David Cook Blew Out My Sound Card

Because I stopped watching TV and canceled even basic cable, I didn't follow American Idol at all this season. But I was reading the entertainment magazines online and they kept talking about David Cook's rendition of Billy Jean and how this guy was coming from nowhere to possibly claim the title from the presumptive winner David Archuleta. So I looked him up on YouTube.

Holy crap, that song made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. So I looked up his audition, which was Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer, which was equally powerful and unexpected. Knowing who he was allowed me to participate in water cooler conversation. I was coming back from a business trip the night of the finals and as soon as we touched down the 50-year old woman next to me whipped out her phone and it was apparent she was talking to her husband about Idol. "Who won?" I asked. "David Cook...Thank God," she said, relieved.

So that was that--till this weekend. I don't know why I looked up David Cook this weekend--it's been a month or so since he won. But I've now seen about a hundred YouTube videos of his performances and interviews, and I have OD'ed (I had to stop when I overheated my sound card and it died, but my computer seems to have healed itself).

So now that I've binged, let's purge: here are the top five reasons why I like David Cook:

5. He's well rounded: He does the New York Times crossword puzzle (he pegs him self as a Wednesday kinda guy) but he's also a jock (pitcher in high school) and he majored in graphic design.

4. He loves his brothers. Came out to support his younger brother's audition with no intention of auditioning himself, and has the initials of his older brother, who is fighting cancer, on his guitar and tatooed on his bicep.

3. He sings as well as any male recording artist out there, perhaps with the exception of Steve Perry. And he plays his own guitar.

2. With a background in theater, he knows how to perform, and not just music. Check out his appearance on Best Week Ever. He even made the best of an otherwise uncomfortable Mike Myer's cameo. And he literally rocked the pants off David Archuleta in that Guitar Hero commercial. Get him a guest spot on SNL, pronto!

1. He had the wherewithal to realize that pipes aren't everything-- he was going to have to change his looks. He started with a pasty white face, soul patch, and hair in his eyes and looked like Garth Brooks' alter ego, Chris Gaines, which is to say, horrible (here's his official photo from the start of the season). While he says he just forgot to shave and he's just been busy, the fact is he's lost 15 pounds, grew some stubble, spiked his hair up and obviously had a chance to work with a stylist, because now he's drool worthy (and believe me, from what I've read, women from 18 to 50 are flocking to him). It's a transformation straight out of Queer Eye and he is reaping the benefits right now.

Here's a clip of him singing the Foo Fighter's My Hero for the the Mercedes-Benz Summer Concert Series.