American Idol alum Danny Gokey is ready to sing and talk about heaven and — maybe — stay away from politics.
Gokey is known to his fans as the widower who rose to fame on the hit show American Idol, as the praise and worship leader who broke through the top 10 list on the show. Fast forward almost two decades, and Gokey is breaking through the Contemporary Christian Music charts with his new release Sound of Heaven.
He wants to remind his audience that the sounds of heaven will be diverse.
“Every nation, every tribe, every tongue,” he said. “Start to love culture now and start to love differences now, because in heaven we’re going to see everything. And it’s going to be incredible.”
Gokey believes heaven also is a place of diverse musical languages, which is why his new album includes musical instruments and talent that reflect diversity in music.
“The kingdom of God, you know, it’s not just eating and drinking, it’s righteous joy and peace in the Holy Spirit,” he said. “We need some joy back in our lives, an infusion of joy will give us strength.”
“We need some joy back in our lives, an infusion of joy will give us strength.”
This album was delayed because while making it he decided to take a year off to center himself.
“Sometimes you got to sit back, stop and do a foundation check,” he said. “The foundation determines the quality of the house. So, I decided to use the year to sit back and do a foundation check and not just for myself, but for my kids, for my wife, for my family, for other parts of my life that, you know, when I’m touring, especially touring as much as I do, it can inhibit some of those areas. I’m glad I was able to do that. And it made a difference. I think it allowed me to focus more on finishing the album well. I had still a couple more songs I had to write, but it allowed me some space.”
Gokey’s season of rest also allowed him to focus on the role of God in heaven.
Danny Gokey
“God’s the greatest artist of all time, he’s got the goods and we as his children have access to that,” he said. “One thing I’ve tried to do is not limit myself. It’s so easy and I’ve done this many times and I’ve regretted it, but you’ll limit yourself. I’ve really disciplined myself in saying, ‘Why can’t I do that?’”
Gokey’s fans are accustomed to him talking about cultural issues.
“I got a song on the record called ‘Makeup,’ it’s calling out the culture a little, it’s a challenging message. People currently don’t even want a little bit of correction. You give a little correction, and you’re out.”
Although Gokey has gone on record supporting Donald Trump, he seems to want to stay clear of politics while at the same time using his platform to discuss cultural issues.
“People know me as the guy who I don’t pull no punches,” he said. “I make it very clear where I stand in some areas where that’s not popular to make it clear.”
Still, Gokey is thankful for how far God has brought him. “I can go back and thank God for the good things, and there’s been so many good things, believe it or not. It’s been over 15 years ago now, and a lot has changed since then.
“I wish I could go back and redo American Idol because I’d be a lot better at it. I think the magic of American Idol is you’re getting people who are brand new singers. So, you catch that innocence. A lot of people who’ve been on that show have nothing to show for it; however by the grace of God I’m thankful for it, I don’t take it for granted, and I want to honor that.”