David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook (born December 20, 1982) is an American rock singer-songwriter.[1] Cook rose to fame after winning the seventh season of American Idol in 2008.
This article is about the rock singer. For his debut album, see David Cook (album).
David Cook
Blue Springs, Missouri, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
- actor
- Vocals
- guitar
- bass
- piano
- drums
2001–present
- RCA
- 19
- XIX Recordings
- Analog Heart Music
Prior to Idol, Cook performed with multiple bands, releasing three studio albums and four live albums before releasing his first solo independent album, Analog Heart. After winning American Idol, he released his debut single "The Time of My Life", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number three and at number two on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, selling over 1.4 million copies and being certified platinum by the RIAA. His major-label self-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 album This 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 select This Loud Morning album tracks.
After departing from RCA and releasing three stand-alone singles, Cook became an independent artist and released his first single "Criminals" for his fourth studio album Digital 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 the US Indie charts at number five. His third EP, The Looking Glass, was released on April 16, 2021.
Early life[edit]
Cook was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Blue 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 of German, 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 and PTA program.[11] He received his first guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, at the age of 13. He also participated in choir and drama programs in middle school and high school. At Blue Springs South High School, he performed in musicals, including The Music Man, West Side Story, and Singin' in the Rain.[11][12][13] In addition to this, he was an active member in the Blue Springs South High School National Forensics League (or NFL), where he qualified for the national tournament twice for Duo 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 a home run to Albert Pujols in an American Legion Baseball game.[14] After an injury, he focused more on music. He earned a theater scholarship to the University of Central Missouri, but he abandoned theater after two semesters, graduating from the school in 2006 with a degree in graphic design.[15][16] While in college, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa.[17] After his college graduation, he relocated to Tulsa, 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]
Early music career[edit]
David Cook formed a band with his friend Bobby Kerr while at high school. The band was initially named Red Eye, later changed to Axium.[18] He wrote his first song, "Red Hot", when he was fifteen.[19][20] He was encouraged by Evan Sula-Goff of 8stops7 to make an album when he went to Cook's school to judge a contest, Mr. Jaguar, where David Cook and his band performed Guns 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, and The Story Thus Far, as well as a number of live albums including Alive in Tulsa.[23]
Axium, however, broke up in 2006 and David Cook moved to Tulsa where he joined Midwest Kings, a band he once opened for.[24] He was the bassist for their EP Incoherent With Desire to Move On.[25] Members of that band Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann later became part of David Cook's post-Idol band The Anthemic. He recorded and self-released a solo album Analog Heart in 2006.[26] He had also recorded his second solo album (unreleased) prior to appearing on Idol,[27] and was working as a bartender to support himself.[24]
Personal life[edit]
In May 2008, Cook asked Season 2 American Idol alum and TV Guide Network correspondent Kimberly Caldwell for a dinner date while on the red carpet before the show's seventh-season finale.[96][97] During a radio interview with XL 106.7 on October 13, 2008, Cook revealed that he and Caldwell were "still seeing each other."[98] In a November 2008 interview with People magazine, Cook said his relationship with Caldwell was a "nice break from the chaos" of post-Idol fame.[99] They ended their relationship in December 2008.[100]
People reported on March 31, 2009, that David was canceling dates on his current tour due to "family matters".[101] Cook's elder brother, Adam, had been diagnosed with brain cancer since 1998[102] and died on May 2, 2009.[103] 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.[104] On the finale of the 8th season of American Idol, Cook sang his song "Permanent" in honor of his brother. Audio of the performance was made available on iTunes, and the proceeds from the sale of it were put toward brain cancer research.[105]
Cook married longtime girlfriend, Racheal Stump, in a private ceremony in Nashville on June 20, 2015.[106]
Influences[edit]
His musical influences include Our Lady Peace, Alice in Chains, Big Wreck, Pearl Jam, Bon Jovi, Chris Cornell, The Goo Goo Dolls, Switchfoot, Collective Soul,[107][108] and Michael Jackson.[109] Immediately after winning American Idol, Cook was asked backstage by Entertainment Weekly who his top five favorite bands were. Our Lady Peace and Big Wreck were on this short list, as well as the Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and 8stops7.[110]
Studio albums
Headlining
Co-headlining