American Idol

Oh, if you go............please take lots and lots of pics for me!!!!

From the upcoming new TV Guide! Gorgeous! I must get this TV Guide!

abrahammy, what a beautifully written piece on Jason that describes his AI journey! I hope you will get the opportunity to talk with him in person as well.

Good going Abrahammy!

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Um, I just got a pm from Sooner.

They are using my piece in the ceremony for Jason in Rockwall. If you want to know where I am, I'll be passed out in the corner.

You will not be passed out in the corner!!! You will be meeting Jason and passing out in front of him!

Well done Abrahammy!

Abrahammy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!



That is STUPENDOUS!!!!!!! Tell your family to keep plenty of smelling salts on-hand.

Oh, and I TOTALLY AGREE with everything you said.

Abrahammy that is great! Good on you.


Did y'all see this article?

Cougars 4 Cook

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080522/ap_en_tv/tv_american_idol_cougars_for_cook

Yes, I have seen that. I guess that would be me

EEEEKK!! GO DC!!!!!!!!!!!! Almost 1,000,000 downloads for DC already! Cookie is gonna be HUGE!!!!

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OMG!
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Digital Download Numbers
1 David Cook “Time of My Life” 236,024 (NEW) Total: 236,024
7 David Cook “Dream Big” 111,052 (NEW) Total: 111,052
9 David Cook “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” 97,868 (NEW) Total: 97,868
10 Jordin Sparks “No Air” 87,518 (2%; lw 85,455) Total: 1,866,343 (7)
14 David Cook “The World I Know” 79,907 (NEW) Total: 79,907
16 David Archuleta “Imagine” 71,178 (NEW) Total: 71,178
19 Carrie Underwood “Last Name” 64,143 (193%; lw 21,915) Total: 181,373 (54)
21 David Cook “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” 59,571 (NEW) Total: 59,571
24 David Cook “Billie Jean” 56,344 (NEW) Total: 56,344
26 David Archuleta “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” 50,653 (NEW) Total: 50,653
28 David Archuleta “In this Moment” 49,134 (NEW) Total: 49,134
29 David Cook “Always Be My Baby” 46,577 (NEW) Total: 46,577
32 David Cook “Hello” 42,254 (NEW) Total: 42,254
41 David Cook “Music of the Night” 35,753 (NEW) Total: 35,753
51 David Cook “Eleanor Rigby” 28,397 (NEW) Total: 28,397
60 David Cook “I’m Alive” 25,206 (NEW) Total: 25,206
66 David Cook “Little Sparrow” 23,512 (NEW) Total: 23,512
68 David Cook “Hungry Like the Wolf (American Idol Studio)” 22,875 (NEW) Total: 22,875
69 David Cook “Innocent (American Idol Studio)” 22,785 (NEW) Total: 22,785
76 Jordin Sparks “One Step at a Time” 19,793 (446%; lw 3,627) Total: 74,065 (OFF)
81 Jason Castro “Hallelujah” 19,312 (NEW) Total: 19,312
82 David Cook “Day Tripper” 19,073 (NEW) Total: 19,073
84 David Archuleta “Longer (American Idol Studio Version)” 18,992 (NEW) Total: 18,992
90 David Cook “All Right Now” 17,948 (NEW) Total: 17,948
92 David Archuleta “Think of Me (American Idol Studio)” 17,653 (NEW) Total: 17,653
96 David Archuleta “Angels” 16,893 (NEW) Total: 16,893
97 David Cook “Happy Together” 16,853 (NEW) Total: 16,853
102 Jason Castro “Over the Rainbow” 16,484 (NEW) Total: 16,484
107 David Archuleta “When You Believe (American Idol)” 15,863 (NEW) Total: 15,863
110 David Archuleta “Love Me Tender (American Idol)” 15,108 (NEW) Total: 15,108
128 David Archuleta “Long and Winding Road” 13,675 (NEW) Total: 13,675
136 Brooke White “Let it Be” 12,254 (NEW) 12,254
149 David Archuleta “Sweet Caroline (American Idol)” 11,050 (NEW) Total: 11,050
161 David Archuleta “You’re the Voice (American Idol)” 10,279 (NEW) Total: 10,279
171 David Archuleta “Another Day in Paradise (American Idol” 9,756 (NEW) Total: 9,756
187 Michael Johns “Dream On (American Idol Studio) 9,079 (NEW) Total: 9,079

Billboard.biz.
3 Doors Down And 'Idol' Winner David Cook Rule Charts
May 28, 2008

Excerpt:

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• "American Idol" winner David Cook places 14 debuts on the Hot Digital Songs chart -- with "The Time of My Life" coming in at No. 1 with 236,000 downloads sold. Collectively, his 14 titles moved a combined 888,000 during the tracking week that ended Sunday, May 21 ... Cook owns three of the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. "Life" is tops, followed by "Dream Big" at No. 7 (111,000) and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at No. 9 (98,000).

That is FANTASTIC!!! We knew he was going to be huge!

Yes we did!!

Look at this one!!

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Wow! From Billboard:

David Cook Sizzles With Record Chart Debuts


Season seven "American Idol" champion David Cook will set a record for debut entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Digital Songs tomorrow as 11 titles enter the former, while 14 songs jump on the download tally. The onslaught is led by a No. 3 Hot 100 start for his original recording "The Time of My Life," which shifts 236,000 downloads to easily take the No. 1 spot on Hot Digital Songs.

"Idol" runner-up David Archuleta lands

three songs on both charts, led by his cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" (No. 36 Hot 100, No. 16 on Hot Digital Songs, 71,000).

Cook's takeover of the Hot 100 shatters the mark for debuts set by Miley Cyrus (as Hannah Montana) in the Nov. 11, 2006, issue, when she placed six new titles on the list. The 11 songs on the chart are the most in a week by any artist in the Nielsen Music era, which began in December 1991 when the chart converted to Nielsen BDS and Nielsen SoundScan data.

His haul also marks the most placements on the list since the Beatles charted 14 songs on the Hot 100 in the week of April 11, 1964.

The 14 tracks on Hot Digital Songs also gives Cook a record for debuts and total songs on that three-year-old chart, besting Hannah Montana's total output ( on the Nov. 11, 2006 chart, and Bon Jovi's six debuts in the May 19, 2007, issue.

This is the first week of the 2008 season that "American Idol" downloads counted toward Billboard's charts. In cooperation with the show's producers, Apple withheld reporting iTunes sales of those songs until the week of the final episode.

Sky, your new Avi is gorgeous!!

Jason has some good download sales too!



ET More Super news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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From his official MySpace (bolding mine) damn!

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DAVID COOK SIGNS TO 19 RECORDINGS / RCA RECORDS
COOK'S DEBUT ALBUM IS DUE FOR RELEASE IN FALL OF 2008

COOK’S FIRST SINGLE “THE TIME OF MY LIFE” WAS THE BEST SINGLE DEBUT OF AN AMERICAN IDOL SINCE SEASON 2

1 MOST ADDED AT HOT AC AND AC RADIO RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX AND 2 MOST ADDED AT TOP 40 RADIO

WITH OVER 1 MILLION STREAMS IN 24 HOURS ON AOL’S POPEATER SITE IT WAS THEIR BIGGEST SINGLE PREMIERE OF 2008

American Idol winner David Cook has been signed to 19 Recordings / RCA Records and is preparing to start recording his debut album which is due for release in fall 2008.

"David Cook is an extraordinarily versatile and talented artist with an impressive sense of musicality," says Tom Corson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, RCA Music Group. "He is a natural performer and a true star. We are thrilled to welcome him into our family."

Cook, who's first single, "The Time Of My Life" skyrocketed to 1 on iTunes within 7 hours of being available, will be recording his album over the summer while on the road with the American Idol tour. The tour kicks off on July 1st in Glendale, AZ and wraps on September 13th in Tulsa, OK.

“The Time Of My Life” has sold 236,024 digital tracks in 4 days, making it the best single debut of an American Idol since season two. Additionally, Cook currently has 17 tracks on the Top 100 Digital Songs Chart, the most ever by any artist.

“The Time Of My Life” is blowing up at radio, coming in as the 1 most added at Hot AC and AC radio right out of the box and 2 most added at Top 40 radio, pulling in over 6 million listeners in less than a week without an official launch. Additionally, it was the biggest single premiere on AOL’s PopEater site, garnering over 1 million streams in 24 hours.

“I am extremely happy to be signed by 19 Recordings / RCA Records. Signing this deal is truly a dream come true. I am looking forward to the recording process and creating a record. The support I have received from America has been overwhelming and I can't wait to hopefully do right by them,” says David Cook.

25 year old David Cook hails from Blue Springs, Missouri where he discovered his singing skills while in the 2nd grade. Before his American Idol victory Cook independently released an album "Analog Heart" which earned him an URBY nomination for "Indie Album of the Year." Cook also belonged to two bands, Midwest Kings and Axium.

"David Cook is a remarkable talent and is a worthy winner of American Idol," says Simon Fuller, creator of the popular TV series and chief executive and founder of 19 Entertainment Label Group "he has an astonishing voice, and is capable of truly memorable performances as he showed throughout the season. He's mature, well grounded and knows what he wants. It's this quiet determination that sets him apart from other singers; I honestly believe that David has the potential to go on to become one of the most successful Idols of all time".

Could be that David is just what the music industry has been looking for to give it the jumpstart its been looking for.

I'm watching the Today Show right now. The 2 Davids are coming on to sing. Big crowd outside of 30 Rock for the event.

CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally forgot to tape it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got to watch The Today Show on it's site! Thank goodness!

Now, a great recap from someone at The Clack House who went to the shows this AM! Yep, DC is on his way to super stardom! I feel it in my bones!!

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So I (me and Penny actually) went to see Cookie at The Today Show, and a pre-taping of The Early Show. I have thing to say..that man is a STAR. I'm serious. I felt like I watched a newborn star. The commotion he caused was insane and I haven't seen anything like it for any male idol since Clay. I heard Al Roker say to some fans that the crowd at Today was the biggest they had in some time. Archie was there too and of course had his large share of fans, throw the two of them together and it was pandemonium.

The Today show crowd was too mobbed to get a really close view of the guys but both sounded amazing, two beautiful voices. But my god The Early Show was PERFECTION. Again, a huge, huge crowd and I never saw a crowd this big for someone that I've gone to see there. Hundreds and hundreds of people filed in all around the huge soundstage outside but the difference betwen this setup and Today is quite different and I managed to stand like 10 feet away from DC. Lord! He's gorgeous up close. Seriously gorgeous, it actually stunned me a little. He's much more tall and lean than he appears on TV too. He sang TOML a couple of times (I guess the 2nd was to fix sound issues). That voice, unbelievable. He joked with the audience, was a total doll to the host interviewing him, then he went around the soundstage trying to oblige autographs and pictures for everyone there, and there were hundreds. He had bodyguards pushing him along through the insane crowd that was formed in a large circle and he didnt once stop being nice to everyone, the young children he seemed to give the most attention to. Even as his guards were trying to push him to get out of there he was getting swarmed by people. I looked around at the crowd and there were girls and woman of all ages screaming and in tears. Lots of men and young guys too. It was quite a rush to see such intensity, and it kind of put for me his sales numbers and those 12 million votes he won by in perspective.

I took lots of pics I'm gonna upload soon. I'm still on cloud nine!

Gah, I hate the "Cookie" nick name. David is just not a cookie to me. That name just seems beneath him. He is a serious and mature artist, "Cookie" sounds like a nick name more fitting of Constantine. Like tough New York smartass cookie or for maybe Kimberly Caldwell...*cough, cough* Please lord let him never go on that second date with her.

So will Crypt keeper (quoting the brilliant and witty Aerwin ) be producing DC's album. Please tell me no...

Aw, I love "Cookie" I heard he likes it, so if he's cool with it that is all that matters to me. I think it is cute. People say it with love.

Clive has been demoted so I have no idea if he will be involved. They do have some good writers that are going to write with DC and DC said that it will be a rock CD. I LOVE his voice so I am buying it no matter what he is singing!

Well, Crypty did ok with Daughtry..so maybe he has some people on his team that know WTF rock music is about, because I know Clive does'nt.
David has incredible instinct and taste about what arrangements work for him, and how to put his unique signature on a tune.

I think we will buy his CD too if it truely reflects DC's style and taste.

Here is my recap of Jason Castro Day.


- Arrived early, around three o'clock because I have a tendency to get lost when going places I don't know. I checked out the marina, the amphitheater, and a few other places before heading into the Lake Pointe Church to get some instruction on what to do next.

Stepped into Jason's church. That was weird. I've met a number of Idols, and some other celebrities, but it was always in a very "performer" capacity. I actually felt a little weird walking into a place that was a place of personal importance to him rather than a performance arena; it felt like I wasn't supposed to be there, in something that was real rather than set up by AI, and there's nothing more real than a person's faith. Got instructions on where to park. Went and got something to eat and one lonesome bottle of water.

When I came back the buses were filling and we got ourselves situated. When I saw Sooner, I introduced myself, and I gave her a framed copy of the piece that they used in the dedication tonight. She did not use that - needed a copy with bigger print, but she gave a little pleased cry when she saw it, so I think it went over well. Jason probably has it by now.

We filled up, and chatted with each other about various things - what's your dreadhead number, where are you coming from, how the hell did Syesha get all those votes - you can guess. Sooner sold shirts, and I wanted one, but it was kind of chaotic and loud and hot so I made do with my civilian gear.

It took them awhile to figure out where the buses needed to go, but once they got on their way we got to our place... and then... we got a visitor. This rather quiet, soft-spoken young man, weird hair, showed up around the buses, and boy, the place went nuts. Everybody was out of those buses faster than you can say Castro and just swarmed him. I stayed on board. I was above him, so I could get pictures. No good outside. I'm SHORT. Sooner kept pleading with people to get back on the buses, please, and she had him go into bus #1 for a little quality time with them. Then he came back to our bus, and I snapped some more pictures, and then - OK, this was frustrating - he sat down about two seats ahead of me and I got this glorious view of the back of his head as he waved to all the people in the seats in front of him... but he never did turn around and pose for us at the back, because time got very short for him and he had to leave. That's as close as I got to Jason; I really think it's kind of amusing that the best view I got was of the dreads. He was very sweet and pleasant to everybody, but of course I think that's got to be a given.

OK, and we rode the bus. We had our signs and we yelled our yells, and seeing the reaction of people on the street was funny. There were moments that were just made of awesome, when I really felt the incredible groundswell of love for this guy from the people we passed, and there were moments that were truly funny; I am very much aware of one annoyed looking woman stuck in her car who clearly wanted to go home, and had to wait for the parade to pass by. Thing is, I understand how you feel, ma'am; I've been halted by motorcades, too, but this one is much happier than most. And I drank most of that one little lonesome bottle of water. And I sat on my knees. Mental note. Getting old. Must take better care of knees.

We did not see big parade crowds from the bus. Apparently, many people were running ahead to get a place for the concert, and many concert goers elected not to view the parade. But boy, when we got to the harbor, the whole flipping STATE seemed to be there! Sooner handed out our prize for being in the buses; we got a badge that gave us front-and-center standing room only spots directly in front of the theatre. Which is good, because, like I said, I'm SHORT. I did have an interesting conversation with a young girl who didn't want to let me into the Dreadhead area because she didn't understand what the badge meant, but we fixed it pretty fast, and I finished off my lonesome, single bottle of water.

From my vantage point, it is clear that I missed some of Jason's entrance, but when he became visible the place exploded. Even from where I was standing, I did have some visibility issues because, like I said, I'm SHORT. It was OK when the people in front of were children, but somehow adults ended up in front of me after that because I'm like, not very aggressive, so I did my best. My biggest regret; the sun was directly behind Jason and I do not have a particularly good camera or good skills, so my pictures of the concert are terrible.

A couple of things that really struck me about the dedications; I had some difficulty seeing Jason because of the sun, but it seems like he broke into a smile when Cinemark offered him the movie coupons and that grin just didn't leave. Ear to ear through the whole thing, like he found the whole thing both incredulous and awesome at the same time. Clearly very pleased and excited - in his own quiet, calm, Jason-esque way. The two dedications that stick out in my mind best

- Well, that whole little thing about Sooner reading what I wrote. I still can't believe that happened. I hope he liked it; sun made it hard to see his face, I had very tall heads in my way for part of it and my heart was a little in my mouth while it was happening, too. (Is this really happening? Thanks to the person who sent it to Sooner. I am STUNNED.)
- But like I think I said in an earlier post, watching his pastor talk to him and about him turned out to be the highlight of the evening for me. When he said that Jason WANTED to win the competition, but he did not NEED to win the competition... that comment really clicked with me. AI is so full of this desperate people who will do anything to be famous, at any price, and here's comes Jason, who can take us Over the Rainbow and end up shooting the Tambourine Man - and he's completely at peace with both results, because they do not define him.

WOW. I suspect there's no way Cowell is ever going to understand that.

What were you thinking?
I WAS THINKING BOB MARLEY!

Don't you put winning this competition first?
No! I'm ALL about the music! (But you don't really care for music, do ya?)

Cowell thinks that how well you do in AI is a measurement of your success in life. Jason does not. Another reason why it's absolutely mind-boggling that he got to the final four.

As for the singing... he's terrific live. He really is. He's honed his skills during the course of the show; his vocals on Daydream were stronger than they were the first time he sang it, and Over the Rainbow was just charming. I LOVED the original song. I want that up as the #1 song on Itunes yesterday. And closing with Deep in the Heart of Texas - hey, you ain't seen charmingly innovative until the Castro invites you to singalong to THAT to the accompaniment of his ukelele. I hope, whether he's the biggest star in the world or a regional indie that travels the festival circuit, that he gives us many more public performances this easy and relaxed and joyous for years to come. He's a real treat to listen to. I just love this guy.

Sounds like the parade and especially having your tribute read publically to Jason experience meant a lot to you, Jason, and many of his fans. How great you got to take it all in from the sidelines in your own way...too bad about the sun and the no photos, but I also know that being in the moment and not tarnishing it with putting too much effort into getting the perfect shot is priceless also.

I hope Sky stops in soon to see your recap! Thanks for sharing your Parade experience from your private, special correspondent viewpoint! Short stature and all! How short are you btw?

I am wondering if one of the criteria for being on this forum is being less than 5'5"...

I am awed at how you can convey your thoughts in words.

I am totally envious that you got to see him so close.

I am totally envious that I couldn't be there.

Thank you so much for bringing us with you because I could envision being there right along side you.

Okay, so where's the pictures?

Luca? Don't make it a criteria that we have to be 5'5" or under......I may have to lose my feet! I'm 5'7".

Thanks for the wonderful recap! Sounds like an amazing day! I so wish JC had turned around on the bus for you That is so cool that he now has a framed copy of your post! You must be feeling a little swoony right about now!

5'2" here

You have to go watch Jason's performance at his home town. His Mother and Father in the background. I Love this video clip, especially when he is thanking everyone and he says 'it's good to be loved'. I was a little teary eyed.

http://www.rockwalllovesjason.com/

Aw, that made me tear up too! I do love his SOTR with the yuke! That was my fave Jason performance on AI.

I should bring over this hilarious recap from a poster on ONTD who was there! I laughed so hard! She posted a couple of pix too.

So glad you had a good time Abrahammy! Thanks for writing such a nice, detailed recap.