Kristy Lee Cook

Although country vocalist Kristy Lee Cook enjoyed some degree of success as a teenager, she didn't receive her big break until 2007, when the 23-year-old Oregon native auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol. Her patriotic performances and country gal appeal helped push Cook to a seventh-place finish, despite frequent criticisms from the show's judging panel. Born in Seattle and raised in rural southwestern Oregon, Cook initially split her time between horseback riding and singing. At the age of 15, she signed with manager Marty Rendleman, who had previously managed...