Danny Gokey’s Looking Ahead to His ‘Best Days’

It's a chilly December morning, but Danny Gokey is all warmth and smiles as he enters Starstruck Studios, a state-of-the-art facility that is part of Reba McEntire's Music Row complex. The 'American Idol' alum is putting finishing touches on his 19/RCA Records debut album, and he's excited about embarking on a country music career.

"It's all American music," the Milwaukee native tells The Boot. "There's not a person in the United States of America who doesn't love country or have some kind of tie to it. I personally have a tie to it through growing up as a child -- my father introducing us to Wynonna Judd. I think I was 12 or 13 and I just remember being like, 'Wow!' I loved it. She had this soul that went into it and you just felt the music when it played."

Danny's debut single, "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me," is currently climbing Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. "I like the song for what it stands for and also the presentation," says Danny. "It just talks about, 'Yep, I've made mistakes, but I know that. That's my past and my best days are ahead of me.' I don't live in regret land. I live in the now and in the future, and in the dreams that I have. A lot of people relate to that song."

Danny began pursuing his musical dreams while spending his days as a truck driver and his nights honing his craft. "I drove an eighteen wheeler semi-truck, a big rig," he says. "I never watched 'American Idol' because I worked two jobs. At night, I was doing the music thing for two churches. These churches were not close to each other. They were 75 miles apart. In 2008, we got a DVR, and I finally was able to watch it. And that was the last year I could try out. You can only be up to 28 years old to try out for 'American Idol.'"

Danny was the third-place finalist on season eight of 'American Idol,' but competing on the popular show was bittersweet. His wife, Sophia, had always been an Idol fan and encouraged Danny to give it a try, but just weeks before his audition, she died unexpectedly during a routine surgery. As he sits chatting in the studio, taking a break from recording vocals for a song titled "Crazy Not To," he's wearing sweats and a Sophia's Heart t-shirt commemorating the foundation he launched in her name.

"My wife was an amazing, amazing person," he says. "Sophia's Heart is an organization that I founded in honor of my wife when she passed away. When she passed away it was a complete shock, and it was disappointment, anger. I felt all those emotions. But one thing I said [was] 'I refuse for this to be the last moment of her. I refuse for this to be the last of my wife.' So that's where the foundation began, and since then, it's become a work of art almost. It's an organization that was formed to help people, to help children, to help families."

Music has been an important part of the healing process as Danny has dealt with Sophia's death and he hopes to bring a sense of hope and comfort to others through his music. "I definitely have something to say with this album and I think people will recognize that," he says. "And I think they're going to like it because it's not an in-your-face type of message. It's just good messages of love, good messages of hope, good messages of just getting down and having fun. [It's] all over the board."

This holiday season, when he hasn't been working on his new album, Danny has been Christmas shopping for his family in Milwaukee. "I have 14 nieces and nephews," says Danny, who has five siblings. "I never had money in the past. I worked hard, worked two jobs for three years of my life while I was married. I worked at least 60-80 hours a week, and no matter how much I worked, there was not a lot of money, but this year is different. I've kind of walked into a realm where it's paid off for all the hard work that I've put into it, and I get to bless my family. And that's the one thing I love doing. I love giving. I love giving to people, especially when it's my family. They love me unconditionally. So I can't wait to get gifts for all my family, and for all my little nieces and nephews. I love seeing their faces."

Look for Danny's debut album to be released in early 2010.