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FOX News Radio -- Interview with David Cook -- 6/3/08

Interviewer: Dave Anthony

Dave: I'm Dave Anthony, FOX News Radio, and we're spending a few moments with

David Cook, THE American Idol. What does that sound like?

David: Uh...still a little absurd [laughs]

Dave: Absurd because you said -- you know, you, you didn't really intend -- you

didn't think you'd even get in.

David: No, I mean, I [pauses]I never really saw this as my path. And, and once I got

on it was..kinda...a million miles a minute. So...

Dave: You went there with your brother.

David: Yeah. My little brother Andrew, uh, he'd wanted to audition for a couple

years, and so...decided that Omaha was the time for him. And I, I offered my moral

support and showed up, and uh...

Dave: Now did you -- I mean your brother, did he tell you you'd probably get

through? I mean, was he thinkin' you'd make it at least to the...the L.A.? I mean--

David: Uh...

Dave: Did he think you could?

David: Well, you know we never really talked about it, just cuz everything happened

so fast. I think I was standin' in line with him still not intending to audition.And...uh...

Dave: Why not? I mean, you sang.

David: Yeah, ya know it's just um...ya' know for me, it just never really seemed like

my path. I was content doin' what I was doin' in Tulsa. And, and uh...ya' know,

recordin' records independently and, and travelin', and...uh...

Dave: Did you even watch Idol?

David: Uh, very residually. I, I, ya' know, I watched a little bit the year that

Daughtry, uh, was on. And...

Dave: Right. Cuz it-- and people have compared you two, because he was the

rocker.

David: Yeah

Dave: The first one.


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David: Absolutely, absolutely. Ya' know, and, and uh...but past that, ya' know...I...

ya' know it just wasn't something that uh...I guess didn't really appeal to me. Ya'

know, no discredit to the show, cuz I, I never really looked at it as the root of all evil

or anything like that. I think, I think it's a, it's a great opportunity. Uh...

Dave: Well, it turned out to be a pretty good one for you. [laughs]

David: Right. Yeah, it seems to have worked-out.

Dave: Yeah. Now you got into the show, and then you got branded the Rocker right

away.

David: Yeah

Dave: Uh, was that hard? Or did you-- were you happy?

David: Um...ya' know, A, I'm not a hundred percent sure on what that term means.

I, I, ya' know, I sing rock music. I don't know that that necessarily makes me a"rocker" or anything like that. Um...ya' know for me it was--

Dave: But you play the guitar...

David: Yeah, I mean, I, I certainly play rock music. So I, I get, I get the connotation I

guess. Um, but I felt like there was a little bit...I felt like I had a little bit more depth

than that. Um, and so for me it was just a matter of: Ok, here's a challenge. And

uh, ya' know, let's meet it head-on. And, and so, I, I liked kinda spinnin' everybody's

idea of me on its head a little bit throughout the season. Um...that honestly made it

fun for me.

Dave: For a lot of people, you had them at "Hello."

David: Oh, yeah

Dave: That was the song

[David laughs]

Dave: That, that really put you out there. Because no one had heard a version like

that. And even Lionil Ritchie apparently said he loved it.

David: Yeah, I-- ya' know that was amazing. To have somebody of his caliber, um--

Dave: Yeah he's done alright in the business.

David: ...say, say my name, ya' know? It was just like: Whoa. Um...yeah that song

was fun. Ya' know, I, I, I had uh, I'd had, ya' know, conversations with um, with b--

with ex band members back in Tulsa. And, and we'd kinda-- they'd played it at

some acoustic gigs, and we'd always kinda joked like: That would be a great power

ballad. Ya' know? And uh, I'd had two kinda rough weeks comin' in. Simon wasn't


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really in tune with what I was doin'. So...um...I was like: Ya' know, if I'm gonna go

home, I'm gonna go home havin' fun. So...threw that song togeather. And, and...

Dave: But that put pressure on you, didn't it? People were like: Oh what's he gonna

do this week? What great song is he gonna change and be-- and make really

different this week?

David: Um...

Dave: Did you feel that pressure? Or no?

David: No. I mean, I didn't really. Uh, ya' know, for me, I...I just...I guess I just had it

ingrained in my head that, like, I was just gonna do whatever, um, I found fun and

interesting. And if it worked out, great. And if it didn't, then um...ya' know, then I'd

go home, and I was on American Idol, which, um, there's a ton of people that would

have killed to be in that position. So...

Dave: Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, and then you had, like, 30 million people watchyou and David in the finale.

David: It was amazing, yeah.

Dave: What's he like?

David: Archie? Um...

Dave: I mean, you guys really are not the same [laughs]. It's so different watching

you two.

David: Yeah, yeah. Um...Archie's uh...he's a very quiet, very polite, um, verygenuine 17-year-old kid, ya' know? Um...but he has such a firm grasp on who he is

and what he wants to do. I wish I'd have had that focus at his age, ya' know? I wish

I had that focus now. Um...

Dave: But I mean, this is what he's gonna do. I mean...

David: Yeah. I mean...

Dave: I mean, Clay Aiken finished second. He's done really good for himself.

David: Absolutely. I mean, it's, it's a rare occurrence to find somebody of David

Archuleta's caliber where...um, not only do you have the talent, but you have the

drive, and, and you have uh...just kinda the one-track mind to know exactly who it is

that you wanna be.

Dave: And now, what about you? I mean, you now have the single, of course,

because you win American Idol.

David: Mm-hmm


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Dave: And you have an album that you have to do.

David: Yeah

Dave: What about your older stuff? That-- like, the album that was so successful,

that, that did all this great selling on the internet--

David: Yeah

Dave: --while you were on the show

David: Yeah [sigh]

Dave: --causing controversy. What happens with all that?

David: Um...well, I mean, we, we submit those songs, uh, to the process and, and

uh, and see how they fare. Ya' know, this-- I, I just want this record to be as strong

as possible. And so, um...

Dave: So you could do maybe some of those songs?

David: Yeah, I mean, I pride myself on the songwriting that I've done. But I also get

that I'm 25 years old, and I got the world to learn. So...um...ya' know, we're gonna

bring in, ya' know, some songwriters, and I might wanna collaborate. And, and

we're gonna see what happens. So...

Dave: This won't be the same, though. I mean, you're not gonna have the only say,

I guess, in this process.

David: Um...well, I may not have the only say, but I will have the final say. Ya'know...

Dave: OK

David: And, and, and so...cuz, at the end of the day, ya' know, I've got-- I've gotta

be able to put my heart behind this record. And uh, and if it doesn't, uh, if it doesn't

pan out like that, then I, I think it's, I think it's way too much to ask for me to have

to go out and try to push this record that I don't believe in. So...um, ya' know, and

as far as the single right now, I'm....kinda blown away by it. Ya' know I, I uh, I heard

the song for the first time, ya' know, uh, about a week and a half, two weeks before

the finale. And...and uh, I just thought it was a great song, ya' know? It's, it, it's uh,ya' know, 6/8 time signature. And, and f-- and, and just the feel of the song I

thought meshed well with me. So...um...to., to have, uh, the public embrace it the

way they did. Ya' know it's number one on iTunes right now, which is huge for me.

Dave: Well you've, you've had that success [laughs]

David: Yeah


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Dave: ...on the internet for awhile now.

David: Well, I mean it's just, it's amazing to, to see uh [pauses]the, the level of

support I've gotten through the show just kinda um, perpetuate itself into sales like

that. So...uh...I can only hope that uh [laughs] that the record will do that well.

Dave: When do you reflect and say: Wow, what just happened to me?

David: Uh...I'll probably reflect on this years down the road, after its, after I've had a

minute to breathe. Ya' know, everything's happenin' so quick now. It kinda hits in

20-second bursts, really. Ya' know, where I get to uh...uh...try to wrap my head

around what's going on, ya' know?

Dave: Yeah

David: It's my first trip out here to New York, and uh..it's just, it's amazing, ya'

know, to, to uh, to be where I'm at right now. I'm certainly not uh, I'm not upset.

Dave: [chuckles]Very few people have been in your shoes at this point, but...

David: Absolutely

Dave: Uh, good luck to you.

David: Thank you

Dave: Got the album and the tour

David: Yeah

Dave: Very busy time ahead. And again, uh, David Cook. The uh, new American

Idol. Thanks for joinin' us.

David: My pleasure. Thank you for havin' me.

Dave: We've been spendin' a few moments with David Cook. I'm Dave Anthony,

and this is FOX News Radio.

END OF INTERVIEW

2008-06-03 fox news radio cool shades)

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