"AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER DAVID COOK AND GRAMMY WINNER SCOTT WEILAND RING IN 2009 FROM THE MIRAGE IN LAS VEGAS ON "NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE" WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, ON FOX

Spike Feresten and Mark Thompson To Host Live from the Las Vegas Strip

Robbie Knievel to Attempt Motorcycle Jump Over Erupting Volcano

AMERICAN IDOL Season Seven winner David Cook and Grammy Award-winning musician Scott Weiland are set to perform at The Mirage in Las Vegas on NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE airing Wednesday, Dec. 31 (11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

This year, NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE goes coast-to-coast with hosts Spike Feresten of TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN and Mark Thompson of HOLE IN THE WALL when they report live from the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip. Feresten and Thompson will count down to 2009 with celebrity guests and performances by some of the year's hottest musical artists. As 2008 comes to a close, the annual celebration will move to New York City to ring in the new year as the world-famous New Year's Eve Ball makes its descent into Times Square. Additional musical guests and artists scheduled to appear to be announced.

Shortly after midnight, world-renowned daredevil Robbie Knievel will attempt a death-defying 200-foot jump over the recently renovated Mirage Volcano. Knievel's New Year's Eve jump marks the 41st anniversary of his father Evel Knievel's bone-shattering jump at Caesars Palace.

"How better to draw the world's attention to the new Mirage and our fiery main attraction then with a spectacular stunt on one of the hottest nights of the year?" said Scott Sibella, President and COO of The Mirage. "Having Robbie jump our new Volcano on New Year's Eve will provide the perfect cap to our multi-million dollar transformation."

Born in Houston, TX, David Cook was raised in Blue Springs, MO. Though he began singing in second grade, Cook found that rock �n' roll was more his style after he picked up a guitar at age 13. One week after being declared the winner of AMERICAN IDOL Season Seven with a record-breaking 56 percent of the nearly 100 million votes cast, Cook rewrote chart history when 11 of his songs debuted on Billboard's Hot 100�the highest number of new entries in a single week by an artist since The Beatles in 1964. His self-titled major-label debut entered the Billboard charts at No. 3, and is currently the No. 1 album on the digital album chart.

Since rocketing to the forefront of the music world in 1992, Scott Weiland has become one of rock music's most highly respected and prolific artists. As the front man for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, Weiland has cemented his role as a dominant force in music. Weiland recently released his sophomore solo album "'Happy' in Galoshes," and is planning a 65-date reunion tour with Stone Temple Pilots in 2009.

The son of the late famous stuntman Evel Knievel, Robbie Knievel began jumping his bicycle at age 4 and riding motorcycles three years later. At 8 years old, he performed his first show with his father at Madison Square Garden, and by age 12, he was on tour with his father. Without question, Robbie is the most famous daredevil alive, completing over 350 jumps and setting 20 world records.

Emmy-nominated writer Spike Feresten was raised in West Bridgewater, MA, and is the host of TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN. TALKSHOW offers a fresh approach to the conventional late-night format with a fast-paced half-hour that combines elements of a talk show such as a studio audience and sit-down guests and adds to those elements with irreverent comedy sketches � both inside the studio and out on the street. TALKSHOW airs Saturdays (Midnight-12:30 AM ET/PT) on FOX.

Emmy Award winner Mark Thompson currently co-hosts FOX's HOLE IN THE WALL. He was the host of "Guinness World Records: Primetime" on FOX for three seasons, and has been live at all of Robbie Knievel's jumps that aired on FOX. Los Angeles viewers have made Thompson's weathercasts regular viewing on the top-rated and award-winning FOX 11 News KTTV. He is considered to be one of the top voiceover artists of unscripted television, lending his talents to such series as DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS!, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER? and AMERICAN IDOL.

NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE is produced by World Record Stunts LLC ("Fox Reality Channel 2008 Really Awards," "Celebrity Sports Invitational," "Celebrity Daredevils," "Death Jump Live!," "Victoria's Secret: Angels Undercover," "Russell Simmons' One World Music Beat") and is executive-produced by Carol Sherman and Jeff Androsky. World Record Stunts LLC is a Burbank, CA-based production company that produces and distributes more than 300 hours of network and cable television series and specials each year.