Results tagged “david cook” from J-14 Magazine

American Idol winner Kris Allen will sing the national anthem at the NBA Finals on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. This is his first big gig since he won the title on May 20.

Kris continues the Idol traditional of singing at the big sports showdown since the first season of the show. Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook have all sang the national anthem in pervious years. After Kris sings, game 2 of the finals will kick off between the L.A. Lakers and Orlando Magic.

Quick Kris Facts:
- Kris got started in music by playing viola in elementary school. He also plays the guitar, piano, and ukulele.
- He once worked as a shoe salesman -- and then called his self-produced 2007 album, Brand New Shoes.
- Kris was in the Arkansas all-state orchestra!

Photo: Courtesy of Fox

After we spotted David Archuleta and David Cook hugging on the red carpet at the American Idol finale on Wednesday, we caught up with Idol alums Chris Richardson, Blake Lewis, and Syesha Mercado and they dished to us who they think should win (Obvs this was before Kris Allen took the title!), they answered questions for our new video series, "When I was 14...", and Syesha told us her favorite judge!

The red carpet was popping last night at the American Idol finale! But have no fear, J-14 spotted all your fave Idol celebs in action!

First off, we caught season seven's winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta hugging it out on the red carpet! No feuds here!

And then we chatted with runner-up Adam Lambert right after the show was over!

No worries all you members of Team Kris -- we got Kris Allen stuff (and more!) coming at ya tomorrow!

Are you Team Kris or Team Adam? Let us know here!

Hey there J-14ers!

What a journey this year's American Idol has been -- from the wacky Norman Gentle (aka Nick Mitchell) and sassy Megan Joy to the heart-tugging Danny Gokey and the err, interesting Tatiana Nicole Del Toro... and of course, the attention-grabbing Bikini Girl (heck, did anyone bother to learn her name?! Ha!).

But the entire way, the quietly charming Kris Allen was the little engine that could. And just hours ago the 23-year-old Conway, Arkansas, student captured the American Idol title that most people predicted would go to the 27-year-old San Diego showman, Adam Lambert.

And to be honest, I breathed a sigh of relief when Ryan Seacrest read out the name. (Okay, I shed a tear of joy too. ;) ). But it's not that I was on Team Kris because I was against Team Adam. In fact, Adam was one of my early favorites -- his unique take on anything and everything was so fearless that I admired him (and wished I could be like him!). He has that one-of-a-kind nature that Blake Lewis did on season six with the music -- plus he can work the stage like no other. I defy you to blink during any of his performances... Adam knows how to get your attention -- and keep it. And he's just so frickin' likable!

But there was just something about Kris from the first time I spotted him in one of those group numbers in the Hollywood round. Maybe it's because I always root for the underdog... or maybe it's because I tend to judge people on how they handle fame and Kris is 110% modest... but when it comes down to it, whether he planned it or not, Kris' strategy on the show was perfect: starting out slow and shy and transforming into a super star -- and that's what American Idol is all about.

Unlike most competitors who have their off weeks -- Kris grew every single week. Sure, he had his not-so-good performances, but his overall projectile was the perfect course and he peaked exactly when he needed to in order to capture that crown. (Seriously, have you ever seen the guy sing his heart out the way he did on Tuesday in "Ain't No Sunshine"?)

Kris comes as a package artist -- you already know the kind of music he's going to bring on his debut album. One part pop, one part rock, with that tinge of country. He'll give artists ranging from John Mayer and The Fray to fellow Idol alumni David Cook and David Archuleta a run for their money since his genre mixes them all together.

I have no doubt that Adam's album is going to be spectacular as well -- yet at the same time have no idea what to expect. Adam is all about the surprise, which is perfect for a show like American Idol, but may not translate so well post-Idol.

Both Kris and Adam are going to be super successful in the next year... we definitely have a Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood on our hands as opposed to, errrr, some other past winners I won't name. ;)

But perhaps the most appealing part of the season was the true friendship between Kris and Adam. Have you ever seen two contestants genuinely support each so much? David Cook definitely seemed to look out for David Archuleta like a big brother -- but this was different. Kris and Adam seemed to truly appreciate and understand each other's talent and be rooting for the other one. Kris even said on Tuesday night they weren't competing!

Yet when it comes down to it, Kris still didn't believe he could win. One of the first things he said after the results was "Adam deserves this! I don't know what to say, this is crazy!" Fellow finalist Alexis Grace confirmed, "[Kris] did look dumbfounded. He was definitely shocked. He thought Adam was going to win!"

And that's why Kris deserved to win... the little engine that could.

Congratulations, Kris on your American Idol win! And congrats to you too Adam on an amazing season!

What do you guys think of Kris Allen's win on American Idol?

Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel
J-14 Editor

PS- How brilliant was the Jason Mraz, Anoop Desai and Alexis Grace trio sining "I'm Yours"? I would have died to be in Alexis' place! ;)

Photo: Courtesy of Fox

Just minutes after the show kicked off, J-14's got photos from the American Idol finale tonight. Sure, we're all dying to know if the winner will be Kris Allen or Adam Lambert, but the show has also been filled with amazing surprise performances.

The Top 13 American Idols from this season kicked off with Pink's "So
What?" -- all dressed in white. Then David Cook took the stage with an emotional performance of "Permanent." Lil Rounds joined Queen Latifah, Alexis Grace and Anoop Desai joined Jason Mraz, and the girls joined Fergie... and later the Black Eyed Peas.

Other performances so far have included Keith Urban with Kris and Kiss with Adam.

Join us on Twitter for our LIVE J-14 AMERICAN IDOL TWITTER CHAT. Just go to @j14magazine.

In just a few minutes, we'll know the winner. We won't post it on our homepage, but we will provide you with the link if you want to know.

One last call... 100 million votes later, who do you think will take the American Idol crown tonight?

The Top 13 American Idols sang "So What?"

Kris Allen sang and played guitar with Keith Urban

Alexis Grace and Anoop Desai were joined by Jason Mraz singing his hit "I'm Yours"

Fergie kicked it off with "Glamourous" and then the Black Eyed Peas joined in with "Boom Boom Pow."

Allison Iraheta sang with Cyndi Lauper.

Fan favorite Danny Gokey got down with Lionel Richie.

Adam Lambert rocked it with Kiss.

Megan Joy and Michael Sarver sang "Pretty Flowers" with Steve Martin (yes, the actor! He wrote the song too!)

The Idols rocked it with Carlos Santana.

The American Idol guys looked sleek and sharp in black suits.

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen had a blast rockin' with Queen.

Photos: Courtesy of Fox

This past weekend, J-14 got to hang out with My Favorite Highway's lead singer, David Cook, before the band's concert at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. It was only the third time the Virginia natives have played in New York, and they totally rocked! But was it scary playing in the Big Apple compared to jamming back home? "There's not really that much a difference," David admits to J-14. "There's a loyal hometown fan base feel, like a family at home. So when you go someplace else, sometimes it's a little different, but the fans here are great. Everyone just loves the band. They all know the words, so it's really surprising when you come to a place that's not your hometown and people actually know the songs and are just as excited as your hometown show. But hometown's always special because it's like your family."

Even though David was really sick -- he had to take antibiotics before performing the show, and even told us he made a trip to the doctor that morning -- My Favorite Highway performed five songs for the NYC crowd, including "Getaway Car" (David's favorite song to perform live) and their super catchy single, "Say So" -- we couldn't stop singing along! If you couldn't rock out with us this past weekend, you can check out their tunes on My Favorite Highway's MySpace page or read our exclusive Q&A for more info on the re-release of MFH's album How To Call A Bluff, dropping May 5.

J-14 hung out with David Cook, the lead singer of My Favorite Highway before the band's show in NYC. He dished about the re-release of MFH's album, How To Call A Bluff, their summer tour, Taylor Swift, and more!

J-14: What made you want to add two new songs to the re-release of How To Call A Bluff?
David: Those two songs are special songs that were written for the second go around of the record. "Go" is a super fun song. It's really self-indulgent. It's a song about my personal faith and my struggle with who I want to be and achieving that. "Dreamer" is about someone you love and being there for them no matter what, convincing that person that you're not going anywhere. There's something about that song that's special, and everyone seemed to really connect with it.

J-14: Your new album sounds very interactive -- like MySpace in CD form.
David: Exactly. You'll get to access a mini My Favorite Highway site where there's a lot of stuff. We're going to be doing contests, ticket giveaways, and more. It's interactive and people who buy the CD are really going to get a lot of it for a long time.

J-14: Can you tell us about your summer tour?
David: We're going to be going on tour with a band called Danger Radio in May. We're also playing Bamboozle in the beginning of May. Then we're going to be on tour with The Cab all of July and the beginning of August.

J-14: Your Myspace blogs say you've been listening to Fearless by Taylor Swift. What makes you keep that album on replay?
David: We love that record. She's a great songwriter. I think everyone can relate to songs like "Fifteen" and "The Best Day." I love that song. I'm not a fifteen year old girl, but there's something in those songs that I can relate to. She's an excellent songwriter. The record sounds amazing. She's a great vocalist. We were driving down to play a show in Newport, Virginia at the end of January and we listened to that CD all the way down and on the way back. It's a great CD.

J-14: Is she someone you would love to collaborate with in the future?
David: Absolutely. I like to do as much songwriting with other people as possible, and she's someone I would personally love to song write with.

Check out MFH's Myspace page here. How To Call A Bluff drops May 5.

American Idol winner David Cook's debut single, "Light On," was released yesterday. Click here to listen!

Which David's single do you like better--David Archuleta's "Crush" or David Cook's "Light On"?