One thing that set Cook apart from many of his Idol competitors was his inner poise—the near Zen-like calmness that gave him an air of bulletproof resolve. “I’m actually a mellow, introverted individual for the most part,” says Cook. “But when you get on stage, there has to be something to draw people in. I wanted to come across as 12 feet tall. In order to do that, you really have to be 12 feet tall. You have to hit the stage with the mindset of, ‘I own this entire room and everybody in it,’ and then try to shoot the moon.” —Jude Gold