Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay Gokey (born April 24, 1980 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin ) is an American singer and songwriter of country and Christian pop music .
Career
Danny Gokey came to music by singing in the weekly church service. In addition to his job as a truck driver, he later continued to work in the church, played music in church services and was, among other things, musical director of the Faith Builders International Ministries . His first wife, Sophia, whom he met during high school and married in 2004, encouraged him to join American Idol on several occasions . In 2008 she had heart surgery which she did not survive. Gokey then granted her request posthumously.
Just four weeks after her death, he auditioned for the eighth season of the talent show . He qualified for the eliminations and made it into the final three before being eliminated. After the show and the subsequent Idol tour, he signed a record deal with 19 Recordings / RCA Nashville . Despite his background with Christian pop music, on the recommendation of his mentor Randy Travis , he released a country album in March 2010 entitled My Best Days , which reached number 4 in the US album charts . The album song My Best Days Are Ahead of Me hit the single charts. Then two years later he released an EP with country songs, of which Second Hand Heart made it into the country charts.
From 2014 he turned back to religious music and with his second album Hope in Front of Me he reached number 1 in the Christian Music Charts that year. It came in at number 40 in the official album charts. A Spanish-language version of the album made the Latin music charts in 2016. In between, he released the album Christmas Is Here with Christmas songs at the end of 2015 , which took first place among Christmas albums and was named Christmas Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards.
Danny Gokey released his third studio album, Rise , at the beginning of 2017. This brought him back to number 1 on the Christian charts and among the top 40 of the Billboard 200 charts.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2010 | My Best Days |
US4 (12 weeks) US |
- |
First published: March 2, 2010
|
| 2014 | Hope in Front of Me |
US40 (2 weeks) US |
Christian1 (124 weeks) Christian |
First published: June 23, 2014
|
| 2015 | Christmas is here | - |
Christian9 (14 weeks) Christian |
First published: October 16, 2015
|
| 2016 | La Esperanza Frente a Wed | - | - |
First published: July 29, 2016
|
| 2017 | Rise |
US32 (2 weeks) US |
Christian1 (58 weeks) Christian |
First published: January 13, 2017
|
| 2019 | Haven't Seen It Yet |
US76 (1 week) US |
Christian2 (... weeks) Christian |
First published: April 12, 2019
|
| The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Collection | - |
Christian35 (7 weeks) Christian |
First published: October 25, 2019
|
|
Extended plays
- 2012: Love Again
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2010 | My Best Days Are Ahead of Me My Best Days |
US82 (1 week) US |
- | |
| 2014 | Hope in Front of Me Hope in Front of Me |
- |
Christian4 (32 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2015 | More Than You Think I Am Hope in Front of Me |
- |
Christian17 (21 weeks) Christian |
|
| Lift Up Your Eyes Christmas Is Here |
- |
Christian17 (6 weeks) Christian |
||
| Mary, Did You Know? Christmas is here |
- |
Christian14 (4 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2016 | Tell Your Heart to Beat Again Hope in Front of Me |
US-  |
Christian2 (41 weeks) Christian |
Sales: + 500,000
|
| Rise Rise |
- |
Christian5 (31 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2017 | The comeback rise |
- |
Christian11 (26 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2018 | Masterpiece Rise |
- |
Christian20 (20 weeks) Christian |
|
| If You Ain't It Rise |
- |
Christian26 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| The Prayer |
- |
Christian20 (5 weeks) Christian |
with Natalie Grant
|
|
| 2019 | Haven't Seen It Yet Haven't Seen It Yet |
- |
Christian3 (32 weeks) Christian |
|
| Wanted Haven't Seen It Yet |
- |
Christian33 (22 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2020 | Love God Love People Haven't Seen It Yet |
- |
Christian10 (... wk.) Christian |
|
More singles
- 2009: You Are so Beatiful
- 2010: I Will Not Say Goodbye
- 2011: Second Hand Heart
Guest Posts
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2018 | Tuyo Into the Night |
- |
Christian40 (13 weeks) Christian |
Social Club Misfits feat. Danny Gokey & Jordin Sparks
|
swell
- ↑ Danny Gokey Talks About the Move From Country to Christian Music & 'The Divide In Our Country' , Deborah Evans Price, Billboard, Jan. 13, 2017
- ↑ 2016 Winners of the GMA Dove Awards (database extract)
- ↑ a b c Chart sources: US
- ↑ a b c Music Sales Awards: US
Web links
- official homepage
- Danny Gokey at Allmusic (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gokey, Danny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gokey, Daniel Jay (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer of Christian pop music |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 24, 1980 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Milwaukee , Wisconsin , United States |