The new "American Idol" talks about his win and what lies ahead.

DAVID COOK may be the new "American Idol," but in a phone call today talking about his win, he revealed that it had never been his plan to audition. He went along to lend his support to his brother.

"[We were] standing on line at 5:30 in the morning in Omaha. It is raining. The sun hasn't come up. The producer comes by with a camera and talks to my brother, then turns to me. I said, 'I am not auditioning.' He goes, 'Well, you are now.' I just figured I would go in and sing a song and they would say I wasn't what they were looking for. Then, I would go back to Tulsa and work on my record some more. Somebody had another plan."

David also dispels the rumors that he is an overnight success -- going from being a bartender to a recording star. His journey actually began when he was 15 years old and joined a band in Kansas City. He continued to pursue a career in music after college, moving to Tulsa to join a band. During the past 10 years, he has also played acoustic gigs a couple of times a week, which has given him a lot of years to think about the direction he wants his music to take.

"I want to make a record that makes the hair on your neck stand up -- a record that stands up on its own after I am gone. If I can do that, I am set," he says.

More specifically, he is looking for his first CD to be rock music and, hopefully, a mixture of his own songs and songs he has collaborated on.

"The ideal release date is as soon as possible, if you ask me, but these things take time," he says.

As for his competitor in the Final 2, David has nothing but kind words to say about DAVID ARCHULETA: "My hat is off to Archie for the whole scenario. He handled himself with a lot of grace. He is an amazing human being. I was just honored to share the stage with him."

David will be heading out on the "American Idol" tour this summer, beginning July 1 in Glendale, AZ, and wrapping on September 13 in Tulsa, OK, giving the new champ a chance to meet the millions of fans who voted for him.

"I can't believe the level of support that has come out of me doing this crazy TV show," he admits. "All I can do is try to embrace it and make all the effort that people are putting into supporting me worthwhile."