American Idol

I'll continue with the spoilers since I think the west coast is still watching the show.

Spoiler:

Brooke and Syesha are standing there. Brooke just said that last night she kicked into that "happy grateful mode."

Poor thing. She kicked into an insane place of being disconnected to her center -- a connection she really did have for the first several weeks.

Now Neil is going to sing after the commercial.

*********

Goodness gracious! What the hell are they going to do for a whole half an hour before they announce it!

OK, I am in:

Spoiler:

And now I am going back and reading the spoilers.

************

Neil is singing now.

Man, he is great.

THe mentors usuallly suck when they perform on this show. I am enjoying him (I do love low gravel voices).

abrahammy wrote:

I attribute it to having very little impulse control, and being very defensive. Greekboy has always been, in my view, charming as hell to people he thinks are on his side and really snippy to people whom he thinks may not be on his side (and I've been in both places.)

When he is in smarmy or asshole mode he is capable of doing it all on his own without even having any contact with the person, and having absolutely nothing to get threatened by that isn't internal.

The reason I've said it's by choice is because it seems he can turn it off and on at will.

Public appearance: cool, humble, articulate.
Non-public appearance: Angry, smarmy, assholish, confrontational

I would think if he can do that, he must know he's being a shmuck and then tries to be another way.

Neil could never disappoint. I love the gravelly too.

So, it's 10:00 here. I'm guessing everyone knows who went. Frazz, you're right about the serial killer thing.

I've said that she needed to go, not because I hated her but because she looked like in one more week, she'd be sitting on the floor drooling in a fugue state.

Lau wrote:

There was something strange about that group number tonight. It sounded like the microphones were taking turns being turned off. The sound was odd but there was one person who I thought stole the show and that was Jason. Best I've heard him sound.

About the person who went home - it was going to be tough whenver it happened but I think it was time.

And it was great seeing Constantine and Gina. They appear to be working out very well as a team. Not just from what I saw tonight, but other times as well. Gina looked very good tonight. And Constantine did too.

Jason sounded FANTASTIC on the group number!!!

OMG, I'm glad they let us know first that Jason was safe! I have been on pins and needles all day, having a headache didn't help. WTH, is wrong with me, it's just a singing competition.......crazy.

I was reading another forum and someone remarked about how awful Jason dressed last night......WHAT? Did she not look at how good he looked in those jeans!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'm breathing normally now............. Now we have to wait until next week before we can hear our two guys sing again????

Anyone notice how uncomfortable archie looked when Natasha came over and sat by him? LOL!

Okay, I'm getting 'rummy', I'm a nightowl and I've been up since a little after 5:00 a.m........I need some sleep. Yay! No kids tomorrow, I can sleep a little later.

I agree...I really love Jason in, yep, what Paula called it, his lower register. I really hope he likes that part of his voice. Cute though he, is I really do not enjoy the high breathy stuff.

LOL, Sky..you have a couple of other Pacific time night owls here.

I really try hard to go to bed early, but only because I have to be at work early. my natural clock has me awake for about 4 more hours a day than is possible on a 24 hour a day schedule.

Sky, thanks for bringing the Banner of Hope! Yes! See? Once our boy had a chance to actually clear his head as opposed to being left on a stool on a stage, he was able to come out swinging! I do really think Paula did him a favor. Sometimes there is a foul-up in the AI machine and for that I am truly thankful.

Brooke, wow. Glad she's out of her misery.

Even when I need to wake up at 6 a.m., I have trouble getting to sleep before midnight. I've been known to get to sleep at 5 a.m. Of course, when everyone else is waking up, that's when I can sleep like a baby. I think I'm a vampire.

Sky, I always thought you were in L.A. because you post late like Frazz and I do. Nice to have another night owl!

It's kind of funny. Last week I was horribly worried for Jason, but hopeful. Yesterday I was serenely accepting that they were going to clause him, and I just assumed that he was going home.

The last time I saw Jason, he was almost broken on a stool, trying to get through a song that was already damned in front of millions of people. I didn't get to see the show last night.

I wish I could see that scene that shows that he's better, and he's going to be OK. It does occur to me that they aren't going to be able to do any more bad things to him - they've thrown him their absolute worst, and it sounds like it just drove the fangirls with their go phones into a frenzy. Furthermore, I read all over the web messages from people who were Soul Patrollers, or Cook fans, and the JC/DC set, and even just plain neutrals who said something like "I threw a few votes to Jason, because that shit's just wrong."

Since Nigel and friends sent him back to the couch first, I must assume that they realized they needed to back off and stop being so horrible to him. It has backfired - badly. Really badly. So maybe next week they will just treat him like an ordinary contestant, rather than the goat, and let the chips fall where they may. And wouldn't it be funny if, as soon as they stop mistreating him, he sings like a man who deserves his rank? Because he can. He hasn't really since he got sick last week, but he can.

Yes, I know on the DC board I belong to many were throwing votes Jason's way.

Can't you find videos to download from last night's show on JC's fan boards? The DC fanboard I belong to always has every single scene of him to download as soon as possible. I should know, I've downloaded them all I now have a DC folder full of stuff on my desktop! I am a fangirlie!

Next week's theme should be good for both DC and JC! It's funny some of the songs The Clack House thinks Jason should sing, like that Dylan song about "everybody must get stoned"! Now THAT would be awesome!! I'd laugh my ass off! I bet he would too But seriously, could you imagine if he sang "Lay Lady Lay"? THAT would get his fangirlies dialing away!

I just hope my DC rocks the joint next week. Daughtry left at 4th place. They say people felt he was safe for sure. Lots of DC fans must feel he is pretty safe. I hope they do not slack off!

BTW Sky, how did you get that blend to work as your siggy? I tried to do a DC blend siggy and it wouldn't work. I figured blend siggys just weren't allowed here. Do you insert it as a img every time?

I don't want to bring down the joy or worry anyone or anything, but ever since last night I have been reading at DC and Clay boards that Ryan never once said "America this is your bottom two" or anything about bottom two. Remember how Dial Idol had Syesha as being in first place (even though Zabbasearch had her going home) so people are wondering if Jason was really in the bottom two and AI did it the way they did so that Jason's fans would think he was safe. I have all of last night's show on tape and I will try to watch again at some point to see exactly what Ryan said. DI did show Brooke last and JC second from the bottom. It does make you wonder why Ryan never said "bottom two" like he always does.

If you read that Brian Dunkleman interview he sure states that a lot of games are played. I usually don't pay attention to Brian because he overflows with sour grapes, but he certainly could be telling the truth.

My head is spinning with thoughts of just what TPTB intended with the whole Jason debacle...certainly after 7-8 years of seeing how these things play out, they certainly know that often throwing someone under the bus that has a healthy fan base of women of all ages will just drive people to vote and keep them in.

The intent of the AI machine appears to be so transparent, but then again-it all just makes me wonder sometimes and shake my head. No surprize about one thing...It is all really one big popularity contest with singing-that we all know and participate in wholeheartedly-each in our own way. It does make it more interesting sometimes when there is an upset, but the artificial drama that is being shoved down the throats of the voting public really smacks of manipulation and those old time rigged game shows that were found to be illegal.

Green Eyez wrote:

Sky, thanks for bringing the Banner of Hope! Yes! See? Once our boy had a chance to actually clear his head as opposed to being left on a stool on a stage, he was able to come out swinging! I do really think Paula did him a favor. Sometimes there is a foul-up in the AI machine and for that I am truly thankful.

Brooke, wow. Glad she's out of her misery.

Even when I need to wake up at 6 a.m., I have trouble getting to sleep before midnight. I've been known to get to sleep at 5 a.m. Of course, when everyone else is waking up, that's when I can sleep like a baby. I think I'm a vampire.

Sky, I always thought you were in L.A. because you post late like Frazz and I do. Nice to have another night owl!

I LOVE that banner! Three days a week I have to getup at around 5 a.m. Being a night owl, I find I'm not in bed most nights before midnight, ever!

firecracker wrote:

BTW Sky, how did you get that blend to work as your siggy? I tried to do a DC blend siggy and it wouldn't work. I figured blend siggys just weren't allowed here. Do you insert it as a img every time?

I don't want to bring down the joy or worry anyone or anything, but ever since last night I have been reading at DC and Clay boards that Ryan never once said "America this is your bottom two" or anything about bottom two. Remember how Dial Idol had Syesha as being in first place (even though Zabbasearch had her going home) so people are wondering if Jason was really in the bottom two and AI did it the way they did so that Jason's fans would think he was safe. I have all of last night's show on tape and I will try to watch again at some point to see exactly what Ryan said. DI did show Brooke last and JC second from the bottom. It does make you wonder why Ryan never said "bottom two" like he always does.

If you read that Brian Dunkleman interview he sure states that a lot of games are played. I usually don't pay attention to Brian because he overflows with sour grapes, but he certainly could be telling the truth.

LOL! Believe me I tried to make that as a sig line........it didn't work. I just insert it when I want to look at it....it's so pretty!

FC, you think too much! But.......it makes sense.

Me? Think too much?

Actually, I never even noticed that Ryan never said "bottom two". I am just going by what people are saying on other boards. It would make sense that if they want Jason gone - let his fans think he was not in bottom two and get Syesha's fans voting even more to save her for final 3. That is if you believe TPTB like to play games. I am hoping that last night's results were the true results, otherwise Syesha is starting to scare the crap out of me!

I have to say I was a little concerned - and I think Cookie may have been too - when both Archie and Jason were safe and he came out after them. Not that he would have been in any danger of actually being eliminated but I could so see a "shocking" bottom 2 deal happening. Believe me, I breathed a sigh of relief in your honor, firecracker.

I hope the boys make it to the final 3, but I wouldn't count out Syesha by any means.

Thanks Badger! I was holding my breath too! I knew he wouldn't go home, but I so didn't want him in the bottom two! Trust me, I let out such a "YAY" and clapped my hands in honor of you JC's fans when he was announced safe! I figured Abrahammy was watching and would have fallen on the floor! I was worried when she didn't check in right away!

Yes, like I said - Syehsa is scaring the crap out of me. Girl has more lives than a cat!

The studio recordings are up! Only one song from each of them. DC's is "I'm Alive" and it is excellent! So much better than it was Tuesday night. The full version really rocks!

Surprisingly they have Archie's "Sweet Caroline" instead of "America". Jason's "Forever in Blue Jeans", Brooke's "I Am I Said". I download DC, JC and Brooke. No interest in the other ones.

Sky, a poster at the DC Fan board I belong to put up links for those HQ DIVX vids for ALL of DC's songs!! I am in the process of getting them all! The quality is amazing!!! Sadly, it appears they do not include judges comments. I do so love to re-watch his reaction to the glowing reviews!

Thanks for explaining about "the siggy". Yes, I too went nuts trying to get a blend to work as a siggy. Not meant to be

I was yelling for joy that they announced JC safe right off the top, then got worried about DC........... Yeah, what is it about Syesha's staying power. I'm thinking she's found her niche in 'Broadway' style and the judges are liking it.

I think I'll get the vids of DC too. I am hopelessly hooked on these two guys...........

I only took DC, JC and Brooke's studios too........I cringe at the others songs.

Talking about getting info from other boards..........I go to way too many............way too many.

You know, it's funny.

I didn't come to the boards until like the 3rd season. I didn't watch AI the first season, but caught like two episodes and picked Kelly right away as the winner. BTW, I think because it was the first season, she was the only legitimate winner. She was the best and she deserved it. Also, the judges didn't get the F-2 they wanted (Tamayra/Kelly).

Second season, I literally watched with my mom on the west coast and totally didn't know Clay had already lost.

So, I've been on both sides. and can tell you that if you've never been to a board, you really have no idea what's going on and you think that it's all just what they present it to be. It wasn't until I got on the boards and learned about "TCO" that I went back in my mind and went OMG! They totally manipulated everything for Ruben to win!

It's just interesting to be on the boards now and know what I do.

I don't know about Syesha. I read stuff at recapist.com (WAY less snarky than TwoP) and the recapper was saying there's something "off" about Syesha. Like, techically she's good, but doesn't really bring anything else to the table and her personality isn't so great. They say the same thing at TwoP, just more snarky. I don't think she's captured the heart of America. As much as I can't stand Carrie Underwood, I spoke to a lot of people and they really liked her and she actually did do it. Syesha doesn't have the naivete Carrie seemed to have. Once she's gone from AI, she'd better get to Broadway quick, because she'll be totally forgotten.

Exactly. Syesha has a good "AI" voice, but she will go nowhere in the pop world after AI. There is nothing "special" about her that can take her anywhere - not when there is a Beyonce, Rhianna, Ashanti, Mariah, etc. on the pop charts already. She cannot compete with them in the areas of talent, charisma, personality, beauty (she is pretty but not a Rhianna pretty or a Beyonce sexy/glamour) So she will fade away, even if she wins. Jordin oozes personality and she has not found huge success - yet. She has had some great sales with single downloads. So Syesha winning will be a failure for AI. I bet they know that too. I'm surprised she wasn't the one they tried to throw under the bus this week.

Those HQ vids are amazing Sky!! You won't be sorry! I wish there were more of those vids for Clay out there. I only have a couple like that of his performances.

DC is so good on the studio recording of "I'm Alive"! He really can do justice to Neil's songs more than any of the others because of his deep gravely voice!

Quote :

'American Idol' Exit Q&A: Brooke White


Earnest or annoying? Vulnerable or whiny? A true talent or a one-trick pony? You either loved or hated Brooke White, the G-rated nanny who became a contender with her powerful rendition of ''Let It Be'' but lost her mojo this week with ''I'm a Believer.'' Brooke called EW to answer some questions — and she didn't cry even once.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Brooke, I didn't think you'd be the one to go this week.

BROOKE WHITE: Yeah, obviously, I was pretty upset about it. I wanted to be strong. I really did. But I melted. I cracked. I became the sobbing, vulnerable Brooke for the 50 billionth time. People were probably like, ''Oh, please. Just stop.'' I just barely got through ''I Am...I Said.''

When I sat in on rehearsals last week, you were going to just have an acoustic guitar on ''I Am...I Said.'' And you were playing with the ''I'm a Believer'' arrangement. What happened?

I felt like I'd done so many serious songs, which is kind of me, but beyond my serious side I am lighthearted and fun and I like having a good time and being joyful. I kind of had some challenges picking a Neil Diamond song that worked for me. But I couldn't exactly say that to the audience. As far as starting on the guitar, I just had a strong feeling playing it on the piano. I loved both. They were complimentary about ''I Am...I Said.'' I don't know. I could analyze it to death. I could take it apart. It would make no difference. I am where I am at. And hey, I made it to the top 5.

The judges seemed to always want you to channel your inner Carly Simon, and then when you did, they'd tell you to step out of your comfort zone. How did you make sense of what they said to you?

It's a constant contradiction. I appreciate that the judges have to do their jobs. They've given me great feedback, but some of it makes no sense at all. There is no formula to how this works. You try to stay in your zone and then you're predictable. You get out of your zone and then it's like, ''Well, you should stay in your zone.'' At one point, I was getting pretty steady good feedback from them. But then it got rough. But all the while I don't think I changed my strategy.

So what went wrong?

The arrangement isn't always in your hands. I wanted to make ''I'm a Believer'' into something fresh and cool and new. At the end of the day, though, in an hour of rehearsal you have to do two songs, and there's only so much you can do. So I just went forward and hoped.

When you were backstage with David Cook and Syesha, did you think you were in trouble?

I knew that morning that I was going home. It was just a gut feeling. It's funny, though — regardless of what Simon said about Tuesday night being a ''nightmare,'' in the room it was not. It was really well received by the audience. For the first time in a couple of weeks I felt like I was completely present. I was in it. I had a confidence which I had been lacking. After the show Simon commented, ''Maybe that didn't work for you.''

He meant that people like you without confidence?

Yeah. It's like, Thanks, dude. He says what he thinks. Maybe he's right. Who knows? I leave knowing that I really enjoyed it. I walked off that stage with not a tear.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How weird was it for all of you when Paula made her now-infamous blunder, commenting on Jason Castro's second song before he sang it?

BROOKE WHITE: I don't know exactly what happened with Paula. It was a confusing night. People make mistakes, like last week when I stopped and started again. It's live television. We're humans. And humans make errors. Some people like to hold onto things for a long time.

When we met last week, you told me that you tortured yourself about starting over. How did you move past that?

You know, it didn't hit me what I did until after it was over. Like, how did that just happen? The situation can do some pretty funny things to you. You're a fish out of water. Sometimes I feel really at home on stage, and sometimes I don't. It's all over my face when I'm comfortable.

I think that's what people like about you.

Or hate about me.

Do you think people hated you?

Well, hate is a strong word, but maybe I wasn't everyone's favorite.

The judges told me that they think it will be a David Cook vs. David Archuleta finale. Did you all know that's how they felt?

I don't know how to answer that question. It's very clear they're strong contestants. They've done pretty well and they've been pretty consistent, so it's a fairly easy observation to make. At the same time, the show is very unpredictable. Look at Chris Daughtry. Look at Michael Johns. It's in the country's hands. Sometimes people don't vote when they think someone is safe. So anything could happen.

Do you have anything good to say about being voted off?

I talked to Carly Simon this morning. I was doing an interview and they got her on the line. She was so kind and generous with her thoughts and comments. I felt like I could relate to her, even her voice. This little raspy thing I have has taken me years to accept. Some days I wish I could belt out notes. But she just gave me wonderful and generous thoughts. It was incredible and gave me a real boost to make it through this day.

Will you be focusing on recording now that you're off the show?

Yeah. I did an independent album before the show. I didn't have a record deal. But I'm here. I'm in Van Nuys. I'm here to do this. I'm here to work.

So you won't be going back to the nanny gig anytime soon? Because I bet you could get a raise.

The family always joked they'd give me a raise if I went back. They're the most gorgeous kids, and I love them to pieces. But, well, I'll just say I don't mind babysitting every once in a while.

From FOX Kansas City.......BLUE SPRINGS, MO. -- Ten thousand tickets will be made available for David Cook's visit and performance in Blue Springs on Friday, May 9. That's if he makes it to the final three on American Idol.

FOX 4 has learned more details about his hometown visit through Idol.

The American Idol contestant will be flown into the area Thursday night, May 8, by private jet from Los Angeles. He'll be accompanied by an American Idol producer.

You'll be able to see David Cook live Friday morning on the FOX 4 Morning Show. Then, he'll appear on some local radio stations.

Cook is scheduled to do a noon performance before Blue Springs. A location hasn't been decided yet. However, it's possible it could be at the Power and Light District KC Live.

Cook may then attend some private gatherings at local schools before the Blue Springs parade.

Parade & Concert Schedule:

3:00 p.m. - parade starts at Stewart Title Co. at 700 NE Mize Road.
Parade route: south for three or four blocks across 40 Highway to Blue Springs South High School
3:30 p.m. - rally and concert in the Blue Springs South High School football stadium
4:45 p.m. - concert ends
Check in with myfoxkc.com on May 9, we plan to live stream as much of David's day as possible. We will also provide photo galleries and exclusive video of David's homecoming.


Ten thousand tickets will likely be made available for the concert. The school district will distribute them. And, Blue Springs is working to provide overflow seating with monitors and speakers for those who can't fit in the stadium.

"We (Blue Springs) are really in the national spotlight. I can't tell you how proud, on behalf of the city that makes us," said Meredith Parrish, city public relations. "We are a one of a kind community. Community of choice. David Cook is an example of strength, cooperation and unity we have in our community. It's exciting, whether he wins or doesn't, he makes us proud."

There's also talk that a donation to the American Cancer Society may be recommended in honor of Cook's brother, Adam Cook. Adam has brain cancer and was able to see David perform a few weeks ago in Los Angeles.

The parade will include the Blue Springs South High School band, cheerleaders, mascot, Axium (David Cook's old band, Sluggrr from the Royals, KC Wolf from the Chiefs, and David's family.

Cook is then scheduled to sing the National Anthem at the Royals game Friday night before returning to LA.

According to officials in Blue Springs, they were told this is the farthest out Idol producers have ever planned for a hometown event. That would suggest his vote totals are high enough each week that Idol officials think it's very likely he'll make it to the top three contestants.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'American Idol': Can David Cook Sustain A Rock Career After The Show?
Radio programmers, managers and other industry experts weigh in on the singer many are calling the next Chris Daughtry.
By Chris Harris

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586557/20080430/daughtry__chris.jhtml

For weeks now, David Cook, the 25-year-old husky-voiced rock dude from Blue Springs, Missouri, has ensured his survival on the seventh season of "American Idol" by taking some fairly memorable pop and R&B hits, and putting his own sometimes-unique rock-and-roll stamp on them. It's been his proven formula for success, and one he's sticking to as the competition nears its May 21 finale.

Over the course of the last 10 weeks, Cook has turned pop standards like Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby" into bona fide rock cuts. He gave the same treatment to Lionel Richie's "Hello" and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" — all songs the general public knows, but not in the way Cook interpreted them.

With the exception of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," which was a blatant (and admitted) cop on Chris Cornell's cover of the song, Cook has been able to take these classics and make them his own. And the "Idol" audience has repeatedly rewarded him with enough votes to push him through to the next week.

"I think that's definitely helping him, for sure," said Michael Slezak, a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly known for his "Idol" coverage. "But I also think he's a really good singer and performer. I could definitely see him taking advantage of this Nickelback period. This is a time where that type of music is doing well, and fits quite easily into that world of radio play. David Cook seems to have held onto his credibility — about the type of singer he wants to be — throughout the competition. He hasn't lost any of that. If Mariah Carey week didn't do him in, what will? The thing is, you don't expect to see [rock covers of pop songs] during 'Idol.' We've grown accustomed to people belting big songs. Cook doing something you don't expect to see on the 'Idol' stage — I think that's given him a real edge."

While Cook — the crooner with the Peppermint Patty hairdo and the 5 o'clock scruff — continues to dazzle "American Idol" audiences, could he have a career after the show? Is Cook really the next Chris Daughtry, and does he have the same sort of selling power?

"There is a huge demand for bands like Nickelback, and he's doing songs that people are familiar with — taking other artists' songs and putting his own spin on it, so that they can be accepted by a format that normally would never care," explained Jonathan Azu, the vice president of Strategic Music Partnerships for CBS Radio. "At the same time, when he becomes an artist, most musicians don't want to do covers, so he has to start integrating some of his own material into what he's trying to do.

"There are certain kinds of artists ... who go through the traditional route of doing 100 shows every few months," he continued. "There are artists born of the digital age; Secondhand Serenade is a prime example. Then, there are the artists born out of media, and 'American Idol' is the greatest example. If artists like Cook are able to leverage their success on a major media platform and not stray away from it and become something different, he has a strong chance to become like a Daughtry. If he's willing to build a strong bridge between his character persona and the way he was cast on the show, and a strong bridge between how he's perceived in the media space from being on 'Idol' to what he wants to be post-'Idol,' he has an incredible foundation to build on."

Paul Geary, an artist manager who works with Smashing Pumpkins and Godsmack, said he sees several similarities between Cook and Daughtry, whom he met before the fifth-season contestant's elimination.

"As I had conversations with Daughtry along the way, when he was still a contestant, we were trying to work out an arrangement for him to be the new singer for the band Fuel," Geary said. "He came down and worked with them a bit, and it was great. At the time, I remember being asked the same question: Does he stick with 'American Idol,' and if he wins, will he be taken seriously at the rock [radio] formats? That's where the challenge is. All of these people are talented — the challenge is, you are now entering the world of commercialism, and how do you connect the dots with the consumer? 'Idol' is a pop mainstream forum, and probably couldn't be any further away from the active rock audience, which is an aggressive, male-based audience.

"With Daughtry, I said before he broke, that he would have a real challenging time breaking through the hard-rock format, which is what he was interested in doing," Geary continued. "For Cook, to be taken credibly in the rock world, 'Idol' is a tough place to [come from], and he should probably join a rock group. On the flipside, top 40 radio would be a natural home for him. Those formats can embrace a pop idol. It's alien to the active-rock world. I represent Godsmack, one of the kings of active-rock radio, and they would never dream about playing next to Daughtry. But you can't argue with success — the guy sold millions of records through that format."

Geary thinks Cook's best bet for success would be to follow the path Daughtry took and accept that he's a pop star, not a rocker.

"He has a likable personality," Geary said. "Depending on what, artistically, is on his mind — if he's going to front a band and go the rock route — he has major challenges ahead of him. Then again, if you look across the board, in the last few years, so few records have broken at all. Last year, 77,000 records were released, and only 14 of those sold over a million copies. Of that 14, four or five were rock bands, and of those, only one band sold a million records without top 40 radio support, and that was Tool. The rest were bands like Daughtry, Nickelback, Hinder, Chili Peppers. ... They are all selling albums through top 40 radio. I believe he could have a very similar career to the one Daughtry's had since 'Idol.' "

But that doesn't mean Geary wouldn't represent Cook in the future.

"I'd want to sit with him and talk about his goals, because if it's simply 'I want to sell lots of records and have hit records, and I don't care how I do it,' then sure," he said. "If he's coming through the door saying, 'Listen, I want to play next to the Foo Fighters,' for instance, well, that's going to be a much bigger challenge. It's more of an artistic challenge than a commercial one, given he's in two of the top forums: TV and top 40 radio. Those are the only two places where you can reach people. And the real way to reach millions now is passive. There are two kinds of fans: the music enthusiast, who buys albums, knows who's in the band and goes to shows and buys the T-shirt, and then there's the passive listener — the 'Oh, I like that song' types, the housewives. At some point, you peak out on the music enthusiasts anyway, so you need that passive audience."

Erik Bradley, the music director at Chicago's B96 radio station for the last 15 years, said he thinks Cook's already a rock star, and that he'll have a massive career after the show's end.

"He just looks like a star," Bradley said. "He's in that Daughtry vein — I think he's a newer version of Daughtry. And you know, they always talk about how you need to make songs your own on 'Idol' and reinvent them, which he does every week. To me, that's one of the most interesting story lines of the season — watching what he does next with these songs. Clearly, he's doing something right, and I think a large segment of Daughtry's fanbase are the ones voting for Cook, and they'll be the ones buying his record."

WOW! That all sounds so amazing!! I so hope he makes top 3 so that he can experience this! He so deserves it! I cannot wait to see it on the show! Not too much longer to wait! Crossing fingers and toes for you DC!

Well, a poster at The Clack House put Jacob's little rant about DC fans and Clay fans in DC's thread. I read he hates DC too, as well as Clay. Aw, Bless your heart Jacob.

ETA: Thanks so much Sky for that wonderful article! I so hope he is right and DC has a great career after AI! He is right that the most exciting part of AI this season is seeing what DC will do with the songs! I feel really pumped now! Washes away all that crap from detractors.

Pure talent and artistry usually perserveres and suceeds. I think if he is marketed correctly to the right audience like these music experts mention...I have to believe he will do extremely well.

Thanks Sky for bringing those articles over! Very informative!