by Gina Scarpa
This summer, American Idol kicked off its nationwide tour, featuring the Top 10 contestants from season 8. After many months of being on the road, the tour is about to come to an end, after hitting everywhere from Portland to Tamp. Today, the show made a stop in my home state and I got to sit down with 5 of the Top 10 contestants for an exclusive interview. Read on to hear what Megan Joy Corkrey, Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Matt Giraud, and Danny Gokey had to say about life on the road and what lies ahead for these aspiring singers.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Danny, the support for you by the fans has been crazy! How does it make you feel to know that so many people have been behind you?
A. Danny: It really affirms me as an artist. You really become vulnerable because when you come on the show, you’re subjecting your talent and gift to criticism among the masses. You hear so many different things and it’s nice to see when a majority of them come out positive.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did you have any say in what you sing on the tour or did the producers have a hand in it? What are you singing tonight?
A. Danny: I had 100% say in what I picked. I’m singing P.Y.T., Maria Maria, and two country songs by the Rascal Flatts – My Wish and What Hurts The Most.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Has being on tour for so long taken its toll on you physically, mentally, or emotionally?
A. Danny: It’s a grueling schedule to be on tour but at the same time… it’s like we’re locked in a prison but a very, very awesome prison. You can’t go anywhere. When you’re on tour, you’re under contract. You can’t just get up and go home.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How are you feeling now that the tour is coming to an end?
A. Danny: Excited and a little sad. As the tour has progressed, so have our relationships with each other. We’ve become really close. As this chapter closes, it’s kind of sad.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What’s it like to go from being an average person a year and half ago to being well known, to have fans, and to be on tour?
A. Danny: It’s a roller coaster ride, that’s what it is. It’s a privilege. I look at it like a privilege and an honor because think about it. I would just dream about this. You have a dream and you push forward. You see it and walk towards it and you never know when it’s gonna break and for me, it just broke. I treasure it. I really do. It’s something I wanna guard and protect because, just as easily as it came, it can go.
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Now that the tour is wrapping up, what are your future plans?
A. Danny: I start my album this month. The single should be released in November, from what I heard from the record label, and the album in March. Before the show, I only did gospel music and being on Idol helps you define who you are as an artist. As the show progressed, I figured it out and I ended up signing with a country label because I feel like that’s where I fit the most. The message, the sound… it fits me and I’m very excited about it.
can someone tell me the date this interview was conducted?