WHAT I LIVE FOR

George Linnaeus Banks

I live for those who love me,

Whose hearts are kind and true,

For the Heaven that smiles above me,

And awaits my spirit too;

For all human ties that bind me,

For the task by God assigned me,

And the good that I can do.

I live to learn their story.

Who suffered for my sake;

To emulate their glory,

And follow in their wake;

Bards, patriot, martyrs, sages,

The heroic of all ages;

Whose deeds crowd History’s pages,

And Time’s great volume make.

I live to hold communion,

With all that is divine,

To feel there is a union,

Twixt Nature’s heart and mine,

To profit by affliction

Grow wiser from conviction,

And fulfill God’s grand design.

I live to hail that season,

By gifted ones foretold,

When men shall live by reason,

And not alone by gold,

When man to man united,

And every wrong thing righted,

The whole world shall be lighted,

As Eden of the old.

I live for those who love me,

For those who know me true,

For the Heaven that smiles above me,

And awaits my spirit too;

For the cause that lacks assistance,

For the wrong that needs resistance,

For the future in the distance,

And the good that I can do.

American Idol Dark Horse David Cook: Is It Fair For Him To Cover Other Covers

 By Chris Harris (MTV.com)

  There’s something fishy about American Idol contender David Cook.

Cook, the rock-leaning lad with the highlighted comb-over, closed Tuesday night’s episode of American Idol, belting out Michael Jackson’s "Billy Jean" - a song released the year he was born.

But Cook’s take on the track was actually former Soundgarden/Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell’s version. Cornell’s cover appeared on his sophomore solo album, Carry On, which was released last year.

Sure, Idol host Ryan Seacrest prefaced Cook’s performance by saying, "With Chris Cornell’s version of ‘Billie Jean,’ here’s David Cook," but his introduction was barely audible, coming from the pit of screaming fans located just in front of the studio’s stage. And though Cook’s performance was very much a cover of Cornell’s cover, the Idol judges absolutely loved it and praised the performance for its "originality."

Seeing as Idol contestants are judged not only for their vocal performances but on their arrangements as well, it seems Cook has been coasting off others’ visions. Does this mean Cook has had an unfair advantage over the rest of the Idol crop?

Michael Slezak, a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly known for his Idol coverage, said he thinks Cook is smart for picking the arrangements he has.

"I think it’s a little silly to accuse him of stealing arrangements," Slezak explained. "You know, Chris Daughtry took a real hit when he did a version of [Johnny Cash’s] ‘Walk the Line’ and didn’t, at any point, credit Live’s version, but in this case, Cook put it out there, clearly having Ryan state, ‘He’s doing Chris Cornell’s version,’ and if you listen to both versions, it’s not like he did a complete carbon copy of Cornell’s, anyway.

"I would understand why people would want to see some of these contestants - if they’re going to get credit for being brave and innovative - completely change up a song on their own," he continued. "I think it’s also hard to ask them to do that. They only have a week to come up with the arrangements, and then they’ve got to get the Idol band onboard with it and record their version for the iTunes download, so it doesn’t give them a lot of time to come up with a completely innovative arrangement of a song every week. Ultimately, I think Cook deserves credit for being smart and aware of new or different versions of songs - different than the ones people are familiar with. I don’t know if he should get credit for being brave, but he should get credit for being smart and singing these songs well."

But this season, Cook has been accused of copping another artist’s cover on more than one occasion. Just three weeks ago, a Seattle band came out against Cook, claiming he’d ripped off their rockin’ cover of the Beatles’ "Eleanor Rigby." Doxology said they recorded their version of the track more than a year ago and even had it available on iTunes and their MySpace page. According to the band’s manager, the cover was what Doxology is best known for, but the guys didn’t sue Cook - they merely asked for recognition.

Even prior to that claim, several Idol fans took to the message boards to cry foul over Cook’s cover of Lionel Richie’s "Hello," one they claimed was very similar to Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd’s solo take on the track.

As far as Slezak is concerned, Cook is just dealing with the inevitable backlash that those labeled as "the ones to beat" face when they’re on Idol.

"He is getting ripped on now because he has emerged as the surprise front-runner, and I think anytime you are in that position, people are going to look for a way to tear you down," Slezak said. "It’s the nature of Idol. People have to find things to criticize him for, because right now, he’s performing really strongly and moving up in all the ‘Idol’ polls. His detractors have to latch onto something, I guess."

But no, Slezak insisted, Cook hasn’t survived on AI because he’s had an unfair advantage throughout the contest.

"He’s just aware of these versions in the first place," he said. "It’s not like Cornell’s version was a #1 hit. The average Idol viewer at home may not even be aware of that version, so he could have gone ahead and not credited it at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the judges didn’t know that version. The judges give him credit for bravery and innovation when he’s just really being smart and savvy and picking interesting versions of the song that really suit his vocal style. What he’s doing is really no different than any contestant on the show. David Archuleta picked Stevie Wonder’s version of ‘We Can Work It Out,’ and Carly Smithson picked Celine Dion’s version of ‘I Drove All Night.’ Cook is just picking slightly more creative and interesting versions of his songs. It’s hard to make a case that he’s doing something unfair. He’s just a smart competitor."

Related Posts:

START OVER

Marijuana or Cannabis

Car bomb

IPHONE

International Atomic Energy Agency

IN ANGER

Facebook

Badoo

HEALED AND WHOLE

ENDURING THE STORMS OF LIFE

`Idol’ champ David Cook ignores dating rules

NEW YORK - David Cook isn’t a rules guy.

The newly crowned "American Idol" winner says he doesn’t abide by the conventional three-day wait period after a date.

"I don’t really believe in any sort of theories," the 25-year-old singer told The Associated Press on Thursday morning before performing on NBC’s "Today" show. "I just kind of call when I call."

Which begs the question: Has he called — or texted — "Idol" alum Kimberly Caldwell? Cook said Tuesday on "Live With Regis and Kelly" that he recently had a dinner date with Caldwell, 26, who appeared on the second season of the top-rated Fox show. The verdict: he had a good time, and they’ll "probably hang out again."

Two days later, surrounded by screaming fans outside Rockefeller Center, Cook responded diplomatically to a Caldwell question by the AP: "Great girl, we hung out and we’ll see what happens."

Cook, from Blue Springs, Mo., defeated 17-year-old David Archuleta last week in a landslide victory. The rocker/ex-bartender transformed into this season’s heartthrob around the time he got rid of his unpopular (and unflattering) comb-forward haircut and grew facial scruff.

When asked if his in-season makeover contributed to his success, Cook said: "I don’t really know. I think, you know, for me it was time to get a haircut. I forgot to shave one week. It’s really all it is. … I hope that at the end of the day, I did well on my own musical merit."

Cook and Archuleta, from Murray, Utah, each took the stage on the "Today" plaza. Signs in the audience read: "Cookie I am your oldest fan. `64.’ Can I have a hug?" and "Life is betta with Archuleta." Someone yelled: "I’m missing school for you!"

Archuleta performed "Think of Me" from "The Phantom of the Opera." Cook crooned "The Time of My Life," which ranks third on Billboard’s list of the "Hot 100" singles.

Archuleta, who has a penchant for socially conscious songs, said he hopes his post-"Idol" album will include music that’s "fun and still has some meaning to it."

Cook said he’ll begin recording his album (slated for release in the fall) this summer while crossing the country on the "American Idol’s Live!" Tour. The tour, which features the show’s top 10 contestants, kicks off July 1 in Glendale, Ariz., and ends in September in Tulsa, Okla.

"I’m gonna do like a calypso jazz fusion record," he joked. "No, I mean big surprise: my record will probably be a rock record." - AP

Related Posts:

START OVER

Marijuana or Cannabis

Car bomb

IPHONE

International Atomic Energy Agency

IN ANGER

Facebook

Badoo

HEALED AND WHOLE

ENDURING THE STORMS OF LIFE

Tulsa singer David Cook rocks ‘American Idol’

Biography for
David Cook

Date of Birth

Birth Name

Nickname

Height

Mini Biography

David Cook grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri where he graduated high school then went to Central Missouri State for Graphic Design. He formed a band, Axium, with friends Bobby Kerr and Jeff Shrout, and recorded 2 albums, plus a live album. His band Axium created a great fan base in Kansas City area as well as Tulsa, OK and smaller towns around the country. He plays a white left-handed Gibson guitar that was specially made for him. He had become friends with Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann, lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively of Tulsa-based band, MidWest Kings. After moving to Tulsa after graduating college, he joined MidWest Kings. He released his own album in 2006, Analog Heart which won an UrbanTulsa Weekly award for Indie Album in 2006.

Trivia

Favorite quote is "Pain don’t hurt" from the Patrick Swayze movie Road House.

Is not related to Kristy Lee Cook.

Refers to himself as a "word nerd" owing to his love of word puzzles.

The initials "AC" stand for his brother’s names Andrew Cook and Adam Cook. David uses them for good luck.

Had no intention of trying out for American Idol but at his brother Andrew’s insistence he tried out and made it to the final two with David Archuleta.

Won American Idol by 12 million votes!.

Was a Bartender in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he tried out for American Idol.

Has a brother who suffers from brain cancer.

Had a specially made white Luna Apollo Electric Guitar.

Is left-handed.

David Cook (singer)

David Roland Cook (born December 20, 1982) is an American rock singer-songwriter.^[1] On May 21, 2008, he won the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol. Prior to Idol he worked as a bartender at the "Blank Slate" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and released an album entitled Analog Heart.

Early life

Cook was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Blue Springs, Missouri. His parents are Beth (née Frye) and Stan Cook.^[3] He is the middle of three brothers.^[4][5]

Cook’s interest in music began early in life; he received his first guitar at the age of 12. He began singing in second grade, when his elementary school music teacher gave him a solo in a school choir performance. He proceeded to perform in virtually every Christmas and PTA program.^[6] He also participated in choir and drama programs in middle school and high school. At Blue Springs South High School, he performed in musicals, including The Music Man, West Side Story, and Singin’ in the Rain.^[7][8][6]

He had also been an avid baseball player during high school. After losing interest in sports, he focused more on music. He earned a theater scholarship to the University of Central Missouri, but he abandoned theater after two semesters, graduating from the school in 2006 with a degree in graphic design.^[9][10] While in college, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa.^[11] After his college graduation, he relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to pursue a career in music, telling his family, "I just want to give myself until I’m 26 years old to get a job."^[12]

Musical background

Cook was the lead singer and guitarist of the band Axium from 1999 until 2006. He formed Axium in his junior year of high school with drummer Bobby Kerr. One of the band’s songs, "Hold," was picked up by AMC Theatres Movie Tunes and was played before previews on over 20,000 screens nationwide.^[13][14] Axium was also named one of the top 15 independent bands in the country in the "Got Milk?" independent band contest, and it was chosen as the best band in Kansas City in 2004.^[15][16]

In 2006, after the breakup of Axium, Cook relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and joined the regional touring band Midwest Kings, playing guitar, bass, and singing backup vocals. He recorded one EP, Incoherent with Desire to Move On, with the band in 2006. He also worked as a bartender at several Tulsa clubs, including Blank Slate and Rehab Lounge.^[10][17]

Cook released a solo independent album, Analog Heart, in 2006,^[18] for which he also designed the artwork.^[15][19] The album was chosen as the fourth-best CD released in 2006 by website Music Equals Life.^[20] Cook also won the Urban Tulsa Weekly’s "Absolute Best of Tulsa" award for "Best Locally Produced, Independent Album" in 2007. He had completed recording his sophomore album before his appearance on American Idol.^[21] Over the weekend of April 18 to April 20, 2008, Analog Heart was listed as the number one album for "Today’s Top MP3 Albums" on Amazon.com. Soon there after, the album was removed from Amazon.^[22][23] His musical influences include Our Lady Peace, Alice in Chains, Big Wreck and Pearl Jam.

American Idol

Overview

Cook auditioned for American Idol in Omaha, Nebraska, performing Bon Jovi’s "Livin’ on a Prayer." He originally did not plan to try out for the show as he was going on a trip to China; he came to the auditions initially to support his younger brother Andrew (who did not make it to Hollywood) and then decided to try out himself.^[12][24] For his first Hollywood audition, Cook performed "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Later in the week he performed "I’ll Be" by Edwin McCain.

Cook took advantage of the decision to allow contestants to play musical instruments. Besides his Hollywood audition, he also accompanied himself on electric guitar for his performances of "All Right Now," "Hello," "Day Tripper," "I’m Alive," "Baba O’Riley," "Dare You to Move," and "Dream Big," and on acoustic guitar for "Little Sparrow," "All I Really Need Is You," and "The World I Know." His white, left-handed Gibson Les Paul electric guitar has the letters "AC" on it; as Cook told TV Guide, "I have two brothers, Adam and Andrew. So, because of superstition, I put their initials on everything growing up."^[25] Since the Top 12 week, he has also been wearing an orange wristband to support a 7-year-old fan, Lindsey Rose, with leukemia.^[26][27]

"Billie Jean," one of his performances, was highly praised by all three judges, especially Simon Cowell. Cowell later said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the performance "was in a different league to anything we’ve heard on the season so far," and although he knew where the arrangement came from (Chris Cornell’s remake of the Michael Jackson original), "that doesn’t really matter." The performance has received well over 4.5 million views on YouTube.^[28] Another of Cook’s performances, "Day Tripper", was credited to Whitesnake. Seattle-based band Doxology has claimed that Cook’s performance of "Eleanor Rigby" was based on a version the band recorded over a year ago.^[29] On April 1, before performing his self-arranged rendition of "Little Sparrow" on American Idol, Cook responded to Ryan Seacrest in the interview session, revealing that his performance of "Eleanor Rigby" was based on Neil Zaza’s and Doxology’s versions. He also reiterated the credits of Whitesnake and Chris Cornell. Despite the controversy, critics praised Cook for choosing versions of songs that fit his vocal style.^[30][31][32] His arrangements of "Hello," "Little Sparrow," "Always Be My Baby," "All I Really Need Is You," "Baba O’Riley," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing" were original arrangements.

Cook won the seventh season of American Idol on May 21, 2008, receiving 56% of the votes with David Archuleta as the runner-up. Cook then sang "The Time of My Life", the winning song of the 2008 American Idol Songwriter’s Competition.

During the finale, Cook appeared in a commercial for the game franchise Guitar Hero, mimicking Tom Cruise in Risky Business. Fellow finalist David Archuleta appeared in a separate commercial parodying the same scene. Both commercials were directed by Brett Ratner.

Performances and results (during voting weeks)

Post-Idol career

For the Billboard chart week ending May 25, 2008, a week following Cook’s American Idol victory, Cook broke several Billboard chart records. Most notable was his record shattering feat of having eleven songs debut on the Hot 100 that week, beating the previous record set by Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) in 2006 when she had six songs debut on the chart.^[33] Cook’s first single, "The Time of My Life" led the pack, debuting at #3 on the Hot 100.^[33] Cook’s eleven charting songs also gave him the most songs by one artist on the Hot 100 of any week in the Nielsen SoundScan era (which began in 1991), and the most of any era since The Beatles placed 14 songs on the chart the week of April 11, 1964.^[33] In addition, that same week Cook also broke the record for the most debuts on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart, where he placed 14 debut entries, the record of which was previously six set by Bon Jovi in 2007.^[33] Cook’s 17 entries had a combined total of 944,000 digital downloads in the first week of selling.^[34]

Cook is currently due to work with Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Jesse McCartney on his upcoming album.^[35] The album is slated to release in the fall of 2008.^[36]

Discography

Singles

Other charted songs

Related Posts:

START OVER

Marijuana or Cannabis

Car bomb

IPHONE

International Atomic Energy Agency

IN ANGER

Facebook

Badoo

HEALED AND WHOLE

ENDURING THE STORMS OF LIFE

KC CONCEPCION 2

BIOGRAPHY
	
Inheriting both halves of her famous family’s cinematic legacy, the  budding theater actress KC Concepcion demonstrated a  captivating flair for performing and exuding an angel faced aura  much to the fondness of the intriguing public. Being an actress is  truly on her bloodline and there’s no stopping the prevalent  veneration for this “PYT” pretty young talent.
	
The daughter of megastar Sharon Cuneta and once matinee idol  Gabby Concepcion, KRISTINA CASSANDRA CUNETA CONCEPCION  simply known as KC , was born in Manila , on April 7, 1985  weighing so fragile at 5.2 lbs.. Her name coalesces from her mom’s  choice of the name Kristina and from dad’s attachment to the  classic movie “Cassandra Crossing “ thus evoking a beautiful and  seemingly immortal name Kristina Cassandra. An Arian herself,  which has a fire element of assertiveness and instinctive identity as well as spontaneity, KC however do not seemingly emanate this early the will of Aries which is tension and passion but instead just want to be just any ordinary girl who have different sides to everyone. 
	
Her childhood was a dreamworld having sired with a backdrop of fame, fortune and fanaticism, thanks however to her mom’s stanch guidance that she grew up just like any other silver-spooned benevolent child. Until the poignant part of a fairy tale came when her parents parted for good, that they were the focal point of public sympathy. We reminisce the little KC on moments such as when she stood nonchalantly on her mom’s side while we listen to Sharon’s rendering that Christmas song “Pasko na Sinta Ko” on a TV show or that cute tissue giver at her mom’s frequent sobs on her live concerts., or that delightful grin which is a dead ringer of her dad’s charming look whenever her mom greets her daughter among the live TV audience.
	
As the world turns, her life too has full of promises and transformations given a surrogate father that is Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, her mom’s new found love and a baby sister Simone Francesca Emmanuelle.She values her family more than ever and she constantly speaks of love and affection towards them. In fact her relationship with her mom is more than just the usual mother-daughter bonding but more than that of profound friendship.
	
Now comes the exciting part of her life, her teenage years. Her mother both fostered and resisted the notion of her photogenic daughter’s lure from the world of entertainment denizens, which eventually however was displaced by near being a stage mother , knowing that KC, an emergent thespian logged her first professional credit on the legitimate world of theater. She auditioned herself in the musical play “The Little Mermaid” without drawing as reference the fame of her parents. At this point, she’s the most sought after face in the world of fashion having signed a P5M deal with a fresh Bench TM line called Human.
	
On top of this newfound hectic sked, KC prioritizes her studies at International School, in fact she’s on the honor roll, a member of the school choir and an officer of various school organizations. She’s likewise enthusiastic and dynamic on such extra-curricular activities like soccer and swimming.
	
Thus, nobody’s halting the own distinction claim of this young lady as she rides the bandwagon towards theatrical plays and movieland. Thanks to her mom Sharon for having taught her the virtue of being down to earth , unpretentious and affectionate for nobody so deserving of the megastar throne but KC herself.

KC Concepcion

Maria Kristina Cassandra Cuneta Concepcion (born April 7, 1985), populary known as KC Concepcion, is a Filipina actress, film actress and commercial model. She is a daughter of Filipina actress Sharon Cuneta and former Filipino actor Gabby Concepcion. Her name "Kristina" came from her mom, and "Cassandra" from her dad who loved the movie Cassandra Crossing

Career

GMA-7 talent Richard Gutierrez inked a one-movie deal with ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema, whis his co-star in this dream project, KC Concepcion. Thereafter, KC signed on May 22, 2008, a contract for GMA Films’ Valentine 2009 movie with leading man Richard Gutierrez, to be directed by Joey Reyes.^[1]The Star Cinema movie will be released later this year while the GMA Films production will hit theaters on Valentine’s Day next year.^[2] Specifically, Binondo Girl,^[3][4]the first movie of KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez together with Joyce Bernal will open at theaters on August 27, 2008, while her "When I Met You" will be shown on February 11, 2009.^[5]

UNWFP Ambassador

KC Concepcion, as United Nations World Food Program (WFP) ambassador, launched on June 1, 2008, "End Hunger: Walk the World," a global walk against child hunger at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, to raise public awareness and funds to feed 59 million poor children.^[6][7]

Filmography

Television

Movies