MESA, Ariz. -- Mark DeRosa is a big "American Idol" fan these days because Michael Johns, a singer he heard several years ago in a small Atlanta area bar is one of the contestants. And DeRosa is hoping Cubs fans will vote for the Australian.
"I met him about seven years ago in Atlanta," DeRosa said. "He was singing in a bar in Buckhead, Ga., and me and my wife went to hang out with a couple friends. He started singing, and I turned to my wife and I said, 'He's one of the best singers I've ever heard.'"
The DeRosas became groupies, sort of, and kept going back to the bar to listen to Johns for his weekly sessions. They built up a friendship.
"He moved to [Los Angeles] a couple years back and tried to make it and never did," DeRosa said Thursday. "My wife and I were always on him about doing "American Idol". We went to L.A. last year to play the Dodgers, and he told us he decided to do it. If you watch the show he's, by far, head and shoulders above the rest."
The "American Idol" judges agree. After his performance in Hollywood when he sang "Bohemian Rhapsody", Simon Cowell said Johns had the best audition of the day.
"When I'm singing, it's the most natural feeling," Johns said on the "American Idol" Web site.
"I just want Cubbie nation to vote for him," DeRosa said. "I figure they're the most passionate people in the world, and if they get behind something, I think he'd appreciate it."
Johns, 29, lists Buckhead, Ga., as his hometown. According to the Idol Web site, his musical influences are The Beatles, Neil Finn, Queen, Otis Redding, INXS, David Bowie and ACDC. He lists his most embarrassing moment as doing professional mascot work, and says secretly he loves that. He was "Boomer the Roo" and "Kip the Koala" at different times.
DeRosa has watched all of Johns' performances, but he's not helping pick out the songs.
"I did talk to him -- he's so talented that he deserves this, he really does and if not to win, just to get his name out there," DeRosa said. "He's too talented a guy. He could be a front man of a lot of bands right now and be successful."
It was a tough decision for Johns to audition for the show.
"Some musicians probably feel it's selling out to the masses," DeRosa said of the show, now in its seventh season. "I know he felt that way for the first couple seasons of the show, and we just kept grilling him. Look at all the people -- Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry -- all these people are mega stars now.
"I feel like coming from Australia and moving to Atlanta and singing in a bar in Buckhead, Ga., and now being on TV, it's pretty surreal to see him," DeRosa said. "My wife and I are getting a huge kick out of it."
Would DeRosa ever audition for "American Idol"?
"Heck, no," he said. "'Shower Idol' maybe -- I sing in the shower."
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb
Full Version: Mark DeRosa dials up support for 'Idol' singer
Gosh 
! He is a big smash. 
He should win that crown!!
! He is a big smash. He should win that crown!!
Haha, that's really cool that he's good friends with a baseball player! And that he has his support. 
I love this article! We need to see more stuff like this in the press. Hope someone is working that angle for Michael!
I saw a good piece on David C this weekend and wondered if Michael was getting his share of similar PR.
And it is PR, folks!
Article on David Cook that was out on the AP wires this weekend:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jYYq4q_...NqfGvAD8VDHPUG4
Tulsa Singer Cook Rocks 'American Idol'
By SEAN MURPHY – 1 day ago
OKLAHOMA CITY — Beneath the shaggy hair and mild-mannered demeanor of "American Idol" contestant David Cook is a seasoned musician who's rocked his way through the gritty club scene in America's heartland.
The 25-year-old native of Blue Springs, Mo., brought his aspiring music career to Tulsa two years ago after graduating from Central Missouri State University with a degree in graphic design. But despite a college degree and even a few career opportunities, Cook's friends and band mates from Tulsa say there's nothing Cook would rather be doing than performing and making music.
"He's the real thing," said Jeff Martinson, the owner of the Blank Slate complex of clubs in downtown Tulsa's Blue Dome district, where Cook bartended and enjoyed a flourishing musical career before landing a spot on the Fox Television program.
"He's gone out and actually played hundreds of gigs in bars in front of, sometimes, five people. He's the real deal in the sense that regardless of what happens in this competition, he'll still be out playing three nights a week."
Cook attended Blue Springs South High School, where he played baseball, showed promise in theater and debate and played with his high school band, Axium.
"He was involved in a lot of different activities, but no matter what he did, there was always music," said Susan Cooper, Cook's theater teacher. "You could tell that was his passion."
While playing the nightclub scene with Axium while in college, Cook became familiar with Tulsa's music scene after the band opened a gig for a popular Tulsa-based group, Midwest Kings.
"We all gelled and kept in touch over the years, and eventually David came down to be a guitar player for Midwest Kings," said Josh Center, a session drummer who plays with the band.
Cook's opportunity with an established band exposed him to the hardworking music scene in and around Tulsa and let him cut his teeth in various music venues. The regional touring band frequently piled into a 15-passenger van and played a mix of shows in Oklahoma cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Stillwater, as well as cities in Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, Center said.
Cook mainly played guitar and sang backup vocals for the group, but in the meantime worked on separate projects, including a solo album titled "Analog Heart."
Martinson, the club owner, said the experience Cook gained touring with Midwest Kings is proving invaluable for Cook as he works his way through "American Idol."
"He's gone places musically that some of these kids haven't even seen," Martinson said.
For Center, who admits Cook's appearance on the show has "sucked him in," he's enjoyed watching Cook improve his skills as a front man.
"The level of comfort he has when he's moving. He's always had a guitar, and singing without one has always been a level of concern. David is now grasping that concept and getting it.
"He looks comfortable and really engages the crowd."
The judges on the show apparently agree. During a cover on last week's program of The Beatles classic "Eleanor Rigby," Cook impressed all three judges — even Simon Cowell.
"If this show remains a talent competition rather than a popularity competition, you actually could win this entire show," Cowell told Cook after the performance.
For Cook's friends and fellow musicians, they say the young crooner is just warming up.
"He's a great guy with a tremendous voice," Martinson said. "And one of the things he's got on all these people in this competition is that he's got several more gears to go into."
---------------
And then there was this sidebar next to a picture of David performing with his guitar:
------------------------
In this image released by FOX, American Idol contestant David Cook performs, Tuesday, March 4, 2008, in Los Angeles. The 25-year-old native of Blue Springs, Mo., brought his aspiring music career to Tulsa two years ago after graduating from Central Missouri State University with a degree in graphic design. But despite a college degree and even a few career opportunities, Cook's friends and band mates from Tulsa say there's nothing Cook would rather be doing than performing and making music.
-------------------------
Meanwhile, Michael's news this week was a bit on TMZ on 3/13 about was he a song thief? . Here's what Google showed on it: "Michael Johns' old band has a bone to pick with the wailin' Australian, accusing Johns of stealing one of its songs after ditching the band for a recording ..."
Updated 3/16: I checked TMZ and could not find the article--it now just redirects you to the home page. At one time it was there and had 3 comments on it. A good sign that it was pulled? Think so! TMZ seems to be mining for any little thing on AI to put on their site. They have an article on Kristy Lee every day it seems--her prom pic/softball team picture, etc. I think Kristy Lee may be this year's Sanjaya.
I saw a good piece on David C this weekend and wondered if Michael was getting his share of similar PR.
And it is PR, folks!
Article on David Cook that was out on the AP wires this weekend:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jYYq4q_...NqfGvAD8VDHPUG4
Tulsa Singer Cook Rocks 'American Idol'
By SEAN MURPHY – 1 day ago
OKLAHOMA CITY — Beneath the shaggy hair and mild-mannered demeanor of "American Idol" contestant David Cook is a seasoned musician who's rocked his way through the gritty club scene in America's heartland.
The 25-year-old native of Blue Springs, Mo., brought his aspiring music career to Tulsa two years ago after graduating from Central Missouri State University with a degree in graphic design. But despite a college degree and even a few career opportunities, Cook's friends and band mates from Tulsa say there's nothing Cook would rather be doing than performing and making music.
"He's the real thing," said Jeff Martinson, the owner of the Blank Slate complex of clubs in downtown Tulsa's Blue Dome district, where Cook bartended and enjoyed a flourishing musical career before landing a spot on the Fox Television program.
"He's gone out and actually played hundreds of gigs in bars in front of, sometimes, five people. He's the real deal in the sense that regardless of what happens in this competition, he'll still be out playing three nights a week."
Cook attended Blue Springs South High School, where he played baseball, showed promise in theater and debate and played with his high school band, Axium.
"He was involved in a lot of different activities, but no matter what he did, there was always music," said Susan Cooper, Cook's theater teacher. "You could tell that was his passion."
While playing the nightclub scene with Axium while in college, Cook became familiar with Tulsa's music scene after the band opened a gig for a popular Tulsa-based group, Midwest Kings.
"We all gelled and kept in touch over the years, and eventually David came down to be a guitar player for Midwest Kings," said Josh Center, a session drummer who plays with the band.
Cook's opportunity with an established band exposed him to the hardworking music scene in and around Tulsa and let him cut his teeth in various music venues. The regional touring band frequently piled into a 15-passenger van and played a mix of shows in Oklahoma cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Stillwater, as well as cities in Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, Center said.
Cook mainly played guitar and sang backup vocals for the group, but in the meantime worked on separate projects, including a solo album titled "Analog Heart."
Martinson, the club owner, said the experience Cook gained touring with Midwest Kings is proving invaluable for Cook as he works his way through "American Idol."
"He's gone places musically that some of these kids haven't even seen," Martinson said.
For Center, who admits Cook's appearance on the show has "sucked him in," he's enjoyed watching Cook improve his skills as a front man.
"The level of comfort he has when he's moving. He's always had a guitar, and singing without one has always been a level of concern. David is now grasping that concept and getting it.
"He looks comfortable and really engages the crowd."
The judges on the show apparently agree. During a cover on last week's program of The Beatles classic "Eleanor Rigby," Cook impressed all three judges — even Simon Cowell.
"If this show remains a talent competition rather than a popularity competition, you actually could win this entire show," Cowell told Cook after the performance.
For Cook's friends and fellow musicians, they say the young crooner is just warming up.
"He's a great guy with a tremendous voice," Martinson said. "And one of the things he's got on all these people in this competition is that he's got several more gears to go into."
---------------
And then there was this sidebar next to a picture of David performing with his guitar:
------------------------
In this image released by FOX, American Idol contestant David Cook performs, Tuesday, March 4, 2008, in Los Angeles. The 25-year-old native of Blue Springs, Mo., brought his aspiring music career to Tulsa two years ago after graduating from Central Missouri State University with a degree in graphic design. But despite a college degree and even a few career opportunities, Cook's friends and band mates from Tulsa say there's nothing Cook would rather be doing than performing and making music.
-------------------------
Meanwhile, Michael's news this week was a bit on TMZ on 3/13 about was he a song thief? . Here's what Google showed on it: "Michael Johns' old band has a bone to pick with the wailin' Australian, accusing Johns of stealing one of its songs after ditching the band for a recording ..."
Updated 3/16: I checked TMZ and could not find the article--it now just redirects you to the home page. At one time it was there and had 3 comments on it. A good sign that it was pulled? Think so! TMZ seems to be mining for any little thing on AI to put on their site. They have an article on Kristy Lee every day it seems--her prom pic/softball team picture, etc. I think Kristy Lee may be this year's Sanjaya.
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