On The Road With David Cook
With the summer tour nearing its final stretch, we thought it was high time to speak with the Season 7 winner himself, David Cook. In the midst of touring so many cities and doing so many performances, David is also recording a new album. We wanted to know what challenges he faced with such a busy schedule and what impressed him most about his newfound celebrity. We caught up this month while he and the other Idols were making their way across the East Coast.
“Both the tour and the record are going really well, we’re actually ahead of schedule on the record. And we’re now on the home stretch of the tour,” David reported. Touring holds special appeal for him because “getting immediate reaction from such a large crowd is huge. A lot of the people who come to the tour are obviously fans of the show. They know these songs and they’re able to sing along. It’s just a really celebratory vibe for all of us.”
But what about stage fright? Sure, there were tens of millions of people watching on Idol, but the studio audience was small compared to the 11,000 who come to tour shows. “It’s a weird psychology,” David explained, “I get nervous when I have to play in front of small crowds more than big crowds. I think with less people, you can feel the eyes burning a hole through you more.”
David was too polite to say which city had been his favorite to perform in to date, rather quipping that he appreciated Portland “because there’s no sales tax.” But he did share special praise for the Newark crowd. “They sang all the songs back to me… It was a really special vibe.”
Coming as no surprise to anyone who’s been on the road, the most challenging aspect of touring for David is “just getting comfortable.” David likes to joke that “for the first time in my life, I’m homeless. I don’t have a home base. You get in the vibe that the bus is home.” And so what happens after September 13, when tour comes to an end? “I’ll have to find a new place to live again, I guess.”
Despite all the challenges of performing in different cities all the time, progress on his new album is excellent, due in part to the fine rapport that exists between David and record producer Rob Cavallo. “It’s just a really organic relationship and to have him on board is obviously huge... I know Rob can do what I need to do on this record.” The yet unnamed album is expected out in November.
Many MyIdol users here on americanidol.com have expressed interest in the well-being of David’s brother, Adam, and so we asked David about this phenomenon. David told us that “A group of [his] fans had started raising money for the American Cancer Society with a goal of $10,000 and they exceeded it in 38 days which is massive!” This type of activity is the “best gift”, according to David. “It’s the stuff fans do for other people that I think is the coolest thing in the world.”
We can't wait to hear more from David down the road and to hear his new album when it comes out in just a few months. Meanwhile, it's great to look back at David's Transformation Gallery!
Justin Guarini
Hold the phone -- three-time Grammy winner and two-time, reigning ACM and CMA Female Vocalist winner Carrie Underwood has added yet another achievement to her long list. Last year, the American Idol Season Four champ's smash hit, "Before He Cheats," sold one million ringtones, making her only the second country artist in history to have a song RIAA certified as a Platinum Mastertone. Carrie now becomes the first country artist ever to have two songs hit Platinum Mastertone status with the Grammy-winning "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
These are just two of the hits that have made Carrie the only country artist in history to have their first seven singles all reach #1, and they can be found on her 7x-Platinum debut album, Some Hearts. Carrie's Double-Platinum sophomore album, Carnival Ride, includes her three most recent hits -- "So Small," "All-American Girl," and "Last Name" -- all of which she co-wrote. The disc's fourth smash, the powerful ballad, "Just a Dream," is currently climbing the charts.
How much has Carrie changed? 
