Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey (born April 24, 1980) is an American singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. After his placing on the show, Gokey signed to 19 Recordings and RCA Records Nashville as the beginning of a career in country music, releasing the single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me." His debut album, My Best Days, was released in March 2010.
Gokey rose to national fame with his participation in the eighth season of American Idol. On August 8, 2008, he auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri, along with his friend Jamar Rogers, who is also from Milwaukee. Both made it through to Hollywood, but Rogers was eliminated from the competition prior to the semifinals. Gokey's American Idol audition occurred only four weeks after his wife's death in July 2008.
During the season 8 finale on May 20, 2009, Gokey performed a duet with R&B superstar Lionel Richie. The performance opened with Gokey singing a true-to-the-original solo of Richie's "Hello," which season 7 winner David Cook also covered during his season as a rock power ballad, and then Richie joined Gokey for a duet of his hits "Just Go" and "All Night Long".