David Cook | |
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 Cook performing atSchriever Air Force Base in September 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | David Roland Cook (1982-12-20)December 20, 1982 (age 43)[1] Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Origin | Blue Springs, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
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| Formerly of | |
Spouse | |
| Website | davidcookofficial |
David Roland Cook (born December 20, 1982) is an American rock singer-songwriter.[1] Cook rose to fame after winning theseventh season ofAmerican Idol in 2008.
Prior toIdol, Cook performed with multiple bands, releasing three studio albums and four live albums before releasing his first solo independent album,Analog Heart. After winningAmerican Idol, he released his debut single "The Time of My Life", which entered theBillboard Hot 100 chart at number three and at number two on theBillboardCanadian Hot 100, selling over 1.4 million copies and being certifiedplatinum by the RIAA. His major-labelself-titled debut album was released on November 18, 2008, and has also since been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album produced two top twenty singles; "Light On" and "Come Back to Me". His second major albumThis Loud Morning was released on June 28, 2011. The album produced two singles; "The Last Goodbye" and "Fade into Me".This Quiet Night, Cook's first EP, was also released on June 28, 2011 and featured acoustic performances of selectThis Loud Morning album tracks.
After departing fromRCA and releasing three stand-alone singles, Cook became an independent artist and released his first single "Criminals" for his fourth studio albumDigital Vein, which was released on September 18, 2015, with the latter two ("Laying Me Low" and "Wait For Me") being featured on the album.[2] The album produced two more singles: "Broken Windows" and "Heartbeat".
Cook released his second EP,Chromance, featuring a more pop-driven sound. Its lead single, "Gimme Heartbreak," was released to promote the EP. The EP entered theUS Indie charts at number five. His third EP,The Looking Glass, was released on April 16, 2021.
Cook was born inHouston, Texas, and raised inBlue Springs, Missouri.[3][4] His parents are Beth Foraker and Stanley Cook.[5][6] He is the middle of three brothers[7][8] – the late Adam Cook being older and Andrew younger. He is ofGerman,Irish, and English descent.[9]
Cook's interest in music began at a young age. He began singing in second grade, when his elementary school music teacher, Mrs. Gentry, gave him a part in a school Christmas performance.[10] He proceeded to perform in virtually every Christmas andPTA program.[11] He received his first guitar, aFender Stratocaster, at the age of 13.[citation needed] He also participated in choir and drama programs in middle school and high school. At Blue Springs South High School, he performed in musicals, includingThe Music Man,West Side Story, andSingin' in the Rain.[11][12][13] In addition to this, he was an active member in the Blue Springs South High SchoolNational Forensics League (or NFL), where he qualified for the national tournament twice forDuo Interpretation, an event that relies on performance and interpretation of a literary work. He graduated from Blue Springs South High School in 2001.
He was also an avid baseball player (pitcher) during high school and once gave up ahome run toAlbert Pujols in anAmerican Legion Baseball game.[14] After an injury, he focused more on music. He earned a theater scholarship to theUniversity of Central Missouri, but he abandoned theater after two semesters, graduating from the school in 2006 with aBachelor of Fine Arts ingraphic design.[15][16] While in college, he was a member ofPhi Sigma Kappa.[17] After his college graduation, he relocated toTulsa, Oklahoma, to pursue a career in music, telling his mother, "I just want to give myself until I'm 26 years old to get a job."[5]
David Cook formed a band with his friend Bobby Kerr while at high school. The band was initially named Red Eye, later changed toAxium.[18] He wrote his first song, "Red Hot", when he was fifteen.[19][20] He was encouraged by Evan Sula-Goff of8stops7 to make an album when he went to Cook's school to judge a contest, Mr. Jaguar, where David Cook and his band performedGuns N' Roses' "Paradise City".[21] The band had some success when one of their songs, "Hold", was selected to be played in movie theaters across the country,[18] and they were named one of the top 15 independent bands in the country by "Got Milk?" contest as well as the best Kansas City band in 2004.[22] The band produced three studio albums –Matter of Time,Blindsided, andThe Story Thus Far, as well as a number of live albums includingAlive in Tulsa.[23]
Axium, however, broke up in 2006 and David Cook moved to Tulsa where he joinedMidwest Kings, a band he once opened for.[24] He was the bassist for theirEPIncoherent With Desire to Move On.[25] Members of that bandAndy Skib andNeal Tiemann later became part of David Cook's post-Idol band The Anthemic. He recorded and self-released a solo albumAnalog Heart in 2006.[26] He had also recorded his second solo album (unreleased) prior to appearing onIdol,[27] and was working as a bartender to support himself.[24]
Cook originally did not plan to try out for the show. He went to the auditions inOmaha, Nebraska, initially to support his younger brother (who did not make it toHollywood[5]) and then, prompted by mother and brother when a show producer noticed him, David auditioned himself.[28] He performedBon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" for his audition. For his first Hollywood audition, Cook performed "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" byBryan Adams, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. On the second song in Hollywood, he sang "I'll Be" byEdwin McCain. Cook took advantage of the decision to allow contestants toplay musical instruments. Besides his Hollywood audition, he also accompanied himself on electric guitar for his performances of "All Right Now", "Hello", "Day Tripper", "I'm Alive", "Baba O'Riley", "Dare You to Move", and "Dream Big", and on acoustic guitar for "Little Sparrow", "All I Really Need Is You", and "The World I Know". His white, left-handedGibson Les Paul electric guitar has the letters "AC" on it; as Cook toldTV Guide, "I have two brothers, Adam and Andrew. So, because of superstition, I put their initials on everything growing up."[29] Starting from the Top 12-week, he also wore (and continued to wear throughout competition) an orangewristband to support a then-7-year-old fan, Lindsey Rose, withleukemia. Lindsey Rose is now many years recovered and perfectly healthy.[30][31][32]
Another of Cook's performances,The Beatles' "Day Tripper", was credited toWhitesnake.Seattle-based band Doxology has claimed that Cook's performance ofThe Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" was based on a version the band recorded over a year ago.[33] On April 1, before performing his self-arranged rendition ofDolly Parton's "Little Sparrow" onAmerican Idol, Cook toldRyan Seacrest in the interview session that his performance of "Eleanor Rigby" was based onNeil Zaza's and Doxology's versions. He also reiterated the credits of Whitesnake and Chris Cornell. Despite the controversy, critics praised Cook for choosing versions of songs that fit his vocal style.[33][34][35] Cook's arrangements of "Happy Together", "Hello", "Little Sparrow", "Always Be My Baby", "All I Really Need Is You", "Baba O'Riley", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", "Dream Big" and "The World I Know" were original arrangements.
Cook won theseventh season ofAmerican Idol on May 21, 2008, receiving 56 percent of the votes, with 12 million votes overDavid Archuleta, the runner-up. Cook then sang "The Time of My Life", the winning song of the 2008American Idol Songwriter's Competition.[36][37] During the final show, identical commercials promotingGuitar Hero featured Cook and fellow finalist Archuleta mimicked theTom Cruise scene fromRisky Business where he dances in his underwear playing anair guitar.[38]
A week following Cook'sAmerican Idol victory, in theBillboard chart week ending May 25, 2008, Cook broke severalBillboard chart records. Most notable was his record-shattering feat of having 11 songs debut on theHot 100 that week, beating the previous record set byMiley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) in 2006 when she had six songs debut on the chart.[39] Cook's first single, "The Time of My Life" led the pack, debuting at number three on the Hot 100.[39] Cook's eleven charting songs also gave him the most songs by one artist on the Hot 100 of any week in theNielsen SoundScan era (which began in 1991), and the most of any era sinceThe Beatles placed 14 songs on the chart the week of April 11, 1964.[39] In addition, that same week Cook also broke the record for the most debuts onBillboard'sHot Digital Songs chart, where he placed 14 debut entries, the record for which was previously six, set byBon Jovi in 2007.[39] Cook's 17 entries had a combined total of 944,000 digital downloads in the first week of selling.[40]
Cook also signed an endorsement deal withSkechers that ran through December 2009.[41]
Cook's photo was also featured on the cover of The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009, along with PresidentBarack Obama and SenatorJohn McCain.[42]
Cook worked withEspionage,Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Zac Maloy (The Nixons),Jason Wade (Lifehouse),Neal Tiemann (theMidwest Kings),[43]Kevin Griffin (Better Than Ezra),Chantal Kreviazuk, andRaine Maida (Our Lady Peace) on his self-titled, major label debut album.[44] The album was produced byRob Cavallo.[45] OnRyan Seacrest's morning show,On Air, ofKIIS-FM on September 5, 2008, the singer revealed that the CD release date would be November 18, 2008.[46]
The first single released from the album, "Light On," premiered as an AOL Exclusive on September 23, 2008, and debuted at No. 17 on theBillboard Hot 100 for the week of October 18, 2008.[47] The single was certified platinum on January 20, 2010.[48] This was followed by a dual release of "Come Back to Me" and "Bar-ba-sol," with "Come Back to Me" being released toHAC radio stations and "Bar-ba-sol" to rock radio.[49] The music video for "Come Back to Me" was released on April 4, 2009. His debut album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association for America (RIAA) for sales exceeding one-million units in January 2009.[50] He was presented with his plaque while recording a performance that was aired during the April 1, 2009, episode ofAmerican Idol.
Cook had earlier announced via hismyspace blog that two former bandmates from Midwest Kings (MWK) would join his band:Neal Tiemann as the lead guitar player, andAndy Skib on rhythm guitar and keyboard.[51] Other members who joined later wereJoey Clement (replaced later by Monty Anderson) on bass guitar, and Kyle Peek on drums and backing vocals.The Declaration Tour began on February 13, 2009, inTallahassee, Florida, and was originally set to end inTulsa, Oklahoma, on April 25, 2009. The tour however was extended twice – the first time through May 31, 2009, and then again starting from June 18, 2009, inDel Mar, California, and finally ending December 1, 2009, inCharlotte, North Carolina, after a total of 153 shows. On August 23, 2009, in an interview and at his concert inYakima, Washington, Cook announced that the band would be known as The Anthemic.[52]
Cook began to concentrate working on this his second album after his first major tour,The Declaration Tour, concluded in December 2009.[53] While on the tour, he put down some riffs and lyrical ideas,[54] and started song-writing as a band towards the end of the tour.[55] In an interview with Idolatry's Michael Slezak on February 8, 2010, Cook revealed that he was hard at work on his second album. He had been collaborating withRaine Maida andChantal Kreviazuk,Matt Squire,Gregg Wattenberg,John Rzeznik,Sam Hollander andDave Katz,Claude Kelly,Brian Howes,David Hodges,Tommy Henriksen,Steven Van Zandt,Kevin Griffin,Zac Maloy,Ryan Tedder,Jim Irvin, Jamie Houston,Ryan Star &Julian Emery andMax Martin.[56][57] Besides that, he also collaborated with members of his band, The Anthemic –Neal Tiemann andAndy Skib. In an April interview withHitQuarters – recorded in March – the producer-songwriterSteve Mac said that Cook had recently visited his Rokstone Studios in London where together with Mac he had also been writing withSavan Kotecha and Andrew Frampton.[58] He had hoped initially that a single would be ready for release in April 2010 and the album that summer.[59] However, a producer for the album was not announced until May,[60] and recording started in June that year with producer Matt Serletic at the helm.[61] On March 31, 2011, Cook tweeted that the title of his new single would beThe Last Goodbye and debuted on April 19, 2011.This Loud Morning was released on June 28, 2011.[62] He has also stated that at the beginning his goal was to make an album that "really, really pushed the concept of dynamic".[63]
Cook toured in support ofThis Loud Morning with a 2011 Fall Tour, co-headlining withGavin DeGraw and withCarolina Liar in support, for 22 shows across 15 states beginning October 9, 2011, inState College, Pennsylvania, and ending November 10, 2011, inAthens, Georgia. Cook's second single, "Fade into Me", was released to coincide with the tour.[64] Cook tweeted that there would be "more dates/info to come"[65] In this tour,Devin Bronson replaced Neal Tiemann as the lead guitarist.[66]
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On May 10, 2012, Cook performed a new song, "The Last Song I'll Write for You" on theeleventh season ofAmerican Idol.[67] Before the performance, Cook confirmed to Shirley Halperin of theHollywood Reporter that he was without a recording contract, having departed from RCA, and was self-releasing "The Last Song I'll Write for You".[68] On April 30, 2013, Cook released a new single, "Laying Me Low", throughXIX Recordings, the record label ofAmerican Idol creatorSimon Fuller,[69] although Cook shortly departed from Fuller's label.
Cook co-penned country music singerDavid Nail's 2014 single, "Kiss You Tonight" from his albumI'm a Fire.[70][71] On March 24, 2015, Cook signed a publishing deal withWarner/Chappell Music.[72]
Cook's move to Nashville saw his newfound role as producer of his fourth album, often citing his move as the source of creativity.[73] He worked with previous songwriters like Zac Maloy,Kevin Griffin,David Hodges, andAndy Skib (who also contributed asengineer). Cook also collaborated with Jerry Flowers,Earth to Andy members Andy Waldeck and Chris Reardon (with Reardon also serving as co-producer on one track – "Laying Me Low"), local Nashville writers Blair Daly and Chad Carlson, former bandmateDevin Bronson, and Steven Miller. "Criminals" was the first official single from the album released on July 31, 2015.Digital Vein was released on September 18, 2015, through Cook's own independent label, Analog Heart Music.[74]
Cook promoted the album on the Digital Vein Tour throughout late 2015 and early 2016. The first half of the tour, with opening actAndrew Ripp, consisted of 33 shows in 24 states, beginning on September 30, 2015, inPhoenix, Arizona, and ending on November 21, 2015, inTulsa, Oklahoma.[75][non-primary source needed][76] In this tour, Daniel Damico replacedAndy Skib andDevin Bronson as the lead guitarist and keyboardist, drummer Adam Reidelbach replaced Nick Adams, and Andy Wildrick replaced Monty Anderson as the bass guitarist.
His second single "Broken Windows" was released on February 22, 2016, and coincided with the second half of the tour. Featuring opening actTony Lucca, the run consisted of 18 shows in 14 states, beginning on February 23, 2016, inChattanooga, Tennessee, and ending on March 19, 2016, inOklahoma City, Oklahoma.[77][non-primary source needed]
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Following his independent album Digital Vein, Cook began work on new material, shifting towards a more pop-oriented sound while maintaining rock elements. On March 27, 2017, Cook teased a thirty-second clip on social media with the quote "#gimmeheartbreak", indicating his new single, "Gimme Heartbreak" would be released on June 23, 2017.[78]
On November 13, 2017, Cook announced the EPChromance through a PledgeMusic campaign, which funded its production and allowed fans to access exclusive updates and pre-order content.[79] A day prior to the EP's release, Cook held a special release event at The Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee.[80]
Chromance was released independently on February 16, 2018, featuring five tracks co-written with collaborators including Tim Bruns, Steve Rusch, and Nathan Paul Chapman, and a cover of "Another Day in Paradise" byPhil Collins.[81] It entered at number 173 in theBillboard 200 chart, and at number 5 in theUS Indie chart. The second single, "Ghost Magnetic", was released on March 1, 2018, along with an official lyric video.[82]
From October 25 to November 20, 2018, Cook embarked onAcoustic Tour.
On October 26, 2018, Cook released his stand-alone single, "Death of Me."[83]
On June 26, 2020, he released his single, "Reds Turn Blue," fromThe Looking Glass. In an interview withPeople, Cook explains that the title is a reference to the manic highs and lows of anxiety and states that the song is "kind of a letter from my anxiety to me," after publicly announcing that he had been diagnosed with ananxiety disorder two years after winningAmerican Idol.[84] On December 4, 2020, he released the second single, "Strange World", from the EP.[85] Cook released his third single, "Fire", from the EP on March 19, 2021.[86] Cook released his third EP,The Looking Glass, on April 16, 2021.[87]
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On April 29, 2022, Cook released his stand-alone single, "TABOS,"[88][non-primary source needed] (an acronym for "This'll all be over soon" from the song's chorus).
On July 19, 2024, Cook released a new single, "Dead Weight".[89][non-primary source needed] On November 22, 2024 he released a charity single, "This Time Tomorrow 16".[90][non-primary source needed]
On February 18, 2025, Cook announced that he would release multiple EPs. The first EP,The Hero, was released on September 19, 2025, and included the single "Dead Weight", and two new songs; "Rendezvous" and "Disappear".[91][non-primary source needed]
Cook made hisBroadway debut playing Charlie Price, inKinky Boots on April 3, 2018, and would play a limited run through May 5.[92] Cook returned toKinky Boots for a second limited run starting July 17 to September 9, 2018.[93]
People reported on March 31, 2009, that David was canceling dates on his current tour due to "family matters".[94] Cook's elder brother, Adam, had been diagnosed with brain cancer since 1998[95] and died on May 2, 2009.[96] On May 3, 2009, at the "Race for Hope" in Washington, D.C., Cook announced the death of his brother during the awards speech, and stated that he "couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now." He finished the 5k with a time of 28 minutes. His team raised $136,376.16 for the cause. Donations were accepted through September 30, 2009.[97] On the finale of the 8th season ofAmerican Idol, Cook sang his song "Permanent" in honor of his brother. Audio of the performance was made available oniTunes, and the proceeds from the sale of it were put toward brain cancer research.[98]
Cook appeared at the 2008Glamour magazine Women of the Year Awards as a guest ofMary Steenburgen to surprise honoreeHillary Clinton, a fan ofAmerican Idol. He sang one of Clinton's favorite songs, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", which he also sang during the Top 3-week onIdol.[99]
Cook appeared in several promotions for the November 1, 2008, episode ofSaturday Night Live, hosted byBen Affleck. Cook performed two songs on the program, the first "Light On" and the second "Declaration".[100]
In 2009, Cook performed songs from his debut album for the troops during aUSO tour, where he was able to visit seven bases (including Camp Liberty,[101] Camp Phoenix,[102] and Camp Taji[103] in Iraq). Cook has since had the honor of performing for military personnel and their families at more than 40 military installations around the world with the USO, Armed Forces Entertainment, Navy Entertainment, and Air Force Entertainment.
On August 11, 2009, Cook performed "Starseed" with Canadian alternative rock band,Our Lady Peace at the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas.
On February 18, 2010, Cook performed with the original line-up of his band, Midwest Kings (which includedNeal Tiemann andAndy Skib), in Tulsa, Oklahoma, performing songs from the band's discography.
Since hisAmerican Idol win, Cook attended many of the show's promotional events. On February 12, 2009, Cook appeared on the morning news program,Good Morning America and talked about Walt Disney World Resort's new attraction,The American Idol Experience, where he performed "Light On" and covered "Go Your Own Way" with fellow winnerCarrie Underwood. He and all the other six winners received a mic-shaped statue from the creator of thefranchise,Simon Fuller to honor them for winning the competition.[104] On August 7, 2009, Cook performed the Fleetwood Mac hit "Little Lies" withAmerican Idol season 8 winnerKris Allen and runner-upAdam Lambert onABC'sGood Morning America's Summer Concert Series inCentral Park.[105] Cook performed "Lie" in a Christmas TV variety special hosted byCarrie Underwood.[106]
Cook also made numerous returns toAmerican Idol. On April 1, 2009, Cook performed "Come Back To Me" and was presented with his Platinum Album forDavid Cook (album). On May 20, 2009, Cook performed "Permanent" during the finale ofeighth season in honor of his late brother Adam, where proceeds from the live single went to Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2). During the March 17, 2010, episode ofAmerican Idol, Cook sang the Rolling Stones song "Jumpin' Jack Flash". On April 21, 2010, Cook made an appearance on Idol Gives Back. On March 7, 2011, Cook released the send-off song for thetenth season, theSimple Minds song "Don't You (Forget About Me)", played upon elimination and returned on May 24, 2011, to perform the song live. He later performed "The Last Goodbye" on the stage on April 21, 2011. He returned in theeleventh season to perform "The Last Song I'll Write for You" and once more in thetwelfth season to sing "Laying Me Low". Cook mentored the top 8 finalists during "Songs from the 1980s" week in thethirteenth season. He mentored once more with two semi-finalists during thefifteenth season, dueting with C.J. Johnson on "The World I Know" and Olivia Rox on his own song "Light On". On April 7, 2016, he returned again, performing aDavid Bowie medley in tribute with fellow winnersKris Allen,Lee DeWyze,Phillip Phillips, andNick Fradiani. During Hollywood Week oftwentieth season, Cook returned to mentor contestants in the rock genre and later returned to duet withKris Allen as part of that seasons "The Great Idol Reunion" special, which aired on May 2, 2022.
In May 2008, Cook asked Season 2American Idol alum andTV Guide Network correspondentKimberly Caldwell for a dinner date while on the red carpet before the show'sseventh-season finale.[107][108] During a radio interview withXL 106.7 on October 13, 2008, Cook revealed that he and Caldwell were "still seeing each other."[109] In a November 2008 interview withPeople magazine, Cook said his relationship with Caldwell was a "nice break from the chaos" of post-Idol fame.[110] They ended their relationship in December 2008.[111]
Cook married longtime girlfriend, Racheal Stump, in a private ceremony in Nashville on June 20, 2015.[112]
His musical influences includeOur Lady Peace,Alice in Chains,Big Wreck,Pearl Jam,Bon Jovi,Chris Cornell,The Goo Goo Dolls,Switchfoot,Collective Soul,[113][114] andMichael Jackson.[115] Immediately after winning American Idol, Cook was asked backstage byEntertainment Weekly who his top five favorite bands were.Our Lady Peace andBig Wreck were on this short list, as well as theFoo Fighters,Jimmy Eat World and8stops7.[116]
Current members
| Former members
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Studio albums
EPs
Headlining
Co-headlining
| Year | Production | Role | Dates | Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kinky Boots | Charlie Price | April 3 – May 5, 2018[117] | Al Hirschfeld Theatre | Broadway |
| July 17 – September 9, 2018[118] |
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | URBY Awards | Best Independent Album - "Analog Heart"[119] | Won |
| 2008 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star[120] | Won |
| Best Presenter (Post Show) | Nominated | ||
| The New Music Awards | Top 40 Male Artist of the Year[121] | Won | |
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | Breakout Artist | Nominated |
| Album (Male Artist) | Nominated | ||
| Nashville Music Awards | Song of the Year – "Time of My Life" | Won | |
| The New Music Awards | Top 40 Male Artist of the Year[122] | Won | |
| 2013 | Dahsyatnya Awards | Outstanding Guest Star[123] | Nominated |
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| National | |
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| People | |
