Danny Gokey

Early life

Gokey began singing in church with his family and later served as worship director at Faith Builders International Ministries in Milwaukee. He is the fifth of six children, with a brother named Charles and four sisters: Angela, Janell, Gina, and Tracey. He has cited pastors Jeffrey and Robin Pruitt and Matthew Barnett as influences. For two years he drove a semi truck for a logistics company while working as a church music director.

American Idol

Gokey auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol four weeks after his wife's death in July 2008, accompanied by friend Jamar Rogers, who also reached Hollywood but was eliminated before live shows. During Rock Week he performed Aerosmith's "Dream On" with an extended scream. He was never in the bottom two or three but was eliminated in third place on May 13, 2009, after singing Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful". At the season 8 finale he performed a duet with Lionel Richie, opening with "Hello" before they sang "Just Go" and "All Night Long".

Post-Idol career

After the American Idols Live! Tour 2009, he founded the Sophia's Heart Foundation to help disadvantaged children. In March 2012, Match Eyewear launched the Danny Gokey Eyewear collection, which exceeded sales projections with over 1.7 million in net retail sales. He signed with 19 Recordings/RCA Nashville on September 1, 2009, becoming the first third-place finisher to record with 19 and the first male Idol signed to a major country label.

His debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" was announced on November 19, 2009, and his album My Best Days debuted at number four on the Billboard charts, achieving the best opening-week sales by a debut country male in 18 years and the highest digital download debut for any new country artist. He opened for Sugarland's Incredible Machine tour and performed at Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run festival, which raised $200,000 for the Darryl Worley Foundation.

On October 18, 2010, he earned a nomination for Best New/Breakthrough Artist at the American Country Awards. He released the single "Second Hand Heart" in 2011 and was an opening act on Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour.

He appeared in the TV movie Truth Be Told with Candace Cameron Bure. After leaving RCA Nashville in November 2011, he self-released the EP Love Again in 2012. His memoir Hope in Front of Me: Find Purpose in Your Darkest Moments was published on October 1, 2013.

Personal life

Gokey is a Christian. He married his high school sweetheart Sophia Martinez on May 15, 2004; she died on July 9, 2008 from complications during her third surgery for congenital heart disease. He later founded the Sophia's Heart Foundation in her name.