05.23.08-KBIG 104.3 Billy Bush Show Los Angeles, CA.

Bush: As promised, joining me in studio now David Cook, the American Idol. Buddy
congratulations.

David: Thank you very much.

Bush: Have you slept at all?

David: Uh not yet. But we're getting closer to that.

Bush: Are you wearing the same clothes as you wore when you won on stage last night.

David: I am. No rest for the wicked, yeah.

Bush: [laughing] I love it! You've been doing 20...25 interviews so far?

David: Uh, I lost count a while back. But I mean, you know, it's part of the deal. I'm
extremely excited to kind of carry the crown for a bit and uh, hopefully represent it well.

Bush: You know what man? Last night Simon, moments before it was announced you
were the American Idol winner; Simon Cowell decided to, what I call an innoculation. He
said, you know I may have been a little harsh last night when I called it a knockout for
Archuleta. Do you think the producers told him, hey buddy I'm not going to give you the
exact results, 'cause that would be cheating, but you may wanna say something to David
Cook.

David: (laughing) You know, I'm going to claim ignorance on the whole subject, and just
say that I appreciated his apology. I didn't really find what he said the night before
disrespectful in any way though. I thought it was just, uh......

Bush: Simon.

David: Simon is an opinionated, honest guy and that's what they cut the check for. So it's
all good.

Bush: When you were finished on Tuesday night, did you say Simon's right, that was a
knockout for Archuleta. Or did you feel like you were gonna win or did you feel like you
were gonna go in second place?

David: As somebody who, who watched all of Archie's performances Tuesday night from
the side of the stage, uhm I, I didn't necessarily think the judges were off. I think Archie
came out and did amazing on all 3 songs. So I walked into Wednesday uh, with no
expectations. Just to try to enjoy that last night you know as an American Idol contestant.
So I got to play with ZZ Top and, uh somehow I ended up winning this whole thing. So I
had a good time.

Bush: It was fun to see you on either side of those two bearded guys, hanging out in the
middle. Did you look left and look right and go, oh my god?

David: I have never felt so clean shaven in my entire life. It was amazing.

Bush: We are in studio here with David Cook the Ameriacan Idol. Right after Simon
said, you know hey I might've.... I watched it back and I might have been too harsh. Both
of you guys were great last night. Did you sort of feel at that point, uh-oh, I'm about to
win this thing?

David: No and, and my brain just kind of shut off at that moment. I wanted to make sure I
was taking some mental snapshots of that moment with 7000 people in the Nokia Theater
and standing next to a kid that I admire and respect as a performer and a person and uhm,
and just to...it's kind of a culmination of, of a lot of years of hard work on my part, ya
know I wanna do this. Now maybe if I'd been thinking clearly, I might have put two and
two together, but uh, in that moment uh, no I just kinda took it on face value and nothing
more.

BREAK

Bush: Last night on stage, Cook and Archuleta side by side, it didn't matter who won, in
my opinion I think it was just a coronation at this point. These two guys would never be
on the same bill together besides the Idol tour. David your style, very different from
Archuleta's right?

David: You know, that's the thing about this season. I thought everybody that was in the
top 24 had their own style had their own vibe. And so I never really felt I was competing
against anybody except myself, to try to one up myself every week. What I wanted this
season to be for me was a progression. And I feel like I accomplished that. I go back and
I watch week one when I performed "Happy Together". And then I watch this last
Tuesday and I feel like there's two completely different performers, and I'm really proud
of that. So win, lose or draw I can hold my head high on that, so....

Bush: Tuesday night and then also last night, you got emotional.

David: Yup.

Bush: I mean the tears came out. What brought 'em out? What was it?

David: Well Tuesday night was just, uh you know, I hit the last note of the last song as an
American Idol contestant. And to make it to that point, to kind of stand tall when a lot of
other competitors this season that I admired didn't make it, uhm you know, that was very
humbling. And uh. you know, it was just that brevity, like you're, Ok that's it now, I'm
just a performer. I'm not a competitor.

Bush: And last night what was that about?

David: Last night ....imagine holding your breath for eight months and then the shows
done and you finally get a chance to go, whoa. And that's what I did. It's just eight
months of happiness, sadness, anger, frustration and all the things that are associated with
basically being dissected publicly every week. To get to that point was uh, it was very
vindicating.

BREAK

Bush: The public, America has really sort of rallied around the Cook family. Has the
support moved you or has it been like, whoa....in January nobody knew who we were?

David: It's a double edged sword for sure. You know 'cause uh, my family is a pretty
private family and uh, to have to deal with some of the aspects of kind of thrusting myself
into this public limelight, you know, has been tough on my family, but they've known
that this is what I wanted for a long time, and so they kind of rallied up and as a result,
you know, I was able to kind of do well on the show on my terms, on my own merit.
Which was what I wanted to do. And um, the support that I've gotten just from people
I've never met....people just saying the things they've said and donating and all the cool
things they've done. I couldn't have asked for a better scenario to play out. It's been great.

Bush: And we'll be back with David Cook. The bracelets on your wrist. I wanna talk
about the meaning.

BREAK

Bush: David, tell me about about the bracelet on your wrist. In fact, you've got a bunch of
them there.

David: Oh yeah, I've got ,I got about four now.

Bush: Which is the one....this is....

David: Yeah, yeah this orange one; on one side it says "Do what you gotta do" and the
other side says "Lindsey Rose". Lindsey is a girl in Tampa, Florida. Her dad is a reporter
and I met him at a Top 12 press junket, and uh, got to talkin' to him. He told me about,
you know, his daughter, and he'd heard about my brother. And uh, I actually got to talk to
Lindsey on the phone and she just was so amazing, like her demeanor was just awesome.
She was completely unphased by the fact that she's dealing with leukemia, and uh so, to
be able to wear this bracelet to show her that, uh you know.....

Bush: That you're on her side.

David: Yeah, I'm on her side. You know what I mean. It was huge for me. And to be able
to walk on stage and see that every time I perform uh kinda, kinda allowed me to have a
different perspective I think on the whole competition. And just, just know like, good or
bad, it's all good.

Bush: You know, I got a feeling, David you're going to be a great, obviously you're a
great singer already, you're going to have a huge career, but you're also going to be a
great celebrity. 'cause to me there are good celebrities and okay celebrities. There's takers
and theres givers you have an opportunity here to go out in the world and really touch a
lot of people and you're already doing it and I see a foreshadowing. Its a circle. Life is a
circle and if you give back to it, it gives to you.

David: Absolutely. I'm a firm believer in Karma. And uh, ya know I've worked really
hard to get into this position where I can help other people and uh, why not?

Bush: Oh man. What about the other bracelets?

David: Uh the other bracelets....

Bush: Cook rocks (laughs)

David: I got this Cook rocks. Somebody gave that to me last night. This one, I've got...
this one I told my elementary school, I went to visit them for my home visit, and I told
them I'd wear this.

Bush: It says Wild Kittens?

David: Yeah, we wereThomas Oltikin Wild Kittens.

Bush: Wild Kittens! I was a Wild Mule.

David: See, I was a Mule in college. Central Missouri State University Fighting Mules.

Bush: Colby College Fighting Mules in Maine we might be the only.......

David: I love it.

Bush: Brother, we're Fighting Mules!

David: I love it. And uh, then this last one actually is uh, just kind of a family one.
Bush: Adam Cook, Grey Matters.

David: Yeah, so....

Bush: Well you know what dude? I've deeply enjoyed getting to know ya. Heres what I
thought, as soon as you won I turned to my wife and I said, David Cook. I'd actually buy
a ticket to see David Cook.

David: I hope so.

Bush: Hopefully, you'll give them to me free, but I mean I would definitely buy a ticket
to see you.

David: I would love that man.

Bush: Congratulations to the American Idol, David Cook in studio here on the Billy
Bush Show.

David: Thank You.

Bush: Thank you, buddy.