He lost 'American Idol' 16 years ago — and says it was the best thing that ever happened to him
Danny Gokey appeared on the 'American Idol' season 9 and instantly proved that he was there to stay. He wowed the judges, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi, and made it to the top three. Unfortunately or fortunately, he was eliminated in the finale, losing to two other contestants, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, leaving the latter to win the show. Recently, Gokey shared a video from the 'American Idol' stage and recalled the 'beginning' of his music journey. Along with the video, he wrote, "16 years ago today, I was voted off @americanidol. Little did I know it was just the beginning of something so much bigger & better than I ever could have imagined! Know that with God, every loss is only for a moment & He is still working His purposes through your pain!"
16 years ago today, I was voted off @americanidol 😲 Little did I know it was just the beginning of something so much bigger & better than I ever could have imagined! 🙌
— Danny Gokey (@dannygokey) May 13, 2025
Know that with God, every loss is only for a moment & He is still working His purposes through your pain! 🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/pI96axmAEj
Gokey was undeniably a fan favorite, and while his elimination was shocking to many, he wasn't the one to be surprised. Soon after walking off the 'Idol' stage, the 'Tell Your Heart to Beat Again' singer admitted in an interview with Reuters, "I knew it was it for me; I was very confident in the fact that it was for me." Referring to being called out as the eliminated contestant. Gokey shared that as he stood with another contestant and judges' favorite, Adam Lambert, he had a hunch that he would be eliminated.
"I've got to be honest, it doesn't make me mad, it doesn't disappoint me; that's what (Cowell) believes is going to make the most money," Gokey said, highlighting the appeal of Lambert, who had a background in theatrics and was famous for his bold style. Speaking of his plans, he then told the outlet, "I would personally like to start a movement with my music. Maybe it sounds so big of me or maybe even cocky, but the dream that I have is to revolutionize the culture, to change people's hearts."
But as he rightly put it, it was only the beginning of something bigger. Following the year of his elimination, Gokey released his first album, 'My Best Days,' followed by a faith-based second album, 'Hope in Front of Me,' which was released in Jan 2014. According to Billboard, it became the number 1 Top Christian Album. After which he released a 'Christmas' collection that went on to be in the top 10 list, and with that came another hit song, 'Rise,' which was No. 9 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
Speaking of his success, the singer told the aforementioned outlet, "When it was time to switch over, I think people loved the authenticity because if you look at my country record, there were songs that had strong messages in them, and that remained the same when I switched over to Christian music." He added, “I was really thrilled with the reception that people gave me. When God has a plan for someone’s life, even if you take a wrong turn and people think you’ve made a mistake, God always uses everything for your good, and I loved the fact that God’s plans prevailed in my life. God still had a plan even though it looked like the first plan didn’t work."