Gokey first came into the public eye on the reality singing competition, American Idol, where he was a Top 3 finalist. One month before his audition, Gokey’s wife unexpectedly passed away. Since then, Gokey has remarried and started a family.
His new album Rise documents how far he has come and argues that others who wrestle with similar challenges can find new meaning in their lives too. His first single “Rise” is climbing the charts faster than any other song of his career. “My last album did twice as good as my label had predicted it would do. There are always more great songs that could be written. I started writing new music, and lyrically, it started taking its shape. I wanted to make music that would reach people that would never step foot into a church. Music was a common denominator that united people, and that’s what American Idol taught me,” he said.
“Chasing” is a duet with Gokey and former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. “Working with Jordin was the best. We reunited at the finale of American Idol. When I wrote the song ‘Chasing,’ I thought her voice would be so great for it. I asked her, and when she heard it, she called me and told me she cried the first time that she listened to it. She did such a beautiful job, and I was so honored that she stepped out to sing on this record with me,” he said.
Regarding his future plans, he said, “I’m going to Europe next week. We are going pretty strong. It’s a New Year and I have a new album, and a new baby on the baby (my wife is pregnant),” he revealed.
For Gokey, the American Idol finale was bittersweet. “It was a huge, huge show. Now we are at the point, where the show decided to take a leave,” he said. “It was great to see about 50 to 60 finalists that came back for the Idol finale.”
He had nothing but the kindest words for Kris Allen, the winner of Season 8 of American Idol, when Gokey and Allen competed at the same time. “Kris is a wonderful guy and a very pleasant person,” Gokey said.
Gokey listed Kelly Clarkson as his dream collaboration choice. “I like big voices, and I like the voices that came off American Idol,” he said, prior to complimenting Carrie Underwood as well.
To learn more about singer Danny Gokey and his new CD, check out his official website.
