Fulfilling his opportunity

When he was on “American Idol,” David Cook – as cool as a cucumber for much of last season – fought back tears after performing for a studio audience that included his brother Adam, who’s fighting brain cancer.

Cook’s tears have flowed more freely in private. The 25-year-old rocker, who won the Fox network competition in May, fueled his anguish over Adam’s illness into the gut-wrenching ballad “Permanent,” one of 13 songs on his namesake debut album released Tuesday.

After recording the track in two takes, “I actually called my dad and wept openly for about 10 minutes,” Cook says.

“Anytime you can create something where what’s in your head actually comes out the way you originally heard it, it can be pretty overwhelming and pretty heavy.”

Cook is hoping listeners have a similar experience when they listen to the rest of “David Cook.” Recorded in a span of 10 weeks, it’s packed with power ballads that accentuate his anthemic voice.

“I wanted to come out with a record that was both heavy and delicate and had some eclectic-ness to it,” he says. “So I feel like we’ve got this record that meanders and takes people on a journey a little bit.”

Cook’s path to stardom took the fast-track. A working musician/bartender based in Tulsa, Okla., he auditioned for “Idol” on a lark: He joined younger brother Andrew on line for moral support, and was persuaded to try out, eventually facing Simon Cowell in the judges’ chambers.

He made it to Hollywood; Andrew didn’t.

Once “Idol” started, Cowell was one of Cook’s biggest critics, condemning him for lacking personality. But the boyishly handsome singer clung on each week, gaining momentum after a midseason makeover that included manly facial scruff and a much-needed haircut.

If only he could remember his big moment.

“I actually watched it back and was like, ‘I don’t remember doing any of that,’ ” Cook says of the finale. “I can’t tell you what it was like to stand up there and hug Archie (runner-up David Archuleta) after the fact.”

After his win, Cook jumped immediately into writing sessions for his album. He recruited Grammy-winning producer Rob Cavallo and a team of songwriters including Chris Cornell, Brian Howes and Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls.

Cavallo compares Cook to big-voiced former Journey frontman Steve Perry, who dropped by the studio.

“He really is an unbelievably gifted singer,” Cavallo says. “There’s no song on the record that he didn’t sing in two or three takes.”

Cook marvels at his journey from nobody to reality TV star. But he understands that the transition to rock star will be a harder one to pull off.

“I mean, look, there’s way better musicians out there than me, there’s way better singers out there than me,” he says.

“The problem is they never get the opportunity to do this. And I think that’s what ‘Idol’ represents. It’s an opportunity. It’s not a golden ticket. It’s not a free pass.”