Ryan Star - Vote for "Breathe" on Sophie's Challenge!‏

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed the debut of "Breathe" on Billboard.com. This song means so much to me and its off to a nice start here.

"Breathe" will be featured on Sophie's Challenge tonight @ 103.7 FM between 9-10p PST.

As always with your help we can get this out to the world starting now. Thank you so so much for always supporting and believing in this.

Voting begins at 12 noon today.

Click here to vote and vote a lot!! Spread the word!

Thank you for everything,

Ryan

Random Song of the Day - INXS - Taste It

Great song, hot and controversial in its time. It was release in 1992 on the album Welcome To Whereever You Are. This song really rocks live!


Official video


Live Version - Max Session



Yes it's me
I am the one
To make you see
Where we belong
I was shaking
Like a leaf
All wrapped up
In my dirty sheets
If I agree to what comes next
I would be faking
With the best of them
It seems a crime
I would commit
Without the difference
Of all the world's gifts

Sweet sweet sweet
Could you taste it

Never never never

Never never never (taste it)

To dream
All the time
Without a scream
In the dead of night
All those faces
Come back to me
I'll be begging
To swim that sea
Yea I made
A picture story
Make you cry
In all your glory
A need to quench
The thirst of many
To justify
And make ready

Sweet sweet sweet
Could you taste it

Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)

This realization
Owes us strength to show
If you're uncertain
You're invited to believe
These are the words I speak
These are the words I speak

A dislocation
From where we once came from
Give sons and daughters
Because we want to go on

These are the words she speaks
These are the words she speaks

Sweet sweet sweet
Could you taste it

Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)
Never never never (taste it)

Never never never
Never never never

Random Song of the Day - Rock Star Supernova - Dead Parade

This is one of my favorites from the Supernova album. That and Fuse. I just love Lukas, what can I say? He's got such a unique voice, unique style, and such a mesmerizing presence on stage.... AWESOME!!!

As performed in Massachusetts, February 2007



As performed by Lukas Rossi and Stars Down Live @ The Mint June 6, 2009



Welcome to the Dead Parade
Where no one marches to a leader
Welcome to the hand grenade that is my life
Pick up the pieces

I can't get out of this dream
I've been sleeping for days
Why does it rain on my parade
Everyday
Now I've been forced to break these chains
I'm living proof
I've cut the noose again

I'm sick and tired of everything
I've been ripped apart
But I'm still the same as before (?)

Welcome to the Dead Parade
Where no one marches to a leader
Welcome to the hand grenade that is my life
Pick up the pieces
Welcome to the Dead Parade
Where no one marches to a leader
Welcome to the hand grenade that is my life
Pick up the pieces

I'm sick of the illusions
I'm sick of being made to walk on nails
And does anyone hear me
Does anyone care
Does anyone know the war in my head
I can't win

And no one knows
No one knows
No one knows how it can hard it can be to be me
See I'm known for now
But I'm no fool

Welcome to the Dead Parade
Where no one marches to a leader
Welcome to the hand grenade that is my life
Pick up the pieces
Welcome to the Dead Parade
Where no one marches to a leader
Welcome to the hand grenade that is my life
Pick up the pieces

I'm not gonna play the part
You can't break a broken heart
I'm not gonna play the part
You can't break a broken heart

My life is a roller coaster
Bonfires in my head
My life is a roller coaster
Bonfires in my head

Lukas Rossi - Video Contest - Fly (Ron Weiss)

Message from Lukas: I am announcing a video contest for the best "Fly" video. This one is very special. Please make this count. Rules - best video...most views..and...best tribute to Ron Weiss....must have Ron’s photo in the video. Also the video has to be from your heart....no pictures of me at all.

The winner will get something very special from me. You will not know until the winner is announced.

Good luck to all. And thank you for remembering my friend. Xoxoox




Song: “Fly” (available here: http://www.lukasrossionline.com/news/entry?id=84;fa=1)

Time Line: Begins July 25th and ends on August 9th @ 11:59 pm Eastern

Prizes: To Be Announced

Guidelines

1. Must include a photo of Ron (available at music download link above) and no pictures of Lukas. Film a story line that you feel goes with the lyrics...be creative!!

2. You cannot use content that is not available to everyone. You can use anything in the public domain.

3. Please do not use any video/photos/or other copyrighted material without the consent of the owner of the material (for instance, you can't use another artists image or name, or a snippet of a motion picture, etc.). We reserve the right to disqualify any submissions with copyrighted material.

4. Video must include the following information...the Song Title and Ron’s name. Be creative with how you display the information!

5. Once your video is complete, email it via Megaupload (or a similar file sending site) to becky@therossiposse.com.

Videos will be uploaded to the Lukas Rossi Official YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/user/lukasrossiofficial . In order to make the counts more accurate please do not re-post on YouTube but rather post the link to your video on the official page to get your counts up there. Feel free to upload your video to any other location/website.

Good Luck and most importantly, ENJOY!



http://www.lukasrossionline.com/

http://www.starsdowninc.com/

http://www.therossiposse.com/

http://www.myspace.com/lukasrossitv

http://www.myspace.com/starsdownmusic

http://www.lrtvannex.com/forums/

http://www.twitter.com/lukasrossi/

Exclusive Song: Ryan Star's "Breathe" - Listen

There are any number of paths to stardom, each with its own quirks, frustrations and potential. No one knows this better than Ryan Star, whose rise kicked off when he competed in the 2006 CBS reality show "Rockstar: Supernova." But this breakthrough came after years of hard work in the business, first as a member of Maverick Records-signed band Stage, then as an independent solo artist playing the downtown NYC club circuit. A former Billboard Underground artist, Star has had his music featured prominently across network television, toured with "American Idol" champ David Cook and released the Billboard Heatseekers-charting EP "Last Train Home" in June. Here, Billboard.com exclusively debuts "Breathe," from Star's upcoming full-length album "11:59," due later this year from Atlantic.

Listen while you read!



We're debuting "Breathe" on the new Billboard.com - what inspired you when writing this song?

For me the beautiful thing about music, even songs I grew up listening to versus listening to them now, is that they change. It's like your fifth grade teacher telling you "read Animal Farm again when you're older, it will mean more." And that's what music does to me. I recall having a moment, and it was probably pretty literal to the idea of what the song says in its lyrics, but now it has a new meaning for me every night because people come up to me and share some intense things that are going on with their life and how the song has touched them... The song has had its own meaning for me. I played it at a friend's funeral when I first wrote it, so it's been this really intense song for me since the beginning. But it's more exciting when I get to share it with people, and the meaning is far gone from where it started.

Why did you decide to release the "Last Train Home" EP in advance of the album, instead of giving fans everything at once?

I was working on the full album while finishing the tour [with David Cook], but all these songs happened to get out there -- I wrote this song "Brand New Day" for the show "Lie To Me" on Fox, "Right Now" got picked up for promos for "The Philanthropist" [on NBC], and then ESPN used it a lot, and then "This Could Be the Year" got picked up for the Super Bowl. So I have all these fans I'm making, and these fans have stuck with me a long time, and it felt like, "Why are you giving your music to TV people in suits, and we can't get a hold of it?" I got to the point where I'd heard it so much, I thought let's put all these songs that have gotten out there to the world, let's put them on an EP so people can get full versions of the things they had been getting teasers of. But the good news is the album has plenty more songs... It ranges from me on the piano alone to songs with a full-out rock band.

Where does the album title 11:59 come from, and what are some of the main themes that connect the songs?

The album is kind of made up of moments, they're all these snapshots of life-there's a song called "Wake Up," one called "This Could Be the Year," one called "Right Now," even "Brand New Day," -- all these ideas that were time-oriented in the sense that there was an urgency to them. I have a song called "11:59," and that number, whatever it stands for, the time of day, the year, that moment in life when people do take notice, and they breathe and say, "Ok, where am I?" and they kind of assess.

Just a few years ago you were one of our Billboard Underground artists, then you went on "Rock Star: Supernova" and everything took off. Are there any really stand-out lessons you've learned from gaining national exposure so quickly?

[The show] scared the hell out of me. But it also made me think, my goal here is to get in front of as many people as possible, so if I take all the stereotypes out, if I take all the fear out of what would happen if I did such a show, at the end of the day I'm just getting in front of people. So somehow, I don't know how, I came out of that experience well intact. I think it's because I had a lot to live up to. Being from New York and having all my hipster friends, I knew I had to come home and play the clubs that I'd always played downtown. I think that kept me on the level of, "You gotta be yourself here, you can't play the game too much, because if you go home tomorrow you have to be yourself." It turned out that I was the only guy from the show to get a record deal and I think it was because of that and all the hustle that I'd done beforehand. Now I get to make the record that I wanted to make, take the time, and it's great to get what I feel is a real shot.

Source:
http://www.billboard.com/#/features/exclusive-song-ryan-star-s-breathe-1003997366.story

Random Song of the Day - Bryan Adams - She's Only Happy When She's Dancing

Oh my, Bryan Adams! He was my introduction to rock. I bought his "Reckless" album and played that shit into the ground. My cassette was so worn out that by the time I played the very last minutes of it, the songs were cutting off here and there due to the tape being so beaten down.

She's Only Happy When She's Dancing is a fun tune to sing along and dance to. I've always loved that song and just plain cannot resist moving around to it.

From the Reckless album, circa 1984:



Monday mornin' - it's time to get up
Two cups of coffee and she runs for the bus
Looks in the window and fixes her hair
Nobody notices and nobody cares

She admits it ain't no kinda life
Workin' 9 to 5 you know...

Chorus

She's only happy when she's dancin'
There ain't no place she'd rather be
When she's dancin'
Just her heart and her soul and her fantasies

When Friday evenin' finally rolls around
She grabs a taxi and she heads uptown
Goes to a place they call "The Ball And Chain"
Nothin' matters until Monday so she goes insane

Well its a bitch tryin' to make ends meet
But that's the way the story goes

Chorus

She's only happy when she's dancin'
There ain't nothin' makes her feel so free
When she's dancin'
The girl's outrageous and it's plain to see

Solo

She ain't got much but she got independence
Ya - she's doin' alright
His eyes are on her as the evenin's endin'
But she ain't goin' for no mystery
Because nobody rides for free

Chorus

Random Song of the Day - Wil Seabrook - Because I Said So

I just love his voice and his guitar playing and his smooth style. He's a guilty pleasure of mine. Like many, I discovered him through RockStar: INXS. How I miss that show so freaking much...

Wanna listen and/or purchase?

http://www.wilseabrook.com/music.html

Wanna check out more of Wil's music?

http://www.wilseabrook.com/

MySpace perhaps? There's always music streaming there...

http://www.myspace.com/wilseabrook

A Woman's Work - Maxwell - So You Think You Can Dance - video

Melissa and Ade - Contemporary by Tyce DiOrio - “A Woman’s Work” by Maxwell

manda 8 @ Yahoo! Video

Kris Allen - Heartless - So you Think You Can Dance - video

Performed by Evan and Janette

jandb2 8 @ Yahoo! Video

Jordin Sparks - Battlefield - So You Think You Can Dance - video

Performed by Brandon and Jeanine

jande2 8 @ Yahoo! Video

A&E Private Session with Daughtry - Interview, performances and videos

Home Acoustic



It's Not Over Acoustic



Over You Acoustic



No Surprise Acoustic



Ghost In Me Acoustic

Random Song of the Day - The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

I still remember that song being an integral part of my teenage years. I loved that song the instant I heard it. While I thought Robert Smith was the weirdest lead singer ever, I still thought this song and their sound was brilliant.

Boys Don't Cry was first release on 6/12/1979, with a second release on 2/5/1980 (see http://www.thecure.com/discography/).

Official video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ7QRNG4gEY


Live in Japan 1984



Lyrics

I would say I'm sorry
If I thought that it would change your mind
But I know that this time
I've said too much
Been too unkind

I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try and
Laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'cause boys don't cry
Boys don't cry

I would break down at your feet
And beg forgiveness
Plead with you
But I know that
It's too late
And now there's nothing I can do

So I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try to
laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'cause boys don't cry

I would tell you
That I loved you
If I thought that you would stay
But I know that it's no use
That you've already
Gone away

Misjudged your limits
Pushed you too far
Took you for granted
I thought that you needed me more

Now I would do most anything
To get you back by my side
But I just
Keep on laughing
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'cause boys don't cry
Boys don't cry
Boys don't cry

Random Song of the Day - Axium - Creep

Of course the very first post of my Random Song of the Day just HAD to be a song related to David Cook. Figures. *L*

So. Creep cover, sung by David Cook in his Axium days.

Here. Have some of it.



This song is part of one of Axium's live recording, Alive in Tulsa @ The Venue, circa 2004.

I still remember when I heard that song for the first time. I thought Cook was emulating Thom Yorke of Radiohead way too much. But I kept listening and listening and listening. And it really grew on me. Fair to say I absolutely adore Cook's voice; I just had to remind myself that this was recorded when the guy was 22 years old. His voice has changed and matured since that time. Still, I love the bits where Cook's true voice comes out, rather than his imitation of Chris Cornell/Thom Yorke.

All in all, one of the better Creep cover I've heard. I still prefer Lukas Rossi version better, but David's rank way up there.

Random Song of the Day

I want to try and expand this blog's musical horizons. I've decided to try my hand at posting a song every day, and talk about it. Talk about the artist, the lyrics, live versions, etc... I'll just put my itunes player on random, click next, and that'll be the song I'll talk about. I'll try to do it everyday - don't kill me if I miss a day or two here and there, ok?

David Cook - Bob & Tom show, 106.5 The Buzz - VIDEO

Part 1 - Interview


Part 2 - Come Back To Me and Interview

Blake Lewis - Sad Song

Wanna hear Blake's new single "Sad Song" in its entirety?

Go visit his official site and sign up for his mailing list! It'll send you a message that will lead you to where you need to go to listen to Sad Song. Go do it now! it's only up for 24 hours...

www.blakelewisofficial.com

Alternatively....

Listen Here

Chris Daughtry – Poker Face - VIDEO

Chris covered Lady Gaga's hit, Poker Face, in Germany. Very, VERY nice!

Untitled
by greateggs

Thanks to rickey.org for the video

Danny Gokey - American Idol Tour - Season 8 - Portland OR - July 5th 09 - VIDEO

Thanks to megbro for the vid!

What Hurts The Most

Matt Giraud - American Idol Tour - Season 8 - Portland OR - July 5th 09 - VIDEO

Not my vids - thanks to those who took them for us all to enjoy!


Hard To Handle



Georgia



You Found Me

Kris Allen - American Idol Tour - Season 8 - Portland OR - July 5th 09 - VIDEO

Not my videos - thanks to all those who took them for us all to view and enjoy!

Heartless - a more rocking version than the acoustic live version or cheesy studio version - I like this!



No Boundaries



Bright Lights - playing piano AND electric guitar!



Guitar Jam on Bright Lights



Hey Jude - this is so good. Kris' voice really shines on this!

David Cook Remembers Michael Jackson, The Global Icon

Tue. June 30.2009 8:52 PM EDT



'He blew pop music wide open, and made it bigger than just music, you know?' the 'American Idol' alum says.

by James Montgomery


David Cooke (MTV News)

In some roundabout way, it's entirely possible that David Cook might not have won the seventh season of "American Idol" if it weren't for Michael Jackson.

See, it was his edgy take on "Billie Jean" — which was, for accuracy's sake, actually a take on Chris Cornell's version on the song — during the sixth week of the competition that took Cook from underdog to frontrunner, eventually carrying him to the "Idol" crown, a platinum-plus debut album and millions of fans around the world.

So, naturally, when he learned of the death of Jackson, he felt the need to pay respects to the man — and not just for his excellent songbook, either.

"The impact Michael Jackson has had on me as an artist is the same impact he's had on everyone ... he blew pop music wide open, and made it bigger than just music, you know?" Cook told MTV News. "That's viewed [in terms of] the short films he made for music videos, plus look at the cultural gaps: There's people that know no English except for the two words 'Michael' and 'Jackson.' And that's pretty incredible."

And that global reach is what astonishes Cook the most about Jackson. He credits the King of Pop for taking mainstream music to the mega masses ... and paving the way for all pop stars who have followed since. Without Jackson, there would be no Britney, no Beyoncé — no David Cook.

"To think that Michael Jackson as more influence on the world than presidents and world leaders, that's huge," he said. "And the fact that he was able to do that, I think, is what allows people like me to go out and perform music and have it matter in some small sense, I guess."


http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1615069/20090630/jackson_michael.jhtml?rsspartner=rssMozilla

Ryan Star serenades David Cook with The Magic Rainbow, Time of My Life - VIDEO

David's reaction:

American Idol Top 10 on Tour - YoungHollywood.com interview - VIDEO

ADAM AND KRIS ON THE DAILY 10

Blake Lewis - Heartbreak on Vinyl Press Release and single info

http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2009...k-on-vinyl.html

LOS ANGELES, CA…July 1, 2009 – American Idol alumni and beat-boxing sensation Blake Lewis is set to release his second studio album, Heartbreak on Vinyl, on October 6th via Tommy Boy Entertainment, it was announced today. The album’s first single, Sad Song, is scheduled to hit radio in July and will become available first to fans through an exclusive ringtone download via the Blake Lewis Official Fan Club.

"Heartbreak On Vinyl is the culmination of over 10 years in the dance scene -- the music that gets me out onto the dance floor to lose my inhibition," said Lewis. "The title is an ode to all the record stores that have been closing down due to my industry eating itself. These are the stores that brought inspiration to all of us music lovers and have led me to make the music I create today. Heartbreak On Vinyl is filled with electro pop goodness, with melodies I cherish and that I hope my fans will sing to. It comes from the land of the broken-hearted to help you mend lonely wounds."

Lewis is currently in the studio finishing his much anticipated second album which will include electronic/pop/dance production. He is working with a host of songwriters, producers and collaborators including S*A*M & Sluggo (Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco), Dave Audé (Pussycat Dolls), Rodney Jerkins (Lady Gaga, Britney Spears), and Jean Baptiste (Will.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas) on an album that promises to be fresh and full of surprises.

"Blake Lewis has the distinction of not only one of the most amazing voices I have ever worked with, but his songwriting and general musical ability on guitar, keys and as a human beatbox combined with his love of new technology and DJ culture makes him uniquely qualified as the rebel American Idol,” said Tom Silverman, Founder and CEO of Tommy Boy Entertainment. “Blake is the most well-known Tommy Boy artist since James Brown. I can’t walk down the street with him without stopping traffic -- but most amazing is the songs he created for this album, the best of which he co-wrote in under 90 minutes and they are out-of-the-park home runs. Blake Lewis is one Idol who will stand the test of time."

Most recently, Lewis has been busy making appearances across the country. He joined the likes of Lady Gaga, Estelle, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Gavin Rossdale, and fellow American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson, on the T-mobile GRAMMY Celebration Concert Tour. He also performed for Michelle Obama at the Congressional Clubs’ First Lady’s Luncheon where he even got the first lady, herself, to beat box.

Lewis made a name for himself as the unconventional and charming beat boxer who was selected as first runner up on season six of American Idol in 2007. His cover of Bon Jovi’s You Give Love a Bad Name, was the biggest selling download of the season on iTunes with over 190,000 downloads. His debut album Audio Day Dream hit the Billboard album charts at #10 and has since sold over 350,000 units to date. He created a unique persona for himself as not only a singer-songwriter, but DJ and beatboxer, drawing fans of all ages to his shows, which vary between musical performances and DJ sets.

For more information on Blake Lewis, please visit www.blakelewisofficial.com or follow him on Twitter @BlakeLewis.

Stars Come Together to Support Gay Marriage | RadarOnline.com

Say No to Prop 8, Say No To H8







Video with Blake Lewis talking about gay rights

Stars Come Together to Support Gay Marriage | RadarOnline.com

Shared via AddThis

How Michael Jackson Helped Kris Allen Win 'American Idol'

http://www.newsweek.com/id/204729

The champ remembers growing up in Arkansas with Michael's greatest hits.
By Ramin Setoodeh | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jun 30, 2009

American Idolis back! OK, not really. But last night Fox, in memory of the late King of Pop, aired the episode from last spring when the top 13 contestants covered Michael Jackson songs. The show was strangely poignant, especially when Adam Lambert covered "Black and White"—in my opinion, his best performance on the Idol stage—and Kris Allen strummed his guitar to "Remember the Time." As Paula Abdul cooed, "Kris, I truly believe no one knows Michael's catalog better than you." You could even argue if it weren't for Michael Jackson, Kris Allen—who started his Idol career with a performance of "Man in the Mirror"—might not be our American Idol.

But wait a minute. Kris Allen is only 24. He wasn't even born when Michael Jackson released Thriller in 1982. How did Allen, who grew up in Jacksonville, Ark., discover Michael Jackson? We asked him to tell us, and to share how the other Idol contestants reacted to news of Jackson's death. Excerpts:

Do you remember the first time you heard a Michael Jackson song?
I was probably 7 or 8 years old. The Dangerous album came out, and I bought it. It was a tape. It kind of stayed in my tape player forever.

Were either of your parents fans?
I think my dad might have listened to him before.

Did you have a favorite song on the album?
The whole album was good. One of my favorites of his was "Remember the Time," I did that on the show. There are so many good ones on that album. I think that could be said of every one of his albums. Not too long after that, I think his History album came out, with him on the cover as a gold statue. Then I was like, wow he's been around forever and all of his stuff was incredible. I have the Thriller album. I have the Off the Wall album. I have all that stuff now.

What is it about Michael Jackson that appeals to you?
Every time you listen to this music you get this feeling and you always feel good. And as a kid, that's a captivating thing. His music was so easy to get lost into. I remember being 8 years old and dancing in my room to his music. Trying to dance like him, as well. It was ugly, but it was fun.

Did you try to moonwalk?
I think everyone has tried to do the moonwalk, man. And it never works.

What about all the stuff in his personal life: the trial, him showing up to court in pajamas, how he dangled one of his kids from a balcony.
It never turned me off against his music. Because it was always a separate thing to me. There were always things that I saw, that I'd be like: awww Michael, what are you doing?! But when you put his songs on, you completely forget about that. And the nice things was, my parents would see even more of that stuff than I did, obviously they're going to watch the news more than me as a kid, and they never turned me off on him.

Did they worry he was a bad role model?
I don't think so. I don't think they were thinking that I was trying to model my life after him. It was a pure appreciation for his music.

Does your wife listen to Michael Jackson?
Oh, yeah.

Did you ever bond with her over Michael Jackson?
I don't know if we've ever bonded over Michael Jackson. Probably. Maybe in the car, dancing, taking a road trip listening to Michael Jackson.

Where were you when you heard news of his death?
We were at rehearsal for the tour. Actually, Adam was on stage. He was almost done, and I was about to go up. We heard the news and we stopped everything and we canceled the rehearsal.

Why? Out of respect?
I'd like to say that was part of it. More than anything, it was weird. The weird thing was he was in the room next to us probably a couple weeks before that. We all knew people that worked on the tour and everything. It was just weird. No one could really feel right. It was one of those moments in life when you're like what the heck just happened. I remember thinking I hope this isn't real, but if it is, Wow this is a sad day in music.

Did you ever meet him?
We never met him. I haven't heard if he saw our episode or not.

Would you have gone to seen his tour?
If I could've found a way, I would've been there.

The first song you sang live on Idol was "Man in the Mirror." How did you pick that song?
Funny story, I actually picked a song and someone else picked it. So I had to search at the last minute for another song. I was going through, they gave me a list of 1,000 songs, and it was crazy. I couldn't find one song on there that I wanted to sing. Then I took two seconds and thought: if I had to sing one song right now, what would I sing? That popped in my head. I said you: know what, I'm going to run with it. So I did.

Is it true that you mentored the other contestants during Michael Jackson week? I think Kara DioGuardi mentioned something about that.
Probably the person she was referring to was Allison [Iraheta]. Obviously, I'm probably going to know more about Michael Jackson than Allison. Because I'm a little older. He was definitely more my time than her time. I was listening to a bunch of stuff, and I wanted to do "Give In to Me," but I didn't think it would work for me. I said do you know who would really good on this? Allison. I shot it at her. I was like, Allison, just listen to this song and tell me if you want to do it. She went and listened to it and ran back into the room and was like, "Yes! Of course I want to do this."

If you could pick one Michael Jackson song to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I really, really like "Leave Me Alone." It's always been one of my favorites. But I don't know if you pick just one favorite Michael song.

© 2009

David Cook talks acting, Michael Jackson, and the music scene today

http://www.examiner.com/x-11563-David-Cook-Examiner~y2009m6d29-David-Cook-talks-acting-Michael-Jackson-and-the-music-scene-today

June 29, 2:10 PM


I had the good fortune of pulling some old strings from my Americanidol.com days, and I was able to speak with David Cook on the phone this weekend. I couldn't wait to ask him about his surprising stage presence that I noticed when I caught his recent show in Del Mar, CA. It's not that I was shocked that it was such a great show (as I explained to him), but was more intrigued by how much the seemingly subdued singer really came out of his shell and engaged the audience. As David explained, he has a bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stage persona, and it's something that has evolved further over the last few years. As he so eloquently put it, the "on stage David" is a bit "more of a pain in the ass!" I also had to ask him about the cover song that he did, as it's been bugging me that I couldn't remember, and was holding my one-year-old, which presents some challenges when you're trying to take notes. He said that it was the one-hit-wonder "Shattered Dreams" by a band called Johnny Hates Jazz. David said that has some other covers up his sleeve, but his band hasn't pulled them out yet, like a hard rock version of "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight" and Nine Inch Nails' "Every Day Is Exactly The Same".

David explained to me the reasoning behind his recent decision to extend his tour, as he said that there were a lot of places that they felt like they didn't hit, and they also feel that they are not the same band now as they were when they started. He's enjoyed seeing them evolve, as he admits they were fairly green at the onset. As he put it, "The record still has a lot of legs left," so he wants people to have the full experience. He's played in a lot of different venues as well, with the inital part of his tour being mainly in college towns. As far as a dream venue from David, he basically asks "Where do I start?" He loves the big arenas, and would love to play Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks, The Forum, Arrowhead, Stonehenge, Wembley, and many more.

As does tend to occur when someone acquires a lot of fame, such as David, he hits the media circuit. I couldn't help but ask him about his experience(s) with the iconic Larry King, who makes me laugh, whether he's trying to or not. David said he's been on the show three times now, and he has an absolutely blast, as Larry tells him lots of "cool stories" during the commercial breaks. I asked him about his comment during the last interview that he's been surprised by how much people ask him about his love life or what he likes to eat, etc., over his music. He went to say that he's saddened that it used to be "music first, pop culture second," but now it's the other way around.

Because I see David as being a pretty profound guy, I asked him for his take on the music scene today, and he said that he is a bit disheartened by some of it. As he explained, so many artists today just go for the singles, where as his band really wanted to release an actual album, complete with a cohesive sound to it. He "didn't want to make a collection of singles," and he thinks that this "concise idea from start to finish" is the reason they have seen the numbers they have. As he put it, "We pride ourselves on being a rock band, and you don't see as much of that anymore." I asked him if anyone had contacted him about the passing of Michael Jackson due to his memorable rendition of "Billie Jean" on Idol, and he said that they had. David does admit, however, that his success with that performance was a bit of "dumb luck!" As far as Michael Jackson goes, David said that he thinks that Quincy Jones put it best when he said that a great musician comes along once in a lifetime, but an artist like Michael Jackson only comes along once.

I've heard David mention in a few interviews that he wants to pursue acting at some point as well, so I asked him to talk a bit more about what kind of acting he's referring to, and he said that he'd like to do whatever comes his way, and that he even read for something recently that he hopes he gets. He did joke that we're probably not going to see him in High School Musical any time soon, but didn't rule out the possiblity of a role in that either! David got a bit of acting experience in his video for "Come Back To Me," in which his love interest is played by Disturbia's Sarah Roemer. He was up front with Sarah about this kind of thing being new to him, and said that she was great to work with. David also touched on how honored he was to be the only former Idol winner to be featured in a promo for the upcoming season, and he said that the commercial was "shot amazingly." He joked that nothing beats acting when you don't having any lines, and called the whole thing a "cool experience." David also said he doesn't plan on distancing himself from the popular show any time soon, as it's plain and simply biting the hand that feeds you.

David was lucky enough to get a two week break from his hectic tour schedule recently, and during his time off he took his younger brother, Andrew, to a Bryan Adams acoustic show, and was able to hang out with the veteran singer after the show. He said he got a great bit of advice from Bryan, who told him to make sure he records the music he want to make, and not to stop until he wants to stop. David plans on doing just that, and will most likely follow up his debut effort with a sophomore album shortly after his current tour wraps. As David explained, he wants to "take the ideals on this record and expand them." As far as writing a song about the extremely devastating recent passing of his brother, Adam, David said he's not sure about that. Only time will tell.

For more info: Visit David Cook's official web site.