One of the things that imprinted the hunky singer on my mind was his amazing rock arrangements of several nonrock songs. Remember David Cook’s version of Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby”? Superb! But the song that pushed him to the forefront of American Idol season 7 was version of Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello”. When asked by Weekender, “Did you think you’d be in this spot in your career?”, David Cook replied:

I always hoped for it. I’ve always been a hope for the best, expect the worst kind of person. I also knew, early on, that in this industry, not everyone makes it.

As for his thoughts that being able to play an instrument on American Idol helped him stand out, David Cook shares: “[It] Absolutely [helped me]. I’m not going to blow anyone’s mind by saying that I wasn’t the best singer last season. On pure vocal talent, you could look at Carly (Smithson) or Syesha (Mercado). What worked for me was showing other aspects of musicality — being able to play guitar and come up with my own arrangements. Without that, maybe I’m not even on the show.”

Bet you didn’t know that! :p So what’s a “word nerd”? It’s someone addicted to crossword puzzles. Apparently David Cook is one and spent much of his downtime during the American Idol competition doing crosswords. So, does he still get a chance to do them while on tour? David Cook shares, “A little bit, but it’s been relegated to some online puzzles, like Yahoo crosswords. But I’ve really gotten into Sudoku recently, which I don’t understand at all.”

The singer further explains, “[You see] I hated numbers when I was in school. Math and I just didn’t see eye to eye. But I’m hooked on Sudoku now. It’s just a different kind of “nerd-dom.” But you shouldn’t do Sudoku if you’re easily frustrated. I’m a bit neurotic about it. If I mess up one thing, the puzzle’s done — especially on a crossword. I’m not one of these people that can write over a wrong word or erase over it. If I find out it’s wrong, I’m done. There’s a slew of unfinished puzzles around my house.” LOL! David Cook is one perfectionist prick! ;-P

In a recent interview with Weekender, the American Idol champ was asked about the music influences that inspired his self-titled album. David Cook answered, “I tried to pull from everything, not just the last year and a half. That was tough. My life has been consumed by “Idol” ever since I got on the show. I really took a minute to step back and think about everything — my family and friends, and my experiences before and after “Idol.” I wanted to put together more of a complete biography as opposed to what everybody saw on the show.” And David Cook was happy with the way his debut album turned out =)

As for the contributions he made to the album, the musician on tour shared: “To come from “Idol” and the hectic schedule that followed, to be able to co-write 10 songs on that record was huge for me. It allows me to put more emotion into the songs and to invest in them. I’m extremely happy with the record.” So, what’s next for David Cook? The hunky singer says, “We’re going to stay on the road until the wheels fall off. I’ve been able to have a lot of fun on this tour, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being with my band on the road. And I’m looking forward to keeping it going.”

You tend to (superstitiously) write the initials AC of your brothers Adam and Andrew everywhere, as on your guitars. What is it about that?
David Cook: “AC is also written on my shoes and tattooed on my arm. I began writing it into my sports gear years ago as I first heard that Adam had a brain tumor. It’s something to show my love for my brothers. That’s how I have them with me everywhere.”

What is the weirdest thing that has been written about you in the media?
David Cook: “That I was dead! I was, just in case, taken to the hospital because of high blood pressure during AI. My blood pressure just went high because of all the excitement in the competition.”

You were not supposed to participate Idol yourself but you went to the auditions just to support your brother. If everything goes “that randomly” in the future, where will you be in ten years?
David Cook: “I don’t know. I would just like to be happy and maybe have a family. Before that, I just want to make better and better albums.”

You have talked about winning Grammy and Oscar awards. Are you still aiming at those?
David Cook: “Absolutely. Too bad we were late for this year’s Grammys. I would have wanted to be nominated. Well, maybe next year. I still would like to do acting, even if I’m a musician at the first place. But if the right thing comes along, I’ll grab the chance.”

And we got some of the scoop! =) The said Finnish magazine is called MeNaiset and below are the highlights of David Cook’s interview. Read fanatics and enjoy!!

When an “ordinary guy” becomes American Idol, life goes upside down. How has the last year changed you?
David Cook: “I see things in a wider scale now. I used to play in a band and work as a bartender in Tulsa. I was quite happy with my life but now everything is bigger. The most special experience of the year was to go to Iraq and play with the band to the soldiers. That was cool.

You got to make songs into your album with our own idol, Raine Maida from our Lady Peace. How did you react when you heard about that opportunity?
David: “I was terrified! I was scared that everything would go wrong or that he would be a jerk. But everything was great and I consider him as a friend now. I call him sometimes and we go to play golf, which is really weird. It’s strange how things change. That’s something to ponder about.”

Rockers get chicks but how is it with Idols?
David Cook: “Hahaha! After I won AI I’ve had one girlfriend but now I’m single. I’ve spent all my life dreaming of being a rockstar and having women’s attention and now, when I finally am a star I don’t have time for dating. Quite ironic huh.”

Especially about the women who supposedly voted him to the top spot of American Idol 7, besting teen favorite David Archuleta. So what does David Cook think about the theory that older women — nicknamed ”cougars for Cook” — voted him to win the AI title? The rocker laughs: ”Um, honestly, I’m kind of the last person to know. I just kind of took [the win] as I managed to strike a chord with people, and that’s kind of how I’m operating.”

David Cook further says, “So do I think — I don’t know how to say it — that older people probably bought into it? Yeah, I hope so. But I also kind of have in my head that maybe the younger people did, too. I’m kinda operating on all cylinders, trying to snag as many fans as I can.” What about the one woman who David Cook confirms caught his attention? We’re talking about former AI contestant Kimberly Caldwell whom he dated. Asked to confirm they’re no longer an item, he murmurs, ”Um-hm.”