| Biography | A native New Yorker, Mr. Cook began singing at the age of three in his home church, The House of David. Upon discovering his unique talent he was enrolled in the Brooklyn Boys Chorus School of Musical Training, under the direction of James McCarthy. Participating in its concert choir enabled Cook to travel throughout the United States and Rome, where he sang for the Pope. He then was selected to sing the boy alto solo in Leonard Bernsteins Chichester Psalms with the New York Philharmonic, directed by Zubin Mehta, his first professional endeavor. Mr. Cooks journey continued with singing as boy soprano soloist with renowned conductors such as James Levine and Seiji Ozawa, and performing in the worlds most famous venues, such as the White House, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and the John F. Kennedy Center.
He was discovered by a New York commercial agent, which led to his introduction to theatrical mogul Joseph Papp. Papp embraced Cooks abilities and opened the door for him to appear in numerous Off-Broadway productions, including The Haggahdah, Romance in Hard Times, Little Mighty, Moby Dick, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He eventually went from Off-Broadway to his first Broadway production, Dont Get God Started, for which he received raves reviews. He also competed 10 consecutive times on Star Search, where his repeated wins led him to gain the title of Star Search 1998 $100,000 Male Vocal Champion! The exposure cause Mr. Cook to be approached by various record labels and he ultimately signed with CBS Records. While recording his CBS Records debut album he performed throughout Europe and Japan, where he starred in such renowned shows as Body and Soul and Harlem Symphony. Next, having acquired a thirst for television, he decided to come back to the States to try his luck on the small screen. He won roles on various soaps, including All My Children. Mr. Cook also made guest and feature appearances on such hit shows as The Days & Night Of Molly Dodd, The Arsenio Hall Show, and more recently the Today Show and the Rosie ODonnell Show. He also made room for the big screen, appearing in two featured films, Haginwith the Homeboys and Starlight. Mr. Cooks film projects were New York-based, which kept Broadways temptation close. He starred in such hits as St. Louis Woman, opposite Vanessa Williams, and Smokey Joes Café, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, Most recently, Mr. Cook has been seen touring with Cinderella, starring Eartha Kitt, as well as touring, recording and performing as part of the well-known ensemble Cook, Dixon and Young. (August 2014) |