Last but not least, it’s the Danny Gokey interview with Lindsey Parker of Yahoo Music.
Danny reveals 2 of the 4 songs he’s singing on the Idol tour–”P.Y.T” and “My Wish.” He also mentions talks he had with 19R and his upcoming meetings with record labels (already happened). He hopes to sign a record deal soon.
As far as his sound, he’d like to do a soul/R&B/Latin fusion, but is also considering taking on a modern soul/country sound. Danny admits, “I don’t have much of a twang, but I have that soul.”
Also, he’s OK with not making the Top 2 as predicted–Idol was a launching pad that has put him closer to his dreams.
Danny addresses the cultural aspects of this year’s competition. While he’s a man of faith, he says his is a message of love. He name checks Martin Luther King as an example, and says he’d like to start a movement with his music. Lindsey says she saw no strain or discomfort between any of the Idols, including between Danny and Adam.
Peeps, is there anybody on the country charts representing this modern/soul country thing? Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish maybe?
Video after the JUMP…
John Hiatt isn’t country. He’s one of the most underrated songwriters that I know of…absolutely love him do I…but he’s NOT country.
I don’t follow John Hiatt, but I did look him up. This is from his Wiki. Evidently at least some people consider him to have done some country.
John Hiatt (born August 20, 1952 in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New Wave, blues and country.
re: columbian.com article :rolleyes_wp: :wallbash_tb:
Besides, I think when he says message, what he means is he wants to sing songs that are uplifting and positive (by and large). When/if Danny puts out an album, and I buy it, he can’t deliver any kind of message that I’m not willing to get from it. I’ll listen to the music and take whatever from it that I do. Music moves everyone in different ways, even if it’s the uplifting, positive, hopeful stuff.
Well said. I would take the uplifting, positive and hopeful any day over a lot of the other stuff, which for me is negative and depressing for the most part. With all the struggles I have going on in my life, I look to my faith, and I love hearing the songs that can strengthen me. So kudos to Danny for wanting to offer that message. It is the same that Phil Stacey, my season 6 favorite, has tried to convey through his first cd and will continue to do in his next one.
I liked this interview. I think a lot of artists have messages (all different kinds) in their music. It seems like Danny has good intentions and is hoping to do something positive.
This was the first interview with Danny that wasn’t constantly like fingernails down a chalkboard for me. (for you, for me)
Sounds like he’s getting a little better at giving answers that don’t devolve into a drive down a long, winding country road. I think he’s absorbed a little of Adam, as well, with that whole part about Idol being a platform to open opportunities.
I can’t disagree, and wonder if he’ll end up signing with whoever will take him and singing whatever they put in front of him. He’s said on more than one occasion that he doesn’t know much about modern pop music, and that he didn’t know most of the songs he sang on Idol until he had to chose them.
My guess would be that he heard “modern soul country” from someone at one of his meetings, and that sounded good, and current, so now he uses it in interviews.
The problem that Danny has is that he was not really plugged into current music, so when he tries to talk about what he wants to do, or where he’s going musically, he doesn’t really have a foundation to build on. It often feels like he’s reaching during interviews…. just keeps talking and talking, thinking or hoping that the more words he uses, the more people will understand. Honestly, I feel for him, because he seems like someone who could easily be taken advantage of.
As far as his message…. everyone who writes or sings a song has a message, so that part doesn’t bother me at all. Wanting to create a movement? A little ambitious, but it’s good to have something to work toward, isn’t it? He seems to be a decent guy with good intentions.
He’s just not that great at the interview or getting his message across to those who don’t already think he’s awesome.
I have softened a bit on Danny too. This interview is an improvement over prior ones. Yes, he talks about his foundation, but it’s almost like a reflex action where you sense he knows that as long as some press person has a mic in his face, he must “sell” or “promote” the foundation – to help get it off the ground.
I suspect he and Adam get along well enough. They will never be besties like Kris and Adam. I doubt Danny will ever have the tolerant worldview Kris has and I wonder if Danny doesn’t feel a bit like an outsider around the tight Kradison trio. Plus, Danny is super competitive and was positioned by the show as Adam’s arch nemesis. Still, as others have pointed out, Danny does seem to be liked by the other Idols and I just don’t think that would be the case if, fundamentally, he was a jerk and a hater.
Of course, certain of his close relatives are a bunch of ignorant bigots, but hopefully Danny gave Adam a private apology for those hateful comments on his cousin’s myspace page.
What I liked about this interview: Danny seemed to leave the yahoo interviewer speechless at the end. lol. She thinks, lol, to know it all, but doesn’t imo. But then what do I know.
As far as message goes, a lot of (if not most) music has a message behind it. Some is just fun. However, people usually sing lyrics they believe in, (ie, Adam’s B&W).
Having said that, I still find Danny fumbling for his musical identity. I think he has enough fans to sell whatever he does fairly well, but will it go past that? IDK.
NOW PLAYING:
Danny Gokey’s “The Love Message”. You’ll be inspired with uplifting music, scintillating dance moves, and Danny’s truly inimitable latin/soul/non-twangy-country mix!
Get Ret-ty for Danny to pelvic thrust “The Love Message” into Your Heart and Your Soul — Forever!
I actually have the opposite point of view, I think that people who aren’t already invested in disliking him would watch this video and see a likeable person. No way to prove one way or the other until he gets out there in the marketplace. Assuming he gets a deal and releases a record (I think he will), the people on the radio will not give a flying you-know-what about AI fan squabbles. They will just hear that voice and they’ll either like it or they won’t. I think that a lot of people will like it very well, but we’ll see.
Danny will be washed up within a year…he does not stand out as an artist, has nothing to give to his audience that we can’t get from others..I would not spend a dime on his music…hope the record companies won’t let him sing Dream on…he should have been voted off way before he was……
Oh please spare us. Not a crusader.
Of course those who like “message music” can buy his cds. The rest of us don’t have to.
But what is the “other stuff” that is negative and depressing? Sure there is that, and I also avoid that kind of music, which to me is rap for starters. But there is a wide grey area between negative music on one hand, and “music that is starting a movement” as the other extreme. Most music falls somewhere in between. Those aren’t the only two choices, negative or Danny.
I don’t think that most modern music is negative or depressing, but ymmv. I mean, take artists like Jason Mratz or Jack Johnson. Their music is far from negative, but they don’t have an agenda and aren’t trying to start a movement.
I steer far clear of anyone who is trying to further an agenda or sees themselves as some sort of movement leader. It almost sounds like a messianic complex. This kind of talk reminds me of Clay Aiken and his “vanilla revolution” and “I have to be a role model” stchick. Honestly, I think that some people get mixed up by religion and can’t think outside the box there.
I think that’s why people keep asking him if he is going to do Christian music. If he wants to do secular music, he probably shouldn’t keep talking about messages and movements. Heh. He seems like a sincere guy, but he also seems prone to bite off more than he can chew. He should focus on getting his career established before scattering his energies into other areas. After all, he’ll need his career to be able to do everything he wants to do (with regard to his charity work). He may be able to do it all, just not all at the same time.
Danny probably wants to sing message songs that are non-gospel. Currently these kinds of songs are not the flavour of the month and I’m not even sure what they would be categorized as.
I’m thinking of the stuff Cat Stevens sang in the 70’s. These were message songs such as Where will the children play and they were very good stuff. Cat Stevens actually just resurfaced with a new album Roadsinger and a new name Yusaf Islam after disappearing for a while. Just found that out myself.
Now Danny does not remind me of Cat Stevens in his musical style but more in wanting to do something with a broader and heartfelt message. And also in his streak of what I see as fanaticism.