Danny Gokey Discusses Personal Struggle & New Music
In advance of two shows in the state this weekend, Wisconsin’s Post Crescent recently caught up with Danny Gokey. No subject seemed to be off limits for the American Idol alumni as he talked about his music, his late wife, and which country music star he’d like to work with. Read below for their full interview…
P-C: “American Idol” held tryouts in Milwaukee this past July; how does it feel to be solely responsible for bringing the show to Wisconsin?
Gokey: Yeah, actually they're the ones who said they came back because of me, and I was very shocked that they said that. I was always an advocate of Milwaukee and trying to get them to come and they finally did it and the producer was like, “You know we're here because of you, right?” and I was blown away. … It felt wonderful because I didn't win “American Idol,” but even though I didn't win, I made an impression on the show that lasted. And I came from Milwaukee and Milwaukee's got a lot of arts, a lot of great things going on, but it's always been overshadowed by Chicago. So I was very happy to be able to help put Milwaukee on the map.
Your newest single, “I Will Not Say Goodbye” was called “devastating” by The New-York Times. That is such a powerful song and video. Explain what that song is to you and what you want it to be for others.
Gokey: That song is the real emotion and the real feeling that I felt when I went through my situation with my wife. What I want it to be for other people, I hope it's something that gives them permission to grieve and permission to feel their pain and permission to have their moment. People around us who haven't been through those situations, they tend to say things that make no sense. Like a lot of people would tell me, “Oh, you'll get married again” and they just really had no sympathy. I think that song really gets someone to say, “You know what? You never have to say goodbye.” You can get remarried, you can do all that stuff, but even when you do that, this is a part of your life and this is something that has shaped you and there's even a positive side to this. In all honesty, she brought a lot of positivity to my life.
You didn't write that song did you?
Gokey: No, I didn't.
Well, just because you didn't write it doesn't mean you can't feel it, right?
Gokey: No doubt. I bet you I'm one of the few people in country music that can sing it the way I sung it with the experience that I have. … I really feel like hardship and challenges, they pull the best out of us. They really do. I feel like in this part of my life, going through this hardship really pulled out a better character and qualities that I didn't know I had because I had to go through it and I had to face it.
So are you still the same person you were before your success on “Idol?”
Gokey: I'm still the same person that I was. I still have the same beliefs in God. That has not changed. My influence has increased and I've become a household name, but I believe I'm the same person. … I feel like I'm back in school right now. I'm just learning so much right now about myself. Things that I feel can make me a better performer, a better singer, a better person in general.
In your budding career, are there any country artists right now that you'd love to work with?
Gokey: There's a lot of great ones out here. I would like to work with Rascal Flatts. I would like to work with Carrie Underwood. I would love to work with Taylor Swift. There's so many good people in the country music industry that are just phenomenonal. Tim McGraw, loved Tim McGraw since I was a kid. My first CD in my life was Tim McGraw. I would love to collaborate with him. I've done a show with Lady Antebellum, I've done a show with Darius Rucker and Keith Urban, so it's been pretty much an honor to be out here. … Every genre of music's gonna have their “issue,” but I can definitely say that with country music, there's not a lot of facades that come with it.
