Most fans of David's are fond of saying "he had me at Hello."
David had me at "Tommy use to work on the Docks."

This confident, well-spoken, yet humble guy, dressed in an argyle sweater-vest with his crimson hair styled up in a half-hazard faux-hawk, stepped onto the small screen back in January and stole my heart. He opened his mouth and I knew THIS season of American Idol would be different from any other I had seen (I've been watching since Season 3, it's become a tradition in my family to watch together). Watching him every week, wondering what song he would choose, what surprises he had in store for us, seeing him choose a song that no-one would have guessed and ROCK the hell out of it, often-times giving me CHILLS, became addictive and was the highlight of my week, in what has become a very troubling year for me and my family (I won't bore you all with the details, or complain, since I know I'm not the only one experiencing hard times). David blossomed on that small screen for all of us to see. We got to know him, his intelligence, his sense of humor, his immense talent, and his heart. He holds nothing back. He's not afraid to show his emotions, whatever they may be. I laughed with him, I felt nervous with him, and I cried with him. And that's just what we saw on American Idol.

Looking deeper, discovering his pre-Idol work, his solo album Analog Heart (which is brilliant and brings me to tears repeatedly), his years of work with Axium (also brilliant), and seeing behind-the-scenes footage, reading interviews, watching his antics with the other Idols he has gotten to be friends with, and now finally seeing and reading about the heart-warming, humble, and often-times hilarious interaction he has had with his fans and audiences on the road on the Idol Tour... I grow to love him more and more every day.

I had the privilege of meeting David on August 21st of this year (2008), when the Idol Tour came to Tampa. I hadn't originally planned on going, but I couldn't resist the chance to meet this amazing man in person (and my credit card company loves me for it). I am so glad I went. He's everything I imagined him to be. He was so patient and funny and actually LISTENED to me, as I babbled incoherently at him. And to see his interaction with a little girl who desperately needs more joy in her life was beautiful and awe-inspiring. His relationship with Lindsey Rose, and his wish to become more involved with raising awareness for Cancer Research and Advocacy, on behalf of his brother and the MILLIONS of other victims of this disease (which includes my father, who has leukemia, and a dear friend I lost last year to brain and lung cancer), has inspired me, and thousands of fans like me, to follow suit, and raise funds and awareness on David's behalf. It has been a joy to me to help out in any small way I can, and the friends I've made along the way (and the friends I've met through his fan sites), are ones that I cherish, and I will never be able to fully thank him for bringing us together. David brings out the best in people. We all are inspired by him and strive to be better people, to be more like him. It's certainly not an easy task, but at least we have a goal.

So, I'm a fan of David Cook's. I'm a fan of his brilliant music and I'm a fan of the brilliant man himself. You should be too.