Is a special presentation of WTCI, Chattanooga, North Georgia, and the Tennessee Valley.

Life After American Idol.

What's it like and what lies ahead?

I've only done gospel the entirety of my life, you know, since I was a child, you know, raised on Southern gospel, you know, going to church to get into music, to doing, you know, the gospel music.

When I came on American Idol, I knew I didn't want to go that route.

I was done with that route.

Up next, I'll take you for an inside glimpse of what that journey is like for one former Idol finalist.

Straight ahead on the A-list.

Danny Gokey, singer songwriter, American Idol finalist, he found himself front and center in the national spotlight following a successful audition for one of America's top rated reality programs.

Now you'll find him out on the road performing and promoting his new album, which is just how I caught up with him.

Danny, thank you so much for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me.

I have to say this.

This is the A-list I've been practicing that.

I sound like Ryan Seacrest.

How close?

Actually, that's how he does it.

This isn't whatever he does at all.

For anyone who's been living in a vacuum or just doesn't own a television.

I don't associate with those people.

But just to let people know you were one of the finalists on American Idol, you you ranked third in my mind.

You ranked first always.

But season eight for American Idol.

And it's pretty much changed your life.

Yeah, completely.

I'm not the same person who I was.

What was it?

My first audition in August of 2008.

It's like this roller coaster had begun and it's taken off and it keeps going like this, and I'm enjoying it.

Well, let's start at the beginning.

You grew up in Milwaukee.

Yeah, Milwaukee.

Come from a family of six kids in our family.

You know, we didn't have a lot, but that's honestly, its a typical American story.

You know, humble beginnings and but, you know, I would never know because my family, my parents are great.

They showed us a lot of love.

And, you know, it was just good.

And we were always raised around music.

And that's where, like, the music began when I was young.

We'd sing as a family in the church.

My dad played guitar and all eight of us would go on the platform and harmonize and sing songs.

Like The Partridge Family.

We really were.

And so, yeah, when I was a kid, I thought that was cool.

So all of your siblings are musical just like you.

Every single one of them are, but not all of them pursued it like I stuck with it, which is the only thing that I think that made me a little different than my my sisters and brothers.

You know, for a little season of my teens, I started playing trumpet for about six years.

And then and I didn't do anything except in the church a little bit.

And then after that, I got back, I went to high school and stopped playing trumpet and got more serious in my music.

Now, what do you think you learned as a child that really made you who you are today?

You know, I think, you know, just like my parents raised with a good, solid foundation, you know, are good, I think good structures, you know, good boundaries that they put around us.

And I think that's helped me as I've been on this mega platform on American Idol, because, I mean, you change in a moment.

You know, I was just a regular guy.

Then all of a sudden, you know, that was obscurity.

Now all of a sudden, I'm in millions of houses and I've become a household name.

So that's, I think, the good foundation help because, you know, I believe I'm still the same person I was before I got on the show.

You know, even when the glitz and glamor and all the people were saying this and that, I believe I'm the same person because I don't want to ever be identified by that, you know, because what happens when all this stuff goes away, then who am I?

And I'm still Daniel Gokey, and I still enjoy myself and enjoy my family.

Has your family been giving you advice throughout this process?

Um, not some.

Yeah, a little bit.

Not so much.

I mean, they're just really proud of me and really happy for me.

Were they at all of the auditions and, hey.

They put a lot of money into seeing me on American Idol, all the auditions and stuff.

In 2007, Gokey married his sweetheart of seven years, Sofia martinez.

Less than a year later, she underwent two surgeries to correct a congenital heart defect.

It was then his life changed forever.

His wife, Sofia, died from complications after the second surgery, and it was a loss that almost ended their dream.

Now, I guess most people who know your story know that you almost didn't audition.

It's a tale of tragedy, a triumph.

It's what it really is.

You know, my wife and I had been married.

We were dating since we were 16 years old.

And I remember I was 28 years old sitting on the couch and and we were watching American Idol together.

She was a big fan of American Idol.

Now, I couldn't watch American Idol because I drove a semi-truck during the day and I did church music at night for two churches.

So I was a busy man working 80 hours a week.

We finally got DVR.

So I came home and she had recorded.

We watched it together.

And I remember it was February of 2008 where I said, Baby, I have to try out for American Idol.

It's my last year.

I can do it.

The cutoff is 28 is 28.

And so, you know, not knowing what we were going to face in an encounter in the few months ahead.

And, you know, many people know that she went to the hospital and she had two surgeries and she didn't survive the second surgery.

And she passed away.

And I was faced with the decision.

I was devastated.

It was the biggest tragedy I ever faced.

And I just said, I need to go for I need to keep this promise that I made to my wife.

And she wanted me to do it and look where I am now.

And I'm so glad I got criticized and people had other opinions that they threw at it.

But I'm so glad I did, because, you know, I was so depressed where I was.

It was good to have a dream to latch on.

It was good to have a focus in mind.

And I think that's what carried me through through the show, because what else did I have to look forward?

You know, I had nothing else to look forward to.

So she passed away just a month before that.

Just a month before that audition.

And when you have nothing to look forward to, you just forget to live.

And at that moment, when she passed, I had nothing to look forward to.

I didn't even want to live, you know, by myself.

I didn't want to face the future.

So it was neat to see, like, a dream kind of form and come alive.

And even in the midst of the grieving, I was able to say, Well, at least I can focus on this and have some kind of purpose.

Now, amidst maybe the critics who said, how can you go audition after your wife's passed away?

Who are your biggest supporters at that time?

Who are the people who said, Danny, you've got to do this?

My church family, my, my, my regular, you know, blood family and my wife's family, they all got around me and all my friends.

Everyone encouraged it.

I think a few people probably were a little worried because they saw the state I was in before I tried out and they saw how I mean, literally when she when she passed away, I left town.

I left for a whole month.

And I just traveled to different cities to see different family members and to see because I just couldn't be at home.

Everything reminded me of her.

And so I think some people who stayed in Milwaukee and as I left thought I was kind of crazy.

Are you okay?

You haven't called, You are here.

But I just I had to get away and and I went and tried for and as things went.

People started becoming believers.

It's that faith and support system that empowered Gokey to reach beyond his grief and shine.

Nerves and all.

I mean, that must have been the craziest moment trying out from the judges you see in front of TV.

But I mean, were you nervous?

Where you excited?

Did you just bite the bullet and say, this is a.

Ball of nerves?

But, you know, it's like you only get this one shot.

And especially being 28, I didn't get that opportunity to come back the next year.

Like there was Alexis Grace on the show that was a third time She tried it out and she finally made it to the top 13 that year.

So, I mean, it's like, Yo, this is it.

If you don't get this, you know what I mean?

I couldn't even think that way.

I just had to believe that this was it.

Because what else was I going to do now?

How early on did you pick the song you were going to audition with?

I picked it immediately.

Yeah.

I just knew.

I knew it was a song that I felt had a lot of meaning to me.

Was it grapevine?

I Heard It Through The Grapevine?

No, that wasn't it, actually, because there was preliminary auditions before that Grapevine came in there as a backup, if they want another one.

That was the Grapevine.

So I had to use that in my second round.

So what was your first round?

First round was a song called Still was a song that me and my wife had.

So the song between us.

So that song had a lot of meaning to me.

So now you make it to Hollywood and you make it there with your best friend.

It's got to be a little surreal there, too.

And not a lot of sleep.

That whole week, I think in I think it was eight days I was there.

I was probably running at about I don't I remember in a three day period where we did the most work, I literally had about 6 hours of sleep between three days because it kind of went periods the first day where they would, you know, had like the whole day off.

We just everyone was flying and had a meeting.

There was at that crunch time.

Right.

Seriously, 2 hours, an hour and a half a night.

It was terrible.

It's horrible.

It really was.

But what were you thinking at that point?

I mean, did you ever did your faith in yourself ever waver?

Did you ever, like, start comparing yourself to others and think there's no way?

There's always that, you know, I'm always going to compare myself to others that this is all you know, these are all the my competition, right?

And so when I when I went there, I was like, well, because I knew I was like, well, I have a decent voice.

I think I have that part, you know, because I've worked on it for so many years.

But the rest of it, it's more than a singing competition.

It's about, you know, what you look like.

It's about, you know, how you dress, What's your style?

How do you portray yourself?

How are you separate and different from everybody else.

And I just didn't know if I had that.

Well, you definitely had the different glasses.

I mean, at least people.

Yeah, that's the one thing I had going for me because I just loved glasses.

Glasses are my thing.

And it worked out in the end to really help, to help my form.

The Danny Gokey that not everyone sees.

And the young Robert Downey Junior.

Look.

Yeah, everyone.

Everyone always says that.

And it's the ladies say it's a good thing It.

So I'm not complaining.

No, I told you before I loved you from the beginning.

I mean, as soon as you audition, I said, That's it.

He's my man.

And before I could name rattled off my tongue as easily as it does today, it was always.

It's the Robert Downey Junior.

Looks like he's on.

He's on.

We got a lot of.

So.

Yeah, it's a good thing.

So I don't mind that.

Have you met him?

I have not met him.

I would love to meet him.

You know, what I like about Robert Downey Jr is that he has, like, the story that, you know, everyone plays like, Oh, he's the guy that had the addictions and the habit.

And I love how he didn't let that define him.

You know, this is just something that I always think about.

He didn't let that define him.

He rose above it and he just he like, just said, I don't care.

And it's cool.

How is his career has taken off more.

He's not labeled with that anymore in four years.

And I just had to state that because I just think it's so cool.

How Because in this industry, it's like people can be so mean.

Yeah, and I experienced that on American Idol.

You know, there's just a people out there who just want to pull you down, but it was all worth it.

Gokey didn't let anyone stop him, and his talent provided a path of success as American Idol viewers voted him back week after week, each time offering him another chance to step onto the stage and prove himself.

So how do you stay above it all?

Making phone calls to friends, phone calls of family and and really just having to I think it was a learning process being on American Idol, learning how to deal with everything coming at you at once because you want people to like you.

And you know, you're hearing criticism from the judges and you're here, you're just hearing a lot of things.

Family members are telling you what they've seen on the Internet about people saying about you and you're getting all this advice from the mentors.

It's like, so you just have you know what I came here, I'm going to do my best and that's it.

Are the judges as brutal as they seem?

SIMON In particular.

On on the camera, Yes.

Off the camera, No.

To him, it's just, you know, he's been doing this for how many years?

He just it's just what he does.

You know, he looks at everything from an intellectual standpoint.

You you won't make us money.

You you'll make money.

That's really what it comes down to.

And there's no in between.

And knowing what you know now, how important do you think their rendering is and their judgment in terms of audience?

Judge It's huge because they influence the audience.

They are the ones that I would say 75% of the audience listen to, especially Simon.

He probably has about 90% of the people agreeing with him at times.

There's not 100%.

American Idol season eight viewers spoke loud and clear, giving Gokey the chance to perform a wide range of musical genres.

But I can't help but wonder what influenced his decision to continue his career on the country music charts now.

Did you always think he would go country?

Or is that is that it's a natural transition?

Yeah, it's always been it's always been a thought in my mind because as country music's had a huge influence on my life.

But I've only done gospel the entirety of my life, you know, since I was a child, you know, raised on Southern Gospel, you know, going to church to get into music, to doing the gospel music.

When I came on American Idol, I knew I didn't want to go that route.

I was down with that route.

As far as I'm concerned, it's always a part of who I am.

It's a foundation and you never know.

In the future I might do a gospel, but I knew I didn't want that to be who Danny Gokey was.

So I, you know, on American Idol, it helped for me.

I didn't realize it would helped for me.

And I always went back to country music because I love the lyrical content.

I love what it stands for.

I love the fans.

I love the people and I love the music.

And as I got on the show, it just forming.

It just fit.

And this is where I chose to be.

I know you've credited Randy Travis of Yeah, with.

Well, he was a mentor.

You know, it's just so cool to see how things in life kind of fall in place and you just, you know, you just got to take those steps and just walk forward and see how it happens.

But Randy Travis, we had a mentor shoot that was a top 11.

That's when I did Jesus Take the Wheel.

You know, we were done doing the whole mentor shoot and walk.

I was talking with one of the mentors off the Idol show who, you know, helps us get our music together to perform.

And as I got back, I walked past his bus and there he was.

I think he was walking.

Tutor is right by it.

He said, I want to talk to you for a minute.

And I was like, okay.

And I walked up to him.

He said, Have you ever considered country music?

I said, Well, yes, of course I have.

You know, it's been an influence on my life.

And he said, Well, you need to do it.

He said, I strongly advise you to go country.

He said, because he said in this format, they would love you.

He said, The soul and the emotion that you could bring, he said, would just be so great.

And I walked away just, wow, you know this man, you know, it's Randy Travis talking here.

And he is almost, you know, country music at times.

He's been so instrumental and so powerful with what he's done.

And it from that moment, it's just like everything just fell in place even more.

Have you talked to him since then to have it right, Randy?

Hey, I took your advice.

Right?

Well, I talked to another news agency who said they interviewed him after they heard that.

I said that and he he he remembered it and he he because I was hoping he'd remember.

I was like, oh, because you know this to me, you know, he's a star.

He talks to a lot of people about me.

I'm just the guy, you know, the average guy, you know, who knows how much they remember.

And he remembered it and he was very happy and very pleased and very excited that I went this route.

Whether it's the time spent with a country music legend or just pure love for the music, Gokey took all of the advice and experience he got from his Idol journey and signed a contract with RCA Records and recently released his very first album.

All right, All right.

My last he's ever held me.

So what was it like cutting your first album?

Well, it was definitely a learning experience, and it's a lot of fun.

I poured my heart and soul into this record.

It's something I believe in.

I love every song on this record.

You know, when I pick the songs for the record, it has to go deeper than the intellectual has to go into my heart.

Because that's how I translate a song.

Because every song I do, I put me on it, You know, I'm Danny Gokey and I want my vibe, my DNA, you know, so to speak, to be on this project.

So from like the front picture all the way to the credits on the end, I want to take people on a journey because I went through a journey creating this album and my whole life has been a journey getting to this point, and I put that into my songs.

Did you help write the songs, too?

I wanted to.

I wanted to help write the songs, but I asked my my, my record label, can I co-write on some of this?

And they said, At this moment we really can't because we're in a time crunch.

And I kind of walked away like, you know, kind of a little bit.

But, you know, I trust them.

You know, they've been doing this for a long time.

And in hindsight, man, were they right?

They were so right.

You know, you get all these people warning you about record labels and I'll be careful they're trying to do this.

And so I'm walking in like having all this advice from people who know nothing about the music industry but think they do.

And I'm like, So you think about, you know, do they not want me to write?

Because, you know, does someone want to make more money and know that completely was not it?

There was no time.

I would have been in a worse stressful situation if I would be trying to write like, Oh no, we've got to finish this song and this album.

DEADLINE And he'd still be working on it.

Exactly.

And then all the fans would be like, Who?

Who's that?

Who's Danny Gokey?

So they were completely right.

Having toured and volunteered across the world with his fellow top ten Idol competitors, Gokey Now finds himself launched into the world of country music, and he's hitting the road as the opening act for Sugar Land's 2010 Incredible Machine Summer tour.

Is it okay with you that people will for at least a certain amount of time, if not forever, associate you with the show?

Yeah, I'm fine with that.

You know, I've heard of people in the past, you know, trying to break away from them, and I get it.

But I'll never I'm always grateful to my beginning.

And my beginning was on American Idol.

It was American Idol that gave me this opportunity to be here.

So I want to recognize and give honor to were honors.

Do you know, I don't think that you should, but I'm just too great for that.

So I'm but I do I want to become known as my own artist that had a start on American Idol.

Gokey says it's been an incredible journey so far.

Faith, family and friends keep him centered as he seeks balance between his career and his aspirations.

He remains on staff with Faith Builders, International Ministries in two different cities in Wisconsin, and he takes any available opportunity to honor the life of his lost love.

Sophia, mostly through Sophia's Heart, a foundation he helped establish to assist disadvantaged children.

Is there still someone that is your go to person with Sophia gone, who's that person that you have to say?

It feels right?

I just.

I just need that one bit of advice, that one stamp of approval from that one person.

There's a few people, but one of us, you know, like my pastor, you know, I've always been raised in church.

He's been a great guy.

He's been a mentor, I should even say more.

He's like a mentor to me.

I go to him, I have a.

Is that at Faith Builders?

Yeah, Faith Builders.

I went to their website.

They didn't even have your picture on there.

Thought they'd be capitalizing on this.

I thought it'd be like, you know, the Danny Gokey, you know, church service or.

And you know what?

I've been there.

We've you know, we try to keep it is just real because when I go to church, I don't want to be Danny Gokey.

I just want to be the normal person.

Now, you live in Nashville now?

Yes, I do.

How's it being a milwaukee boy in the South?

Well, I love it.

I've been to Nashville several.

I was, say probably five or six times before American Idol.

And so, I mean, I've always since I've gone there, I loved it and have a few family members that live out there.

So it was an easy transition.

It was an easy decision to make.

And I'm enjoying every moment.

Have you got your cowboy boots?

No, not.

Yet.

No, I'm not.

I'm not much of a cowboy, actually.

The cowboy boots.

Right.

I wear them.

I haven't I, I like shoes, period.

So whether the cowboy boots or slippers, I'll rock them.

I'm just still me, you know?

Nothing changes.

Nothing?

Not no, I don't think anything changes.

Well, I know you're the same person, but with this life that's a little bit more glamorous, I would imagine there's not many places you can walk around and not have people recognize.

You, Right?

It's.

That's the cool thing.

I'm very happy for that because it means that I accomplished I became a recognizable figure on American Idol, you know, And even though I didn't win, people still recognize me as Danny Gokey.

And that's it's a compliment.

And they see me and they they tell me they enjoy what I did and, you know, my music and I hope that that translates into a long career.

Well, I don't know if you remember, but my family and I were at the Charlotte performance for American Idol concert.

We're in Royal.

I'll see you guys.

X Yeah, we're the ones screaming with our American Idol T-shirts on.

But I thought it was commendable that you took an opportunity, even for a minute, to send a message out to your fans.

I did.

A message is very important to who I am as an artist, and I want to entertain.

But, you know, as people, we need more than just entertainment.

And I kind of want to bring that side of me on stage.

And I took a minute and just try to tell the people because, you know, you hear so many bad things going on like the recession.

You hear people losing their houses.

And I just wanted to tell people and that moment, because it's my the song I sang was my wish.

I just want to say, you know, don't let those situations define you.

And it's a universal message that everyone can understand.

But some people just don't want to talk about it.

I just I made it.

I felt I made it very relevant in Italian to the song.

And I got a lot of great feedback, you know, because not only did I did I get on the you know, on the on the show and Overcome, but I was able to start a nonprofit organization in my wife's name and and do amazing things with that and tie that into my entertainment career and it's just dreams happen and dreams do come true if you work at it and you you just stay in the right mindset and don't get like held up by bitterness and anger and resentment.

Because thatll rip you apart.

Well, I can tell how successful you are.

We all know successful you are professionally.

What about personally?

Is is that road for you?

Open now?

Are you ready to to go on that path and find love again?

Absolutely.

When the time is right, I will at this at this moment, I'm not going to go look for it.

I'm gonna let it come to me because I just believe that's how it's going to happen.

And but I will be ready and that's what I want and that's what my wife would want, you know.

Is it a concern, though, that someone's going to want you because you're the Danny Gokey?

Absolutely.

It's a concern.

How do you filter that?

I think you just got to have good like good sense, not a sense that and I feel like being in here for a while, I've learned how to gauge where people are coming from, you know, And to be honest, I'm kind of looking for the person who doesn't even know who I am.

And there's been a few people out there, you know, who obviously a lot of people just don't know who I am.

And I like that.

That helps that that makes me a happy camper.

Or we know who you are.

And I couldn't let you leave without maybe hearing just a bit of some song.

Okay, Um.

I'll let you pick and I won't even judge you.

I'm taking all this time.

Life hasn't always been a party, but mostly it's been good.

There's only one or two things that I'd change if I could.

I don't get lost in the past or get stuck.

Yeah, that's one of my songs.

That was awesome.

I've already heard bits and pieces from the new album.

I'm so excited for it to come out and I'll be a fan forever.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

You're the first.

That's like me.

Ready on my first.

Yes.

Oh, bucks.

Explode.

Take care.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Be sure to join me next week as I sit down with a Chattanooga history maker, the Reverend Paul McDaniel.

Find out what he has to say about the changing world we live in today from the status of civil rights or his take on today's generation to the continual advance of technology.

An all new A-list.

Next Thursday night at 830.

I'm Allison Leibovitz.

See you then.