May 22--Watch a video of friends and fans of David Cook talking about the "Idol" contestant and catch up on previous "American Idol" coverage at: www.tulsaworld.com/ americanidol
LOS ANGELES -- David Cook has 12 million reasons to be thankful.
Specifically, the newest Oklahoma-resident-turned-"American Idol" appreciates the 12 million votes that gave him the winning edge over Utah teen David Archuleta in America's most popular singing competition.
Cook, 25, his eyes full of tears, was crowned the newest "American Idol" on Wednesday under a shower of confetti on the stage of the Nokia Theater. His mother and younger brother, Andrew, joined him on stage for a hug after the news was announced.
In a season of tough competitors, both Davids had carved out huge fan bases and reaped praise from judges and viewers. Many thought baby-faced Archuleta had the edge after Tuesday night, because judges had heaped praise on all three songs he performed.
But the fans had the final say -- and spoke in record numbers, with 97.5 million votes cast by telephone and text messaging. Host Ryan Seacrest
announced that Cook got 56 percent of the votes, while Archuleta had 44 percent.
Of all this year's finalists on "American Idol," Cook wasn't always the frontrunner (even though he had been favored by Vegas odds-makers and Web site Dialidol.com).
Cook, a bartender and rock musician in Tulsa, never even planned on auditioning for the show. He went along on his younger brother's audition, and producers asked him to give it a shot, as well.
Originally, finicky judge Simon Cowell said Cook lacked "charisma." But Cook eventually wowed judges and fans with his originality, stage presence, voice and singing skills.
Performances on songs such as Lionel Richie's "Hello" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" started to make people take notice of the crossword puzzle-loving bartender who calls himself a "word nerd."
Cook honed his musical talents while he was growing up in Blue Springs, Mo., where he was active in musical theater, choir and local rock bands.
In Tulsa, he played with the Midwest Kings and released his solo album, "Analog Heart." Friends have said Cook dreamed about becoming a rock star from an early age.
In addition to the song selected for this year's winner, "Time of My Life," Cook also sang and played the guitar on "Sharp Dressed Man" Wednesday night with rock legends ZZ Top, sang medleys with the rest of this season's top 12, and performed a duet of Chad Kroger's "Hero" with Archuleta.
In addition to winning the title of "American Idol" and the record contract that comes with it, Cook now has the instant fame that comes with the victory and a new Ford Escape hybrid.
For a man whose friends say he used to struggle to find money to fix his broken-down car between gigs in Missouri and Oklahoma, victory must have seemed pretty sweet. Cook admitted being at a loss for words after Seacrest announced that he had won.
If "American Idol" proves to be as successful a launch pad for Cook as it was for Checotah native Carrie Underwood (she won the fourth season), he can look forward to a prosperous career. Underwood, who also performed on Wednesday's finale, has racked up platinum record sales and multiple awards since her victory.
Cary Aspinwall 581-8477 cary.aspinwall@tulsaworld.com
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