, $54.50, $39.50. Call 617-931-2000 or 866-448-7849.
AND
When: 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 10
Where: Verizon Wireless Arena Manchester, N.H.
Tickets: $68.50, $54.50, $39.50. Call Ticketmaster, 603-868-7300, or visit the Verizon Wireless Arena box office.
