Danny Gokey Gives Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina Advice

In 2009, Danny Gokey made it to the final three on 'American Idol' before being eliminated. The Wisconsin native still keeps an eye on the show, though, and was particularly intrigued by this year's winner and runner-up, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, respectively.

Having been in their shoes not so long ago, the singer says he has some simple, practical advice for the two teenagers. "Not to lose yourself," Danny tells The Boot. "A lot of people are throwing themselves at you, but ground yourself. Stop and ask yourself, 'Who am I apart from music? Who am I apart from the screaming fans?'"

Danny adds that the best way for him to do that has always been to return to his faith. "My religious roots. To me, that's the key," he insists. "I can't say that is their way of doing it, but if it is, find that peace or even that person who can ground you."

The three do share the 'Idol' common ground, but going forward both Scotty and Lauren have a leg up on their fellow alum. "They have a better understanding of what they want to accomplish than I did going into 'Idol,'" Danny admits. "I never really pursued music, so I never tried. Getting thrown on 'Idol,' all of the sudden, I had to try and figure myself out. I feel like they've got that going for them so the pressure would be off them there."

Before the show's finale, the 31-year-old took to his Twitter page, where he guessed the competition's winner. "I did think that Scotty was going to win," he recalls. "I really like Scotty and I really, really like Lauren. I think the charming-ness comes out of Scotty more, making him more endearing to the crowds, but I put that away and look at the vocal. I'm personally more attracted to Lauren's voice."

Being a 'voice guy,' you'd think that Danny would have also checked out NBC's 'The Voice' but, alas, he has not. What he has seen of the show, though, is the clips of the contestants duking it out over the same song on a 'boxing ring'-type stage. That's enough to convince him he made the right choice in choosing reality shows. "That's very interesting," he says. "That's intimidating. That's pressure right there."

Danny is currently at CMA Music Festival, but he hits the road next week. His first stop is June 17 in Denver, Colo. Get a full list of dates here.