he had me at hello

I think it was when he sang Bryan Adams' Everything I do, I do it for you that I first noticed David Cook. I've always rooted for the rockers in the competition, but with their not so good record on the show, I thought then that the best that I could hope for is for him to give us a couple of good performances and hope he'll be given a record deal like Chris Daughtry. I was resigned to the reality that while AI showcases some really talented rockers, America doesn't really vote for rockers.

When he sang Lionel Richie's Hello, I was hooked. Hooked on Cook. I began downloading his performances and I would listen to them over and over. The first time I heard the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby was when David Cook sang it, and I actually liked it. Loved Billie Jean and Always be my baby (which I didn't like when Mariah released it). The Phantom of the Opera fan that I am, I was mesmerized by The Music of the Night.


I'm glad I was proven wrong. I would rank David Cook as one of the three most talented American Idol winners, along with Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Chris Daughtry is still my favorite AI contestant, especially since he followed his Idol exit with a superb album, but Cook fast rising up to his rank.

Congratulations to the new American Idol David Cook!