When David Cook’s name was read aloud as the winner of the seventh season of “American Idol” back in 2008, industry experts believed that the good-looking rock singer would follow the immediate success of past winner Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
How right they were.
Cook rewrote chart history with a record-breaking 14 debuts on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, and his platinum self-titled debut spawned radio staples “Light On” and “Come Back to Me.”
“I try really hard not to have expectations and have just enjoyed the ride,” Cook says. “I have been really fortunate to make a living making music, which is not always the case for musicians.”
Tragically, in the midst of his first full-length tour, Cook’s older brother, Adam, who had been fighting a battle with brain cancer, passed away. Reflecting on his brother led Cook to begin writing the songs that would become his second album, “This Loud Morning.”
It was soon after that Cook joined forces with the non-profit, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2), and has worked hard to bring awareness to the disease.
On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Cook will be performing at Jammin’ Java for a brain cancer research benefit concert, with proceeds benefiting the Race for Hope – DC. Currently, Cook and his fans are aiming to raise $70,000 to get to the $1,000,000 mark through a month long Crowdrise campaign. The performance at Jammin Java will be the celebration of this huge milestone.
The concert will be a mixture of the singer’s two records, as well as favorite covers and some new material that Cook has been working on for an upcoming release. Of course, “Permanent,” the song he wrote for his brother and performed on Idol’s results show two years ago will also be performed as well.
“I enjoy acoustic because it allows us as a band to keep things fresh. I think the best songs are the ones that you can play any way and great songs transcend genres, so I really enjoy doing them and I’m really excited about it,” Cook says. “More importantly, I hope we will raise more awareness and hopefully get further to get rid of brain cancer.”
For those who followed Cook on “American Idol,” his history to the cause and the connection to his brother is known.
“Adam battled a brain tumor for almost 12 years and when this platform was afforded me through Idol, it became imperative to me to use it to do something bigger than myself,” he says.
What’s amazing about Cook’s story is that he never intended to try out for “American Idol.” He was working on an independent album and his younger brother Andrew convinced him to join him in Omaha to lend moral support for his audition. His brother persuaded him to sing as well, and the rest is history.
He urges all his fans to come out and support this great cause.
“I think for people who are fans of what I do and the music I put out, I think it’s going to be a really fun night. I want everyone to come and have a good time and get some fun out of the seriousness of the weekend,” he says. “Who knows how long this ride lasts for anybody and if I can walk away knowing that I helped promote change in something that I am passionate about, that’s better than any plaque or trophy or award.”
Tickets for the benefit are $25, $35 for special VIP tickets. For more information on the event, visit jamminjava.com.
