Danny Gokey sang today at the Northwestern Mutual Annual Conference to a crowd of about 8,000 people. According to our readers Michelle and Valerie’s tweets, who attended the event, Danny sang ‘Stand by Me’, ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’, ‘What Hurts the Most’ and ‘P.Y.T.’.
His late wife Sophia’s parents, who work for the company, were in attendance as well as his family and SHF received a $10,000 donation from NMFN.
Danny also said there will be a record deal announcement soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz6jbsDQeBY
Thanks to Michelle and Valerie for the updates and to jedijosh4 and 4guerrero2 for posting the videos on YouTube!
One day I’ll understand why this gorgeous man loves wearing plaid…
From Michelle:
Well the night was definetly a whirl wind as doors opened @7:15 and everyone around us was wearing employees badges and asking people which office they worked in – LOL! I wasn’t sure we were going to get in when the lady in front of me said in addition to the tix, they were checking employee id badges (in trouble there). But we got in and there were reserved seats on the floor, and general admission seats on the sides. Mad dash into the arena to get good seats.
They did to an introductory video on Danny’s life, Sophia, and his journey through American Idol, showing hightlights including some video clips from some of our favorites like YASB.
Then Danny sang his four songs and really looked good. He had three back up singers, but no band.
Danny had on a blue plaid shirt (Cheryl’s favorite), black vest, gray tie, and jeans.
He sounds really good live!
After he finished his set, they thanked him for coming and presented him with the $10,000 check for SHF. He said he felt like crying and was so grateful.
Then he thanked everyone (roar of crowd) and said to stay tuned he has been talking to record producers and he will be making an announcement very soon!!!
That is sooo amazing! Really wonderful for Danny! I’m soo happy for him!
It’s so great that Danny and SHF are getting more exposure! I sat next to an older insurance agent who had never heard of Danny and I excitedly filled him in on the MARVELS of Danny! He said his wife looks at that reality stuff, but he doesn’t. He wanted to know what group Danny sang with and I said he didn’t, that he was driving a truck and working at a church and doing volunteer work on the side and then he tried out for AI. The guy couldn’t believe it! He had tears in his eyes when they did the “Danny’s life” segment – a wonderful video with pics when he was a kid, with Sophia (and talked about her passing), how he competed against 103,000 people and came in 3rd, clips from Danny day in MKE, clips from AI, it was STUPENDOUS!! The guy couldn’t believe it. He got tears in his eyes! He said, “Wow, that guy can really SING!” and I told him to buy Danny’s first album for his wife!
Fantastic news for both SHF and Danny’s soon to come announement!!! Luv ya D and see ya soon<3 !!
Well the night was definetly a whirl wind as doors opened @7:15 and everyone around us was wearing employees badges and asking people which office they worked in – LOL! I wasn’t sure we were going to get in when the lady in front of me said in addition to the tix, they were checking employee id badges (in trouble there). But we got in and there were reserved seats on the floor, and general admission seats on the sides. Mad dash into the arena to get good seats.
They did to an introductory video on Danny’s life, Sophia, and his journey through American Idol, showing hightlights including some video clips from some of our favorites like YASB.
Then Danny sang his four songs and really looked good. He had three back up singers, but no band.
Danny had on a blue plaid shirt (Cheryl’s favorite), black vest, gray tie, and jeans.
He sounds really good live!
After he finished his set, they thanked him for coming and presented him with the $10,000 check for SHF. He said he felt like crying and was so grateful.
Then he thanked everyone (roar of crowd) and said to stay tuned he has been talking to record producers and he will be making an announcement very soon!!!
My daughter was screaming and singing. We didn’t even get close to an autograph, but it didn’t matter, we got to see him live and sing and to see the joy in my daughter’s face was all that mattered!!!
So cool Michelle!!!!Wow what a GREAT time it sounds like you had!!! and your daughter is precious!!!
So glad for Michelle and her daughter and for VC… Know
they enjoyed themselves so much…SOOOOO happy..
I am sooooo very happyyyyyyy for Michelle; her daughter and VC. thanks for sharing. I watched Fox 6 at 9 but nothing was mentioned. I tried to stay up for the 10 news but my dogs tired me out running through Grant Park last night. It sounds like it was a wonderful night and Danny ans SHF was blessed.
I forgot to mention something pretty important and very cool. Before Danny started singing, there was a video tribute to Danny! They showed pics of him as a young rascal, a h.s. pic, pics with Sophia…all with a voiceover describing Danny as our hometown hero, his meteoric climb in the past year, his tragic loss… They also did some video clips from AI, especially great was Danny singing YASB! With Randy saying, “Dude, you can REALLY REALLY SING!” and the “Vocal Masterclass” shout out from Simon. (that’s when the older man next to me got tears in his eyes and he said it gave him goosebumps – it did me, too!) They showed him on Danny Day in Milwaukee – what a GLORIOUS day it was! Blue skies, warmer-than-normal temps (of course just thinking of Danny heated up the whole state by tens of degrees!!!)
It was a wonderful homage to Danny. There was a young mother next to me with an infant who was also teary-eyed and she said, “Sorry, I just love him!” But there is no need ever to apologize for loving Danny Gokey! People were really moved by the tribute and then Danny started singing and oh, was he POWERFUL and BEAUTIFUL…I swear his Stand By Me was the most soulful thing I’ve ever heard and we were all on our feet FEELIN THE LOVE!!
During his set, girls were grabbing at him and throwing glow sticks and making hearts with hands and he was touching them and singing to them. One girl did a Lambeau Leap (flung her body up on the stage and got halfway up but someone (maybe security?) pulled her down…I thought that was pretty cool and wished she could have gotten all the way up to hug Danny or pass out or whatever!!! Can you tell I dig the drama??
I just feel so dang lucky to have gotten in…by the seat of my pants! It was so worth it to concoct a story; even tho the story wasn’t what actually got me in, if I hadn’t, they wouldn’t have let me wait in the lobby for my “friend with tickets”…and then it turned out that a real friend came along who was able to go into the arena and talk to her cousins & friends and score a ticket for me at the last minute!!
I got in the show at 8:05 when they were giving out awards for insurance sales or something…but people weren’t listening. They started shouting, “DAN-NY, DAN-NY, DAN-NY”, so they wrapped up the awards and said, “Yes, we know who everyone is waiting for, so let’s bring him out!” It was a little rude of the audience, I guess, but people couldn’t contain themselves! I mean, we are just human beings after all!!!!!!
NML gave Danny a lot of love and that is a MEGA company! I’m so happy that Danny is getting more widespread recognition outside of the AI box…and getting that 10k from NML for SHF was just wonderful. Danny said he felt like crying! Of course the people around me were moved by that and I told them that Greg Jennings had donated $200K, which REALLY impressed them…and I told them to check out SHF online! So, hope they do!!!
What a great night! Really wish you all could have been there! Hope everyone gets the chance to see Danny LIVE!
Wow, that was wordy. Didn’t mean to be so long!