And The Winner Is....

David Cook

I'm pleasantly surprised. After DC seemingly coming up second after the final round -- in addition to the judges' somewhat lukewarm praise -- I expected Archuletta, the tween heart-throb with the angelic pipes, to run away with the title.

But large and loyal fanbases don't abandon their champions for a single less-than-perfect evening.

And with that I'll share one of my favorite performances from this season -- David Cook's version of Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow". It's Classic Cook. He stays true to the original while making the song his own. As with "Billie Jean", I've never liked this song as much until his version.