Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press
David Cook performs the song Sharp Dressed Man with ZZ Top's Frank Beard on drums and Billy Gibbons during the finale of American Idol in Los Angeles Wednesday night. Cook won by 12 milllion votes out of 97.5 million cast by viewers, despite judges' apparent preference for competitor David Archuleta.
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Youth will be served? Not on the seventh season of American Idol, which saw 27-year-old David Cook best 17-year-old David Archuleta for this year’s title.
You could practically hear teenage girls, cookie-baking grandmothers and the entire state of Utah wailing at the announcement.
The outcome was at least a moderate surprise, coming after Cook’s mediocre performance during Tuesday’s final night of singing. Yet 97.5 million voters gave the native of Blue Springs, Mo., the edge, 56 percent to 44 percent. Cook won the competition by 12 million votes.
All season long, the baby-faced Archuleta (the most famous high school kid in America) had been pegged as the likely champion because of his pure voice and aw-shucks demeanor. Some will speculate that because last year’s winner was 17-year-old Jordin Sparks, viewers were inclined to go for someone older. Cook consistently proved himself the better showman.
Cook may also have benefited from the sympathy factor. He initially accompanied his younger brother, Andrew, to the Idol auditions, and stepped into the show as a contestant only after Andrew was diagnosed with cancer.
As television goes, Wednesday’s broadcast had all the makings of a Grammy show circa 1979 — literally.
Performers included Donna Summers, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, Graham Nash and George Michael. They performed with various combinations of the Top 12 finalists.
It was nice to see some of this season’s stronger contestants back in action, including Michael Johns, Ramiele Malubay, Brooke White and third-place finisher Syesha Mercado, who sang a duet with Seal.
Among the highlights was a duet between Brooke White and Graham Nash on Teach the Children, Jason Castro reprising his version of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah from earlier in the season, and David Archuleta joining Colorado band One Republic on their monster hit, Apologize.
The producers even had a little fun during the two-hour telecast, bringing back one of the worst acts to audition — Reynaldo La Paz — to sing his enigmatic, self-penned song You Are My Brother. He still looks like the offspring of a drunken drag queen and a musketeer.
There was also a delightful clip of Gladys Knight circa 1972 singing Midnight Train to Georgia. Instead of the actual Pips, the guys singing behind her were Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. It was both irreverent and hilarious.
Wednesday’s show marks the end of a season that began back on Jan. 14 and averaged 22 million viewers a night. It helped blunt some of the fallout from the 100-day Hollywood writer’s strike, and generated hours of water cooler talk.
Now American Idol goes into hibernation until January and Paula Abdul goes back to Mars. Or Atlantis. Or wherever she’s from.
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May 22, 2008
8:07 a.m.
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gypsy214 writes:
Mike, great article on the finale, but PLEASE get your facts straight. Andrew Cook is NOT the brother who has cancer - he just didn't make the cut on Idol. It is David's brother Adam who is ill, enough so that he was unable to make the finals this week. Thanks for all your hard work and great commentary during Season 7!
May 22, 2008
9:52 a.m.
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artstarzz writes:
Randy said it best . It is a reality show . The winner is never the best singer or performer . I think the only people voting are under 12 years of age . I would not waste 50 cents on this show . Little David will do just fine . We have not heard the last of this kid . Cook will vanish into the night . A singer can only holler for so long . David C is ok at best .
May 22, 2008
11:28 a.m.
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EP writes:
Mr. Pearson, It's good to see some zeal in your writing despite it being on the subject of something as insipid as American Idol....yet here I am reading the article so I guess I can't be too judgemental.