Published: February 19, 2008 11:32 am      

Cook gets his ‘American Idol’ shot

Mike Frye remembers looking forward to his cousin David Cook’s arrival in Kokomo each summer, when the boys and Cook’s younger brother, Andrew, would all stay together at their grandmother’s house.

“It was a handful for her, because she had three of us,” he remembered with a laugh.

Tonight, Frye and his grandmother, Debra Frye, will watch Cook compete on “American Idol,” hoping not to be one of the two men voted off on Thursday’s results show.

The 12 male semifinalists sing tonight, followed by the 12 female semifinalists on Wednesday. Four contestants, two male and two female, will go home after Thursday’s results show.

Debra Frye said she’s ready to get on the phone and vote for her grandson as soon as she can, and then “we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Thursday night.”

She plans to watch the shows at her grandson Mike’s house, because he has a bigger television than she has.

Mike Frye said he never pictured his cousin as a vocalist.

“He got a guitar when he was real young. I never thought he would sing. I always thought he would play the guitar,” Mike said. “I always thought he was good, but I never thought of him going to ‘American Idol.’ I thought he’d make it without ‘American Idol.’”

Mike Frye worries about his cousin not having his guitar for the show.

“He always has his guitar, it’s always something to keep his body or his hands occupied. It will be an adjustment to sing without his guitar. Once he gets over that, I think he’ll do pretty good.”

He and his cousin were close, he said, at least partially because they were born two days apart.

“I’m closer to him than any of my other cousins. As we get older, we don’t talk nearly as much as we used to,” Frye explained.

They played Little League together for Martino’s at Northside, where Cook pitched and played first base.

Pat Dumoulin coached him for three seasons, starting when Cook was 10, and described him as “a real nice kid,” who had good manners.

“He was a joy to have” on the team, he said.

Dumoulin said he’s never watched “American Idol,” but now, “I’ll watch it. That’s kind of neat.”

Mike Frye thinks even if Cook becomes famous, “he’s always going to be the same person. He doesn’t let things go to his head. He didn’t even want us telling anyone. He didn’t want to be in the public eye. He’s pretty shy.”

Danielle Rush may be reached at (765) 454-8585 or via e-mail at danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com