* Blog Hawaii

February 9, 2009- HAWAII
Aloha! I’m here in sunny Hawaii, and it’s so nice here. I sang at the Pro Bowl yesterday, and that was way cool. Enrique Iglesias and Ciara sang during the halftime, and that was fun to watch because we got to watch from the field. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Ciara, but Enrique was a cool guy. He’s tall though! I didn’t realize how tall he was. He’s 6 ft. 2 in. haha. But anyway, the day before the Pro Bowl performance I sang at Ohana Day where people can watch the players practice. I sang A Little Too Not Over You, and it went well. Today we’re going to try and look around the island and be tourists haha. It’s so beautiful here, and I forgot how much I miss hot humid weather. It’s been a long time since I haven’t worn a scarf and jacket, because even last year during spring and summer we were always inside cold studios or arenas. Oh you know what’s funny is while I was in the LAX airport for my layover, I ran into Cook and his gang. We were in the same gate area haha. Only he was headed to Florida, and I was leaving Florida.So before we went to Hawaii, I was in Florida doing promo.What was shocking is how cold it was there! I didn’t think I’d have to wear a jacket and scarf there, but it felt like Utah weather at some points. It was really fun traveling around though, and I got to see my family when we were in Central Florida. I also got to visit a Children’s Hospital in Daytona Beach, that they called Speediatrics haha. It was really neat. But I’ll be heading back to Florida after Hawaii for the Disney thing this week, so I’m excited! I’ve been trying to not adjust to Hawaiian time, because I’m already in the Florida time zone mode lol. But I can’t wait for the Disney thing!This Saturday they showed the iCarly episode on Nickelodeon, so for those of you who watched it I hope you had fun! I had so much fun hanging with Miranda. Don’t forget to watch this weekend too! I’ll be performing A Little Too Not Over You this Saturday on Nickelodeon, so fun stuff. haha.All right, so before I close here, I just wanted to talk about the Grammy Awards! They were on the same day as the Pro Bowl, so I was keeping a little too busy to be able to watch it. But I had friends that were keeping me updated on what was going on haha.First off, I’d just like to congratulate all the winners and their successes. I was so excited to hear Adele won 2 Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance! She is truly amazing, and I’m so happy that she has gotten some more recognition for the quality of her music. It’s sooo good. Well anyway, I better head out and get started with seeing more of Hawaii. I’ll talk to you guys later and let you know how things went this week!
Song for the day: Right As Rain - AdeleSorry for having Adele again so soon, but this song rocks and she had a big night last night haha. Brooke White was actually the person who introduced this song to me a while back, and inspired my love for Adele’s stuff haha. Go Brooke!! If you haven’t heard Chasing Pavements by Adele yet though, you should check that out

* Blog From Florida

Update from Florida!
Heeey Eerrrrbody. I’m reporting from Florida today, and I’m having a grand time in my birth state haha. Last Saturday, both Mr. Cook and I got to perform at a corporate event for Primesource in Hollywood, Florida (Where I used to live!) I was nervous before I went on stage because it was the first time I’d done a set that long since my vocal chord paralysis issues a few years ago. I was hardly able to do 1 song after that happened, and so I was even nervous with the tour when I did 4 songs heh, just because I wasn’t sure if my voice would be able to handle it. But I did 10 songs for the corporate event, and my voice was fine! It just made me feel really good to know how much my voice has improved since that whole weird thing. We had a lot of fun though, and Cook and his band were amazing as always. It was good to see him, because I haven’t seen him in a while. It’ll be fun to see more of the old gang at the Disney thing coming up in a couple of weeks. I took some pictures of Cook and his band from backstage, but they’re really lame…. so… I’m not putting them up haha.When I got to my hotel room after the event, I made it just in time to watch Jason Mraz perform on SNL! He sang I’m Yours, which I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing, and Lucky with Colbie Caillat. Good stuff. Anyway, Sunday was the day of the Superbowl.I wasn’t able to watch it because I was speaking at a church fireside at the last minute around that same time period. However, on my way to the fireside I called my friend to listen to Jennifer Hudson sing the National Anthem over the phone lol. It was so good! Jennifer has pipes! I watched it on youtube later. It was Steelers vs. Cardinals, and the Steelers won. I still have to watch Bruce Springsteen perform during the halftime.So for the next little bit I’ll be doing some promo in Florida.It’s really nice to be in Florida right now, especially when it’s snowing in Utah. Gotta love warm weather. I’ll be going to Hawaii too to sing the National Anthem at the Pro Bowl, and it’ll be my first time in Hawaii! Woot woot! That means more sunshine haha.Well I hope anyway… at least more hanging out in warmer regions.I’ll let you know how that goes next week. But I better head out now. I’ll let you know how the promo in Florida goes too! adios.Song for the day: Rock & Roll - Eric Hutchinson This song puts me in such a great mood! It’s my feel-good jam! If they wanna rock, they rock, if they wanna roll, they rollp.s. Tour dates have been announced and tickets are on sale! Be sure to check ‘em out and see which ones are by you!

* Oh Say Can You See ...SLC New Years

Monday, January 05, 2009
New Years Resolution?

I hope everyone’s having a great new year so far!

I have an official resolution I have set which I’m going to try and keep up with this year, but I’m going to keep it to myself to see how well I do until the end haha… But if you guys don’t mind sharing your resolutions feel free to! I think it’s fun to know about those kinds of things.

I performed at a thing in Orem, Utah called Newphoria which was great. My parents, little sisters, and a bunch of my friends were able to come and celebrate! I sang ALTNOY and Crush, and there were some other really neat acts there. My friends, The Osmonds 2nd Generation who were also performing earlier, got a hold of me and invited me to do it. I thought it was a really fun way to celebrate while at home, and I was sooo happy to have my friends and family there with me. We had a blast! Ashley Tisdale was also there hosting. We danced like idiots, and I got some good exercise out of it.

This weekend I went to San Diego to visit a girl for Make-A-Wish who was having a very difficult time battling cancer. It was probably one of the most special things I have ever experienced, and incredibly touching. It helped me even more to be motivated and act. We need to keep ..ing those who battle against such sicknesses. I want to thank those of you who are so strong in facing those kinds of obstacles, and are such an example of hope and strength. Something like that reminds me of what matters most in this life, and I hope to never forget that. I want to thank her and her family, and I want them to know I’m strongly keeping them in my prayers. I’m also so appreciative of Make-A-Wish for allowing incredible things to happen for kids and let their dreams come true. And THANK YOU!! to all of you guys for your donations that you’ve been sending for such great causes! A lot of you have made donations in my name, so thanks for doing that. I always think about how those donations will help out, even if it’s not a huge contribution. That small amount can help change someone’s life one way or another, and just thinking about it gives me the chills.

But anyway, sorry for going off on that, I just felt like it was something important to let out.While we were in San Diego, I got to meet up with one of my friends who was there on vacation. Their family was going to the Chargers vs. Colts game, so we decided to go too! It was such an exciting game, and I’m really glad I was able to see my friend haha. I think it’s cool to meet up with buddies somewhere different from where you live. It was my first NFL game, and the crowd was nuts. The really cool thing about it is the game was at Qualcomm Stadium, which is where I first auditioned for American Idol! It brought back a lot of memories of a lot of waiting lol. But it was cool, and neat to think about how it all started.

Today I’ll be singing at Utah’s Governor Huntsman’s inauguration, and even though it’s FREEZING… it should be a good time. I actually sang at the Governor Huntsman’s inauguration the first time lol. But yeah. It’s actually so hard to sing when it’s cold! I tend to lose my voice in cold weather, and I must be cold-blooded because I just don’t do well with low temperatures. I’ll let you know how it went in my next blog, but I better get going here. Unlike my last blog, this is pretty long haha.

So I’ll talk to you guys later!

P.S. Before I go I wanted to mention one thing real quick. I was hanging out at my house when my parents called me in to watch a story on Oprah about this girl named Charice. I had seen her on youtube before and she was at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, but it was amazing to hear her story and her voice! She seriously has one of the best voices I’ve heard in a long time, and I had chills the entire time I was watching about her life. So instead of a song for the day I think you should check her out! It’s more like a person for the day haha. She was really inspiring and for those of you who haven’t heard her yet I think you’re in for a real treat! She sang My Heart Will Go On during her appearance on Oprah, and it’s amazing to see how much passion she has for what she does! I also loved how she talked about how important her mom was to her. I hope you guys enjoy!

* David Gives Thanks

* E News! CRUSH IS OUT

* Thankful: Over 2000 Words!

In David Archuleta's CD liner notes, that total over 2,000 words, he uses some form of the expression, "thank you", "thanks", or "thankful" 66 times. That’s an average of once every 30 words.

Here are David’s complete "thank you" liner notes as included in his FIRST CD... They are long, but worth the time to read them.

THANK YOU: I can’t believe the way things have turned out over the past year! It’s amazing to see where life takes you. Looking back I had absolutely no idea I’d get such an amazing opportunity, and being the first album, I feel like there are so many people that have gotten me here to this point for me to thank; all of them being a part of helping me go through this journey. There have been good times and hard times, but I think it’s all given to you to take you where you need to go in life. I feel so blessed to have been given this experience, and there’s no doubt in my mind that that the credit goes to God. So I’d like to thank Him first for trusting me with what He’s given me, and for His many blessings. I hope to continue to use the gift He has given me the way He wants me to, and I know that way will benefit you and those around you as well.Next, I’d like to thank my family for being so supportive and incredibly understanding.

DAD: Thanks for putting up with me for so long, never giving up and keeping your cool. You always believed in me even during the times I didn’t, and you always try to lead me in the right direction. You’ve dedicated a lot of your time and I appreciate that. So thanks for all of your help.

MOM: You raised me to be who I am and have taught me so many things. When things get frustrating, you’re there to try and lighten things up. I’ve looked up to you for being very understanding, and trying to keep things peaceful. Even though I’m pretty sure I get my communication skills from you and we’re both bad with words (haha), you’re sensitive to people’s emotions. Thanks for letting me do this.

MIS HERMANOS: It means a ton to me that you guys have been so supportive and understanding about everything. Claudia, thanks for being a light and for being my best friend for life. Daniel, thanks for being there to listen when things got complicated. Jazzy and Amber, thanks for always making me smile and being so loving (haha). I love you guys a lot.

ABUELITA: Gracias por ser una parte muy importante en mi vida, y por cuidar a mis hermanos y a mi cuando éramos pequeños. Te quiero mucho.

THE REST OF MY FAMILY: You guys have been so important to me in my life, and thanks for the wonderful memories and always being there. Everyone has been such a great support and I have a lot of respect for all of you. Thanks for being excited about what’s going on and for treating me the same.

MY FRIENDS: Thanks for the advice you guys gave, and for your opinions on pictures and songs for the albums (lol). Mietra, you’re always there to talk to and let me know what’s going on back home. You helped me keep part of home wherever I went. Jessie, you didn’t let me stay a hermit, and I’m glad for that (haha). Thanks for making me laugh all the time. Fish, for being so amazingly cool. Your obsession with taking pictures actually helped a lot with what was to come and you helped me get over my fear of cameras (lol). Thanks to the Rubens for helping me see things in a different light, and for being so welcoming. Thanks to the Hales for being there for me and my family all the time, setting such a great example to us. Thanks to the Parkinsons for their generosity and helping so much. Thank you Leticia, Jean-Margaret and Jack for helping lighten things quite a bit for me during this process and for showing your love. Thanks Jaymie for giving me the rubberband, and for what it stands for. Thank you Shantel for being so cool and laid back, and for setting an example to me. Thanks Ashlee for always being you and for always remaining the same, during and even before things got crazy (lol). Thank you to all of my neighbors and members from church who have shown their love and support every step of the way. Thank you Mike and Anne Harrington for helping me with my piano and keeping me motivated! The Lundbergs, the Madsens, Sorensons, Despains and so many other families that have been there. My family has never felt so much at home as we do now. It’s been great to see your help and I can’t thank you enough for reaching out to my family and looking out for them while I’ve been away. It has meant the world to me to see the support from Utah, and I hope I make everyone there proud :) Go Murray, Utah!

DEAN: You have helped me out so much! It’s meant a lot to me that you were so willing to help out and would take time out of your busy schedule to do it whenever I was feeling worn out (haha). You helped me stay in my small space and keep my vowels narrow even though I still forget now and then. All those calls have done so much! Thanks for sticking with me and helping me get through those rough years when I had all those issues (lol).

AMERICAN IDOL AND FOX: Thanks for helping make this dream come true. Thank you Nigel and Ken, and to the amazing crew there. Lindsay Robinson, for putting up with so much and trying to let me take a breather. Katie, Sam, Shoal, Norm, Patrick, Meg, Debby (both of them) and everyone else who worked so hard. It’s amazing how many people were a part of that experience and each one of you made it an amazing memory for me. Thank you Wendy Wilhite! You were so understanding to the pressure and intense schedule, and being able to talk every day helped me get through the crazy schedule each week. Thanks for helping me get through my schoolwork and letters (haha). You made it so much fun. Thank you Byrd for taking me out of my comfort zone in such a comfortable way, Mike for being so fun, Matt for being so cool, and Dorian for your help! Thanks Jill Hudson, Alex Gillespie, Jennifer Sprague and Dru Libby for getting me through the PR things smoothly while having a good time! Haha19

ENTERTAINMENT: I also want to thank you! Thanks to Simon Fuller for allowing so many of us to achieve our dreams, and for being one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I wanna thank Robert Dodds as well. Iain Pirie, you have been a tremendous help and you keep such a humble and positive attitude that I admire. Thank you for guiding us through these first challenges and being there willing to help out. Thanks to Meredith Kendall! You’re funny (lol). You’ve been such a big help and thanks for being so patient and understanding. Joe Willis, you and Matt put me through that first round and let me have one of the best experiences of my life, and allowed me to have these opportunities and I’m so thankful for that. Thanks for being there to talk to and look out for me. Thanks Michelle Young for your advice and always being willing to help and just for being there to talk to. Thanks Roger Widynowski, Tony Wiggens, Jeff King, Jen Schultz, Teresa and all of the others at 19! Thank you to Jeff Frasco and the others at CAA too.

JIVE/ZOMBA LABEL GROUP: Thank you Barry Weiss for helping with making the record. There are so many who have participated in making this record and I just want to thank all of them. Jeff Fenster, you’ve been so awesome through this whole process and have been so great to work with. Thanks Nicole Bilzerian for helping me with your suggestions and being easy to work with as well. Thank you Joe Riccitelli for being so nice and for your help too! Thank you Shari Reich for being cooperative as well and giving your input with decisions. Thank you Gina Orr for being really friendly and for putting so much work into this as well. You’ve all just been so great :). Thanks to the other awesome people at Jive who have helped make this album possible as well: Tom Carrabba, Peter Thea, Gabrielle Rosen, Catherine Seligman, Jeff Dodes, Jackie Murphy, Maria Marulanda, Nicole Hedrick, Janet Kleinbaum, Monica Cornia, John Fleckenstein, Jeff Aber, Cara Bridgins, Daniella Cabral, John Strazza, Jessie Maldonado, Nathalie Marin, Randy Reyes, Shannah Miller, Jennifer Fierman, Jeff Rizzo, Ken Lucek, Bridgett Germroth, Joanne Grand, Linda Cangro, Phil Poulos, Joe Daddio, Tiffany Gilman, Doug Hamann, Jen Zidel, Tom Starr, Kari Crowley and Robyn Stimac. Everyone’s just amazing! Songwriters and Producers: I want to also thank the incredible songwriters and producers I was able to work with on this album. David Hodges, Eman and Jess Cates for their work, including the first single “‘Crush.” I’m so grateful for how that has turned out, being the first song we heard for the album and were so excited. Thanks to Steve Kipner, Wayne Wilkins, Steve McEwan, Kara DioGuardi, Midi Mafia, Brian Kennedy, Diane Warren, Frankie Storm, Espionage, Desmond Child, Andreas Carlsson, Lindy Robbins, Daniel B, Toby Lightman thanks for being there to talk to, Robbie Nevil, Matthew Gerrard, Mike Krompass, Steve Diamond, The Underdogs, James Fauntleroy, Tim and Antonina for being so cool and fun! You guys made it easy to relax. I also want to thank all of the musicians that I worked with while recording this album and all the other many talented people I was able to work with. I felt humbled and honored to be able to work with such gifted people, and thank you for all of your help.

AMERICAN IDOL TOUR FOLK: Thank you to Geoff, Jess, Matt, Leila and everyone who made the tour experience so meaningful and full of such great memories. There were so many people who were a part of that and I was amazed at the hard work everyone put into making it such a great time for us all.

MY “FAMILY” FOR THE LAST YEAR (HAHA): Cook, Syesha, Jason, Brooke, Carly, Kristy, Michael Johns, Ramiele and Chikezie: You have all been so inspiring to be around, and I look up to you guys a ton. You’ve been like my big brothers and sisters and I’ve had so much fun. I hope we’ll still be able to keep in touch, and I look forward to watching you all grow in your careers. I really feel like you guys were there looking out for me and helped me get through some of the difficult moments, even if you didn’t realize it since I was always kinda in the background spacing out or whatever (lol). But thanks.Thank you to Howard Siegel for the help and concern you’ve shown, and to Ken Schullman. Also, thanks to Paul, Wendy, Beth, Jared, Irving, Seth Riggs and so many others who have shared their experience throughout this time.I’d also like to thank some of the artists who have inspired me to love music. Thank you Tamyra Gray and Kelly Clarkson for showing me how a performance can really move you. Thanks to Natalie Cole for being one of my biggest influences musically. Stevie Wonder for showing the creative and soulful side. Natasha Bedingfield for showing you can be yourself, and not be limited. Eva Cassidy for showing me that music can change lives for the better. Thank you to my recent influences Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Sara Bareilles for helping remind me the artistic expressive side and letting me have a good time listening too. And to all of the other many talented artists that help inspire me.Lastly, I’d like to thank all the fans, for absolutely EVERYTHING they have done for me. Thank you for allowing me to go on this wild and crazy journey and for letting me share what I love to do with all of you. You keep reminding me why this is so important, and what I love about it. I’ve appreciated hearing the amazing stories, reading the touching letters and just being able to have fun talking to all of you guys. You guys have accepted me the way I am and I really appreciate it. Thank you for respecting me and for always having my back (haha). I want to thank the many others who have helped me in my life, letting me learn what I’ve learned and to allow me to experience these amazing things.

DAVID.

What is remarkable is not the frequency that he says thank you, but the extent to which David thanks the people in his life. He covers just about everyone, and has specific comments for each one. It wasn’t like he just gave a general thank you, but makes each one specific to the person that he is thanking. I imagine it took him a long time to compile it, and I bet he spent hours making sure he didn’t miss anyone. As a result of his extensive thanks, David reveals how much he appreciates the people in his life and the reasons why.

* When You Say You Love Me