CMTT told you a few months ago Danny Gokey who said country music wasn’t his style ended up signing a country music record deal. So he has already hit the ground running with some PO’ed country music fans. The original single from his first album was expected to be a ballad called “It’s Only” but RCA Records Nashville has made the decision to go with the uptempo song “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me”.
“I love this song for what it stands for,” says Danny, who recently performed a shortened version of the song on Los Angeles TV station KTLA. “I don’t live in the past. I live in the ‘now’ … in the future … and in the dreams that I have. I know that my best days really are ahead of me.”
After listening to the song on Danny’s MySpace page I wasn’t overly excited. I was a HUGE fan of his while he was on American Idol. Don’t tell anyone but I may have even voted for him once or twice. BUT this song sounds like any other song on radio right now and isn’t filled with the personality that we are used to seeing him express.
I’m not sure country music will embrace him unless he can sell a butt load of records. He definitely has a great talent I’m just not sure country music is where he belongs.
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I will be seeing Danny Gokey this coming Thursday at a free rising star showcase that my local radio station puts on at a local bar. if i can get some good pictures and such i will try to send you guys a review
I’ve seen video of Danny Gokey performing his new single in acoustic sets with country music radio stations. This song doesn’t use as many of his vocal strengths that the first ballad track did, but it’s a very fun upbeat number that works well live in addition to the recorded version. I’m liking it.
Hope Valerie will be able to share any pictures and reviews of the performance. Danny did a set last night at a country club in Raleigh NC. That was apparently quite well-received.
ps – I don’t recall Danny Gokey ever saying country music was a genre he couldn’t see himself in. He came into the AI show having driven a truck for a living and singing gospel in church. He chose a country song, I Hope You Dance, as early as Hollywood week, which was recorded in late 2008 long before the AI8 season ever went on air. Mid-season, he was asked by Ryan Seacrest on air if country felt like a comfortable zone for him, and Danny said yes. (That was the week he sang What Hurts the Most, which he chose on a week when country was not the genre of the week.) Danny also mentioned R&B a few times early on, but whenever it mattered Danny did go country every time. He did WHTM in all of his national TV performances after he had been voted off, chose two country songs for his set on the AI Tour, told his hometown that he expected to be spending a lot of time in Nashville once he got off the tour, and said in numerous post-AI interviews that he was thinking about a direction in modern country music. Although his record deal wasn’t formally announced until early September, it was clear throughout the summer that he was meeting with country labels out of Nashville, including a trip he made to Nashville for discussions with record labels and Mark Bright before the AI Tour even kicked off.
I have followed Danny’s career also and never recalled him saying country wasn’t his style!
In fact, he sang more country songs than anyone on AI8 and half his tour songs were country. Not surprised at all he went country. And neither is Randy Travis, who advised him to!
My Best Days is a very radio friendly, really good country song with cross over appeal! And its already moving up the country charts despite not even going up for adds yet or not being for sale until Dec. 22!
We will see plenty more from Mr. Gokey.
I don’t think that Danny ever said that country music wasn’t his style. In fact, country, as well as gospel, was one of his earliest musical influences. But he also has an affinity for r&b and latin music, after meeting his wife. I think that Danny enjoys many types of music, and was not definite on which path he wanted to take. He is a very versatile performer, and does a great job in a variety of genres. Randy Travis wsa insturmental in helping to guide Danny into country music, as he saw his talent and thought that Danny had something to offer in this genre. I actually really enjoy the new single, Best Days, and hope to hear it on my local country radio station soon.
I also thought Danny gravitated toward country during Idol – country is lucky to have him!
Ever since he sang “I Hope You Dance” (just beautiful!) during Hollywood week on AI, a lot of people were hoping Danny would go Country.
I have loved all the songs I’ve heard so far that are album candidates, post AI show from him.
I can really see him bringing a lot of fans to Country music with his brand of soulful, cross over type Country. Country music is expanding its borders, and Danny fits right in.
Well, count me in as one non- country fan who is now watching the CMA’s, listening to country stations and will buy my first country album ever (Danny’s) all because of Danny Gokey’s incredible voice and versatility.
When Randy Travis asked Danny if he would ever consider doing country, Danny’s answer was yes I have considered it. Randy Travis told him he should consider doing it, the country fans would love him. As a country music fan I am delighted that Danny has chosen country and I believe he is going to do very well. Even Keith Urban is a fan of Danny’s.
It’s my first time to follow a full season of AI this year. When Danny sang 3 country songs (I Hope You Dance, Jesus Take The Wheel and What Hurts The Most), I thought it will be good if he goes country because he sang those songs really well. I’m glad he did and I’m looking forward to hear more from him. As for his single My Best Days, I love it. I like the catchy tune and the positive message. It showcases Danny’s upbeat personality and when I listen to it, I just can’t help but feel positive about my future as well. Kudos to Danny for bringing out such a wonderful song as this.
Nikki-
I think you hit the nail right on the head.
My Best Days has an extremely catchy tune and very danceable, shows his upbeat nature.
I think that is why RCA switched the single; although Its Only showcased Danny’s wicked vocal skills more, My Best Days is very singable- you can’t get it out of your head, which is what a great radio single is all about.
I love Danny’s “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.” I also love “It’s Only” and the other two songs I’ve heard introduced.
I am eagerly waiting to buy Danny’s music. (I’ve switched my radio setting to a country station. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to hear Danny!)
These were some comments a person made at another site after attending Danny’s concert last night at the City Limits Saloon country music club in NC. “Riding home from Raleigh concert. He was great. So relaxed, smiling, laughing. Crowd loved him. If he comes to your town go see him. My niece sat on the stage, Danny had wonderful rapport with the crowd. Signed autographs and took pictures with everyone.”
I’ve admired Danny since the very first time i saw him audition on American Idol. What i loved most about him was not only his voice (which is smokin’ hot by the way) but his versatility in song choices. Motown, Soul, Ballads, Uptempo, County, Rock (LOVED Renegade!) whatever genre Idol threw at him, he tackled and NAILED! (with the exception of Dream On! He made all the dogs in my neighborhood bark- but hey, nobodies perfect) Because of his lack of knowledge in most secular music, each week he had the daunting task of not only attempting to “sing” a song well, but he also had to LEARN/MEMORIZE a song he probably never heard before. This is just the tip of the iceberg to why i respect Danny Gokey and thus why i voted like mad for him from the first week of voting on A.I. and every week there after. My fave from the jump! Admittedly however, i was dismayed (initially) when i heard that Danny was signing with a country label. In as much as i enjoyed the few country songs he sang on the show, i much more adored his soulful-dancing side..Ya know, the songs where he could dance around (ADORABLE! who says that boy can’t dance?) the songs where he could showcase that sultry-gritty voice of his *sigh* but i digress…I’ll miss that part of him desperately but surprisingly he’s warming me now to country-the songs i’ve heard of his “best days,” “it’s only,” and “i believe” are all great and i’m excited for his future in the music business-Hell truth be known, i’d support that man even if he sang polka music!
All the best to you Danny Gokey
love,
Miss Lisa
I love Danny’s new single. The more I listen to it the more I love it. I can’t wait to buy it from Itunes on December 22d. I listen to country music and I think he fits perfectly into the genre. Danny is visiting over 100 radio stations and winning people over with every stop.
I also do not recall Danny Gokey ever saying Country Music was not his genre (I believe that was Kris Allen who said that) after singing a duet with Keith Urban American Idol.
Danny did sing two country songs on the show and his most popular songs were original songs from Rascal Flatts. I think he has a very bright future in country music. I like this debut single as well as “It’s Only”. The songs are well written for him.
I can see why RCA Nashville decided to have this as the lead single. I think it will have wide appeal and will create buzz and excitement for the album. It certainly features Danny’s soulful voice. And it certainly fits Danny’s personality – he really is an upbeat, fun kind of guy. I can see something like this being very popular in live performances. And the video will be fun. I am willing to bet they will have Danny dancing. Danny said that when it was first performed at Sony, someone said that they can easily see this song being played in a movie. Ironically, the DJ in San Francisco who interviewed Danny said the same thing.
I think Danny has good intentions, but I just don’t see him as a country artist. I read an interview he did where he basically said he only wants to be a country artist because he’s not the type of artist tp “shake his behind” lilke they do in pop music. Really? This guy should get a clue and learn to respect the genre and its artists before jumping into it. Danny himself said he “never thought about” going country,” which tells me something right there. One of the things I loved about Carrie on Idol was that she ALWAYS knew she wanted to be a country artist, and she was always true to that. So many of these Idol cintestants just seem to jump into country because they don
t know their identity.
Danny never said he “only wants to be a country artist because he doesn’t want to shake his behind”, I think its pretty obvious that is taken out of context. He made a joke, which he likes to do; he was talking about how his outlook on life and personality completely fit with country music vs the R&B/hip hop scene.
I can totally see him as a country artist, and especially when you see him now on his radio tour, he fits right in. His voice, his material and his values are consistently country. Yes, his voice is very soulful; like Randy Travis said, there are many established artists who wish they had his voice, but heh,don’t penalize him for that , lol.
He admits he didn’t know his identity, and he came to realize it was Country, with some help from big names in the Industry. I see nothing wrong with that. Country is lucky to have him.
I like country music but Danny makes me love it more. Discovering people like Jason Aldean, Zack Brown, & Lady Antebellum.
Anyone who has followed Danny, knows that his roots are in gospel. Much of country music has been influenced by gospel, so Danny’s decision to pursue country music seems like a logical progression. In the country genre he can remain true to himself and sing songs that reflect his spirit. He is a genuine, unpretentious man with a passion for helping people. I am a country fan, and I must respectfully disagree that “My Best Days” sounds like any other song on the radio today. Few can match the soulful sound Danny brings. One only needs to listen to “It’s Only”, “Tiny Life” and “I Still Believe” to understand that Danny has tremendous vocal talent. What he doesn’t bring is a twang, but many very successful contemporary country artists don’t either. There’s plenty of room in country for Danny. I wish him all the best. I can’t wait to purchase his new single on December 22nd and his album in March.
This is Danny Gokey in live performance of another song Tiny Life, written by Jeffrey Steele, at last night’s performance at the City Limits country music venue in Raleigh, sponsored by WQDR country music station. Pretty impressive to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOjdASSKgw0
I absolutely love Danny and his new single. I don’t recall him ever saying that Country music wasn’t his thing. I think country music will embrace him. he’s a great guy and an incredibly talented singer. He’s got a very bright future ahead of him.
So you were a HUGE fan of Danny Gokey when he was on American Idol and you voted for him ONCE OR TWICE????? Oh…WOW! That is way too funny! Also, if you’re running a blog, you might want to get your facts straight. Danny’s song is “My Best Days (are ahead of me)”…..not *in front of me*! Got that? Good!
)
Add me to the list of those who never remember Danny saying he didnt think Country music was for him. Danny was my favorite in Idol, and continues to be my favorite. Danny has NO experience in the business, and I hope he has good people around him helping him make the right choices in his career. Phil Stacey was also one of my favorites, and his first album is AMAZING. I was sad to see him not give country more of a chance, and I hope Danny will give country a chance. I dont think Danny will ever be a huge superstar, but he can sing so well he’ll hace some success.
A lot of country music is rooted in the church and gospel music – which is certainly Danny’s background and passion. I have been following Danny’s career, and I do not ever recall him saying that Country music was not his genre. I do remember Kris Allen making that statement. And maybe he should reconsider, since Kris has the lowest charting debut album of all the AI winners – OUCH!
CountryGirl – It’s obvious you are a Danny basher. You claim to be a fan, yet you can’t even get the name of his song correct. And if you were a true fan, why would you be embarrass to tell anyone that you voted for him once or twice???
It’s obvious you are very threatened by Danny. And for your information, Danny did not write “My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me” The song was by legendary Country music writers Marv Green and Kent Blazy and produced by the highly regarded Mark Bright.
I didn’t take the comment in the original blog article about “voting once or twice” as a bash on Danny. A lot of people, me included, watch the show over the season and don’t necessarily vote, or only vote on some of the shows. This season, I didn’t vote at all early in the season, voted sporadically in mid-season, and then got more into it probably around the top 5. When I did vote, it was usually for Danny or Danny and some others I also kinda liked. So for most of the season, strictly speaking I’d also fall into the category of having only “voted once or twice” for Danny though I always liked him from his audition.
Yeah, Danny is awesome and you do need to get your facts straight! This song is great and country is right where he belongs. I am sorry he isn’t keith Urban or someone else you drool over but he is a great guy and he has a heart. Which if you think about it..Country Music is about singing from the heart! Danny belongs in country music and his true fans will make sure he stays there.
Also, I forgot to add…No one is Po’ed at him. If you do your research youw ill see that also Danny calls his music a LOVE MOVEMENT! I wish you would open your eyes and ears and know that he is trying to make the world a better place and bring hope to people who have all but lost hope!
So in closing…. “GO GOKEY!!!
Nobody does country like Danny. His album is going to be great! I have no idea why you are saying that country isn’t Danny’s thing. He did mostly county on American Idol – All his country songs on YouTube had the most hits – Randy Travis gave him a personal invitation encouraging to pursue country – Carrie Underwood came out to and AI concert just to meet him – Mark Bright the best country producer has chosen to produce Danny’s album. I could go on and on. Country is lucky to have Danny. I heard he is being welcomed with open arms.
This comment is directed to Tawny (one of the originators of this site). I beg you to reconsider your opinion of Danny. Did you know that Keith Urban has publicly declared that Danny was always his favorite on American Idol?
Danny has never said country was not his style. As a matter of fact, when Danny selected the Rascal Flatts song, What Hurts the Most, Ryan Seacrest brought up the fact that it is a country song and Danny said he thought it suited him because it is a modern country song and everyone, including him, likes Rascal Flatts. Danny did a beautiful job with that song as well as with Jesus Takes the Wheel. He selected another Rascal Flatts song, My Wish, for his tour and proved his amazing vocals were perfectly suited for that country song, as well. Jeffrey Steele, who wrote the two RF songs and is a very well respected writer of country music was impressed enough with Danny’s vocals to write Tiny Life for Danny, which he has been performing on his radio tour and hopefully will be included in his album. I think Danny made a wise decision when he selected country music as his genre, just as Randy Travis advised. And, just as Taylor Swift has made a mark in country/pop, I believe Danny will bring to country a soulful sound that will be unique, yet still remain rooted to the story telling tradition of counrty music.
WOW! I haven’t ruffled feathers like this is awhile. OK…. gonna try to address everything here so let me know if I miss something. Danny talked about being an R&B and gospel fan all through American Idol. If you remember in his Idol exit interview he said he wanted to do a Latin-flavored R&B album. They asked him specifically about country music and that was his answer… Latin-flavored R&B.
I am a HUGE Danny fan….I just don’t like this song as his first single. If you read my post I said… “this song sounds like any other song on radio right now and isn’t filled with the personality that we are used to seeing him express.” This means that I expect more from him BECAUSE I like him. I received the link to this YouTube video from someone who runs a few American Idol message boards and she is the one who told me that Danny fans are NOT happy about the single change. That is why I said that some fans were already PO’ed. OH….and I’m not embarassed that I voted for Danny Gokey for American Idol….I have said in the past that I DON’T vote because I don’t think the votes really matter but I was wanting him to win so badly that I thought what the heck!
OOOPS, forgot another thing. YES, I got the name of the song wrong. SORRY! BIG typo on my part…all fixed and my bad.
Coluntrygirl: We all support Danny and love his personality. I myself have had the pleasure of hanging with him at the Hob Nobble gobble here in Detroit and he is one of the sweetest guys ever. I am also making the 6 hour drive to see him in uniontown ohio on Thursday. Also, the person who sent you the link is wrong, those people on the Ai boards are not true fans. This Song, “My Best Days” is a great upbeat song for him. This song is released to let us know that yeah..crap happens but you need to look in the future not in the past. You have bigger things to come. Did you know that Rascal Flatts endorses Danny and he is also in talks about going on tour with them? See you didn’t know that. Danny is the best and I wil defend him on this board. My dad had a heart-attack last sunday and he is not explected to live…I put it out on my twitter and did you know that Danny him self private twittered me and said that my father is in his prayers and he even aske dhis name and told me to keep him posted. What person would do that?
DANNY GOKEY IS THE BEST AND HE WILL BE DEFENDED!!!
I will now step off my soapbox. I think if there is anyone you should bash it is the Locash Cowboys…those guys are a joke and a half and a waste of stage space and time!
Hey Michelle, I DIDN’T bash Danny! I just said I liked the other single choice better and based on what I had read on a few other boards and websites that I wasn’t positive that country music was going to open their arms and give him a big hug. That’s it. I have said three times now that I LIKE Danny! You always have to remember that music sounds different to everyone. SLOW DOWN and take a breathe…..
Country Girl first of all in your original blog you said fans were pissed because he said country music wasnt his thing and then signed to do a country album, not that fans were pissed because he changed the single. So which is it? I for one havent heard about any fans being pissed. Once again Im asking you where you ever came up with him saying country music wasn’t his thing. You didn’t address that issue. This is a direct quote from Danny’s exit interview when asked what kind of album he wanted to make: “In terms of sound, I really want to do a soulful album. But here’s how I look at it: I want to mix a very soulful album with nice beats, like nice R&B beats and beats that get people’s heads moving, and mix it with a hint of a Latin vibe. And the reason is, I was with my wife for 12 years, she was Puerto Rican, and I’m so into salsa, and meringue and all the Spanish music, and I want to mix it all in one arena for me.” This was taken directly from his exit interview. Never once was a county record mentioned in his exit interview. He didnt say he didnt want to do country, he didnt say he wanted to do a Latin R&B album, he just said he wanted to make an album with a mix of things which is what he said all along, he never tried to pin himself to one genre. Im not able to find a clip or interview anywhere in which Danny says country isnt for him as you claimed. If you’re able to locate where you got that info please direct me to it. Also what exactly are some fans pissed off about the choice to do country music, or the single change?
Country Girl, you should re-read your first two sentences. You imply that country fans are PO’d at Danny and that “he’s running fast” –like he’s in trouble. Now you say you said that because you read many of Danny’s fans LOVED the single “Its Only” and wanted it as his first single. And that we are PO’d. Wrongo. We know his record label gets to make that decision and we think My Best Days is a great, lively song. Its Only will be on his album and we’re good with that. Danny will be bringing many AI fans of his with him into country music–and isn’t that a good “problem” to have? My first Itune purchases are from Lady A–as a result of coming back to country music.
I said that SOME country music fans are PO’ed at him for implying that country music was not his first choice and then choosing country. Hit the ground running is a figure of speech….another way to put it would be……he is already starting out with some PO’ed fans. I didn’t say the entire world was mad at Danny…just that SOME people had expressed their dislike. I don’t the change in the single. I don’t like the single because it sounds a lot like everything else radio is playing right now. LOOK AT MY POST: THIS SONG IS NOT filled with the personality that we are used to seeing him (Danny) express. He definitely has a great talent. Did you not see those words…. He definitely has a great talent.
Country girl; I’m sorry you feel so attacked. Danny fans are very loyal and defensive, because many lies have been stated by bashers. So we get quite up in arms when we read statements that no one has heard before like Danny saying “Country wasn’t his style”. We pretty much remember whatever comes out of his mouth(yes, lol, I need a life) so know he never said that.
I can see how you may have meant what you said here in the comments; that the “p-ooed” comment was directed toward the change of the single (that p-oed comment was sandwiched between the negative comment and the single switching comment so could have referred to either), so I feel YOU need defending on that point!
Its definitely not true his fans are p- oed. I post at almost all the sites, and pretty much everyone LOVES Best Days and feels it is a wise choice by RCA to debut as a single- its uptempo and quite country sounding. If you visit the youtube site for it you will notice 99% positive comments there.
Sorry we have over run your blog, but heh- I see you got ALOT more comments here than past blogs; lots of extra hits for you!
As you can see, Danny generates a lot of interest, and I think is bringing a lot of people to country music which is good, right?
Country girl, it is ok that you don’t like his single or even Danny. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Perhaps you are a fan of Danny; the article just really doesn’t come off that way.
But thats ok, you are entitled to your opinion.
Just so you know, there are many who think otherwise, thus all these comments
I do agree with you that Its Only is more unique and signature Danny, but RCA (and his fans agree) that a more country, radio friendly, singable upbeat song will play better with country fans not familiar with Danny. His album is going to be great.
Hey Pam, i’m used to feeling attacked. That’s what this is all about. I love that everyone can have their own opinion AND that people feel safe enough here to express them. There are a lot of times that I have to agree to disagree with some of our readers but that’s alright. It’s nice to see that Danny does have dedicated fans that are willing to stick up for him. I really do like him and he was my favorite of his season of AI. And if you read our blog at all you know that I am ALL FOR artists brining new fans to country music! It’s a GREAT THING! I will stand behind what I read on other threads though….not everyone is happy with the change in the single. I have read that some people are disappointed in it and some people did take his decision to go country as kind of a shock. (I wasn’t shocked in the decision, I think most of the reason I loved him so much on AI was because of this Rascal Flatts cover)
Randy, I can see how it came off a little harsh but I really don’t like the change….it’s not that I don’t like Danny…just the song choice for his first single. I’m glad some of his fans like it and agree. Thanks again for commenting and sharing your love for Danny. We welcome all comments and sometimes just agree to disagree. : ) We will continue to follow Danny’s career and album. Hopefully Valerie will send us a few pictures and review of his show on Thursday.
I’d have to second the point about fans of Danny Gokey not being upset about the change of single. The biggest problem I’ve seen most of us having is deciding which song we like best. Personally I like all four of the songs I’ve heard so far, and change my mind all the time between them. (The two mentioned in your blog, plus the Jeffrey Steele song Tiny Life and the song Kara from AI wrote for Danny.)
I don’t necessarily think My Best Days is the most innovative song or has the most clever lyrics I’ve ever heard, and I don’t think it fully shows Danny’s vocals as much as some others. But everyone who’s aware of Danny and likes him at all knows he is a very gifted singer – I don’t think he has to prove that every time he takes on a song. As a first single, MBD is fun, reasonably catchy, works really well live, suits Danny, and is a nice message for this time of year. From a practical standpoint, also I thought it might be a better choice as a single as it’s a minute or so shorter than It’s Only, which much as I enjoy it — seemed rather long for the radio format (over 4 minutes in the ‘short’ version).
The one area I had worried about a little personally is whether they could find good upbeat songs for Danny in addition to ballads. The typical subject matter of many faster-paced country songs would not fit Danny at all. So it’s encouraging to me to see four songs that are all pretty solid, two of which are uptempo. I think overall this is going to be a very solid debut album for Danny.
In all 8 seasons, this is the first time 19E has signed a male idol with a major Country label. In all 8 seasons, this is only the 2nd time that A-list producer Mark Bright has worked with an Idol.
Joe Galante, the CEO of Sony Nashville, Mark Bright, Randy Travis, Keith Urban, Brian Mansfield (just to name a few who have supported Danny’s journey to Country music) are all seasoned professionals with proven track records. I think they know what they are doing.
Jake-
While I agree with you that Mark Bright, Jor Galante, Randy Travis, Keith Urban and Brian Mansfield do know what they are doing. I have to ask werent Josh Gracin, Bo Bice, Bucky Covington, Phil Stacey all signed to major country labels?
Sarah-
Bo was signed with RCA (I think he did a pop album, not country). The others were signed to Lyric Street Records. Is that a major country label? I know Rascall Flatts is signed with them. I don’t know what is considered a “major” country label.
Just checked Wikipedia (if you trust wiki!); they have Lyric Street Records listed as an “Independent record company” so I guess Jake is correct; Danny is the first AI male to be signed to a major country label.
Country Girl – apparently Brian Mansfield, the highly regarded music columnist of USA Today disagrees with you. He had some really nice things to say about Danny’s songs for his album. He has also been a great champion of Danny’s journey to Country music.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2009/12/danny-gokey-nearly-done-recording-debut/1
Country Girl – I will defer to Brian Mansfield anytime. He is a huge Country Music industry insider. He had reported on Danny’s contract negotiations during the summer – and he was spot on with the results. And it was Brian Mansfield that Sony Nashville had do the official press release of Danny’s signing.