Brian Mansfield of Idol Chatter reports a little more on Danny Gokey’s meetings with record labels last week. Not only did he meet with Sony Nashville, but also with Word, a Christan Label:
When Danny Gokey was in Nashville this past Tuesday, he met not only with Sony Nashville but with Word Entertainment. But Danny has yet to make a decision about his recording career. “Basically, they were preliminary talks — where we could go and what we could do.”
The meeting with Word put Danny in touch with Mark Bright. He’s Word’s president and CEO, but he’s better known as a producer who has worked with Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts. “He’s someone I’m very interested in working with,” Danny says.
The only problem — Bright runs a Christian record label. “I told him, ‘I don’t want to be signed to a Christian label, because I don’t want to exclude anyone,’” Danny says. “I am who I am and I have my beliefs, but I don’t want to exclude anyone. I want my music and my message and my foundation to get out and touch as many people as they can.
“He was completely okay with that. He was like, ‘We can think in alternate routes.’ It was really cool.”
So, Danny could wind up on a Christian label, but not singing Christian music? Hm. Maybe an album of vaguely Christian “inspirational” music? In any event, the music Danny records will likely depend on what label signs him.
Although Danny has expressed interest in songwriting in the past, he’ll be singing mostly outside material on this first CD. “I’m not fully there yet in my writing skills,” says Danny. “There’s a level of writing that are just hits. I’m not there yet.”
Danny continues, “I want to be a hit. This ain’t about the money. I know I can make more money writing, but it’s not about that yet. That’ll come. I’m looking for longevity. I’m looking to get my foot all the way through the door.”
ETA: I think he’ll be better off with Word doing Christian music. He’s admitted to a) Not having a “twang” in his voice and b) Not knowing about the Grand Ole’ Opry before Idol. Country fans can smell a poser from a mile away. Danny, an experienced gospel singer, should stick to what he knows.
No, IMO, you are not wrong.
ITA.I think that it would appeal more to his fanbase as well.
ITA. I think that what his established fanbase wants along with what he wants, and making stuff that a lot of people from a target audience(depending on what type of album he makes) are things that should all be factored into his decision making.
Those of us that are his fans, are the ones that have his back so to speak, and the ones that will help get him off the ground, or at least try to get him off the ground running if/once his album drops. And it’s also up to him and the record company that he signs with, to put out a product that will draw a lot of new fans to him. IMO, his fanbase opinions should definitely be a big part of his decision making.
I don’t think that a lot of people are fans of his because they want him to put out a Christian album or because that is the type of music that they want him to sing the most.
I believe that the vast majority of his fanbase are people that care about him and that love/like his voice. And it’s not because they want him to be a straight up Christian artist.
So I think that Danny will think about his what his the people in fanbase wants, along with other factors, to determine what is the best direction for him to go in.
I could see that happening and I think that could work out for him.
I’ve got to agree with Tess.
If he could get a deal with Word where they put out an album that wasn’t traditional Christian, I’d say go with that. I think Danny doesn’t want to be strictly a Christian artist like Mandisa or Phil. And he doesn’t really fit as a country artist.
I hope it works out for Danny because he’s so polarizing here.
It would be kind of fun if he turned out a good album and was successful. Of course, he’ll have an uphill climb against the mega promo the 19R artists will get.
I’m actually convinved they make very little profit on their albums even if they go platinum. They just need someone from eacg season to do well so they can give the $making TV franchise going.
It’s a little like a pyramid scheme. Exclude Kelly, Carrie and Daughtry though. They actually made $ for their labels.
I don’t listen to any pop40 crap — just country and/or AC, and I know many people like myself that do the same.
I’ve been reading all of the comments with interest. I really am surprised that Danny seems to be turning up his nose at signing with a Christian label, considering that is obviously the only type of music with which he is fluent. For him, I really think that it’s all about the money and nothing to do with artistry. He thinks he can “learn on the fly,” which is nuts. The trouble that he had picking songs, admitting that he hardly new any contemporary music (across genres) is so troubling from an artistic standpoint. (And WHY in the world would he admit that out loud with labels watching? Dumb, dumb dumb.)
And he’s clearing been listening to Adam articulate his (Adam’s) (totally sensical) vision of his forthcoming album. How else to explain Danny’s soul-country-R&B-Latin, head-scratching disaster of an explanation. And he’s been calling Idol a “platform,” just as Adam has. I really think Danny has no idea what is happening.
Really, I think that when the execs meet with Danny in person, it becomes painfully clear what kind of deluded person they’re dealing with. Danny is his own worst PR. And he seems to want to be rich and famous to serve his foundation in the end, which is admirable, I guess, but he so obviously has no idea of the focus and talent and sheer hard work it takes to make it as a successful recording artist.
I hope that Danny takes a year off to grieve privately, and then signs with a small Christian label. He’s so over his head right now, it’s unbelievable.
I think the last thing Danny cares about is being rich and famous.
His heart is in the right place. Does he have things to learn?
Of course, who of ANY of the idols or in the world doesn’t?
This is a new experience for all the idols.
Maybe Danny isn’t as experienced as others, but he is not a phony opportunist in the way that many non Danny fans speak for him. He’s not dumb either, just speaks too quick at times. He’ll learn.
But he is trying to simply get his singing career in the right direction.
He has enough talent and interest in him.
He is not over his head. He just needs to wisely choose the best route for himself.
I think him not doing solely a Christian album is wise for him. He knows in his heart what to do.
He has the ability to do country with the soul element. I believe he would gain many country fans because he has that heart, the main thing behind country music.
Yes, IMO, this is wrong. But you may be right when it comes to his music buying fans, who knows. I suspect so. As for his show fans (voting fans) though, he had HUGE support from “religious” or “Christian” or “church” or “gospel” fans. Church leaders even used their pulpits and podiums to support him.
I get that his online fans may be different, in large part, and that he has a varied fanbase. But to believe that “not many” fans supported him because of religion or his church leader role is indeed wrong, imo and experience.
ITA. He way over-estimates his own abilities and how easy it will be for him to waltz into a studio and get a hit record, and he way under-estimates how hard other people work to achieve something in music.
I don’t know what role his un-dealt-with grief plays in his clueless full-of-himself-ness (they seem separate to me, unless he thinks his suffering means he’s been “chosen” to bring people a message.) But whatever role it plays, or even if it plays none, I agree, he would do well to retreat for a while and deal with his grief more fully than he seems to have done so far. In a private way, I mean.
I don’t really get that about underestimating the work and overestimating his abilities.
The way I see it Danny has been extremely lucky to get that far and he himself has said he never thought he would make it that far. So in a sense the Idol journy has been very quick compared to some contestants who are preparing themselves for quite some time before auditioning.
He does have natural talent but it sounds like he never had a lot of support in developing this outside of his church. He does sound like he is a very hard worker holding down two jobs (church music director and driving truck during the day).
Lots of the time, it’s about being in the right place and right time. Maybe this is what is happening for Danny?
Even though Danny is considered polarizing to a lot of peeps, I do agree with MJ here and also with the statement upthread that jpfan made. I think Danny would be wise to go the CCM route. I don’t think country is the right direction for him IMO.
Danny’s incredible cluelessness about contemporary (or even decades old) pop music makes it impossible to take him seriously as anything other than a karaoke singer with an better than usual voice. How can someone be an “artist” with a vision about the genre he belongs in when he doesn’t understand what those genres contain? He’s counting on his voice (admittedly good, as long as he stays away from Aerosmith) and his personality (such as it is) to support a successful recording career. Dude, that’s not enough. You are not David Cook. You are not Adam Lambert. You are not Kris Allen. You are not Daughtry. You are not Jason Castro. All these guys have really good to great voices AND substantial musical knowledge AND an informed vision of where they want to go musically. Whether you like it or not is, of course, a matter of individual taste. But they know what they’re trying to do. Danny, dude, you know the alphabet, but you don’t know how to spell.
I would say that it would be a good idea for Danny to take a year off to deal with his personal stuff, but a year from now he’ll be a non-entity. He needs to strike a deal while he is still riding whatever Idol wave he’s on. If gospel and Christian music is what he knows, and he wants to be inspirational, then that’s where he needs to start. If he’s lucky, and he gets good songs, he might eventually be able to cross over. Maybe by then he’ll have developed some songwriting skills. He does have a good natural voice, but that alone is not going to get him very far without a lot of good nurturing from a label that cares about him.