Country music blogger “The CML Chart” has posted their review of Danny Gokey’s second single, “I Will Not Say Goodbye.” We love it!

After downloading Danny’s album, there was one song on the album that I absolutely loved from the first listen.  I wanted it to be a single for Danny and I thought that it would give him some serious consideration as an artist.  The song, if promoted well, would at the worse cause people to be emotionally attached to the lyric of the song.  The song I am talking about just happens to be this song.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when this song was released.  Then, I watched the video.  If you have not seen the video, go to cmt.com and search for it.  It is the best 6 minutes you will spend on something today. [......]

Read the full review and CML Chart’s Billboard chart prediction for IWNSG here!

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I have heard a few radio programmers say this about the new Danny Gokey: “I really love it– it’s a great song– but it’s SO sad.” I am not sure if anyone has checked the lists of the greatest songs of all time, any genre, any chart–but most of them are sad– especially Country songs! Life is sad sometimes – okay, most of the time. And these are the kinds of songs that can stop you in your tracks and make you think, maybe even cry. I heard Vince Gill say once that a great Country song has the ability to break your heart. And that’s still true today. People love great songs, whether they are happy or sad. I just saw Danny do this song last week, when he performed during the CRB meetings. He sang the hell out of this, just like he does on the record. So, play it. Impacting now.

By: Jim Asker

via http://www.allaccess.com/country/cool-new-music

Throughout my life, I’ve found many songs I can relate to, but rarely do they resonate with me as much as Danny Gokey’s “I Will Not Say Goodbye.” The lyrics, about not letting go of a loved one’s memory, are touching and emotionally hard-hitting, while the music video tells the stories of people who have lost a husband, a mother and a son. Having lost my father when I was 15, I’ve personally experienced the emotions in this ballad, written by Chuck Cannon, Lari White and Vicky McGehee after the funeral of the 13-year-old son of Nashville songwriter Jeffrey Steele. And I respect Gokey greatly for having the strength to sing it, especially considering he lost his 27-year-old wife, Sophie, in 2008. However, having a close friend or family member pass away doesn’t mean you can’t think about them anymore. “I Will Not Say Goodbye” inspires me to do just the opposite.

via Danny Gokey’s “I Will Not Say Goodbye” Inspires | CMT Blog.

It’s not what you might have predicted a year ago, but it appears that Danny Gokey is out to show what would have happened had Montgomery Gentry been better about staying in Sunday school.

Gokey’s show Sunday at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard was built from his debut album, “My Best Days.” The biggest surprise about the CD, aside from the fact that it’s a country disc, is that it’s dotted with aggressive country-rock tunes such as “Get Away” and “Like That’s a Bad Thing.”

Read the full review: http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/97783404.html

“I Will Not Say Goodbye” – Danny Gokey

Wow. Where do I start with this one?  It’s a passionate lyric with a passionate vocal by a supremely talented singer who really has connected to the material presented here.  It’s a 180 from the ‘workman-like’ vocal of “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” and this one is a strong contender to sit next to Miranda’s “House That Built Me” as the best singles of 2010.

Read Matt’s full list of this and other great country songs at http://www.roughstock.com/blog/mid-year-report-my-25-favorite-singles/ .

New videos from 10 different artists, making up CMT Big New Music Weekend, were screened this week by the CMT New Music Video Evaluation team. They saw new works from Lady Antebellum, Reba, Alan Jackson, Danny Gokey, James Otto, Jessie James, LeAnn Rimes, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins and Gary Allan. Ten very different songs and video treatments. Let’s roll ‘em. [..]

Artist: Danny Gokey
Video: “I Will Not Say Goodbye”
Director: Wes Edwards

Gokey returns with his second country music video after “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.” This is one American Idol graduate who is rising above his third-place finish on that show.

Panelists’ comments: “Would you believe he was a church music director?” “The guy has got one hell of a voice.” “This is a sad, sad song, but I love it.”

via http://blog.cmt.com/2010-06-18/ten-new-music-videos-from-lady-a-reba-and-a-bunch-of-others/#comment-160627

[...] His profound loss now acts as the impetus to create a beautiful piece of art in his new single ‘I Will Not Say Goodbye’. The follow-up to ‘My Best Days Are Ahead of Me’, the ballad focuses on the grief and anger that follow such a tragic loss. While many other ballads that tackle the same somber subject matter frequently come across as overly dramatic or theatrical, Gokey’s single is laden with an honesty and sincerity that is inherently poignant.

The track starts out simply and organically, allowing Danny Gokey’s signature raspy and powerful vocals to create the emotion behind the haunting lyrics. He acts as a storyteller, sharing how life can suddenly change and be taken away within an instant. Instead of pleading for relief and anodyne from his grief and overwhelming pain, he instead proclaims that he will never say goodbye and would rather deal with suffering than risk letting time wash away the memories of a passed loved one’s face.

Even the swelling crescendo and blasting steel guitar near the song’s end are not a match for Gokey’s powerful instrument. ‘I Will Not Say Goodbye’ is a stand-out performance for Danny Gokey that allows him to make the transition from being a mere singer to an artist, while also providing a sense of comfort to the countless others in the world who are also dealing with such unimaginable challenges and losses in their own lives.

Read the full review: http://www.dixiestreams.com/danny-gokey-i-will-not-say-goodbye/

WDXB/Birmingham, AL OM/PD Tom Hanrahan was on the grounds of the third annual BamaJam Music & Arts Festival over the weekend, and says the only thing missing was radio.

“It’s always a great lineup [..] “You had Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Hank, Jr., Dierks Bentley, Jamey Johnson and Miranda Lambert, among others [..]

As for performances that jumped out at him, Hanrahan singles out two: “Chris Young did a stellar version of ‘Rainy Night In Georgia.’ And Danny Gokey covered both a Travis Tritt song and ‘Life Is A Highway.’ He’s definitely an entertainer.” And overall? “From an entertainment standpoint it lived up to everything they promoted it to be.”

via http://countryaircheck.com/pdfs/current0607.pdf

by Matt Bjorke

There are times as a ‘tastemaker’ in country music where my senses are over stimulated with all the new songs that I hear.  In fact, sometimes I get so lost in the world of new singles that I forget why I got into this business in the first place, because I genuinely love music.   So when a new single crosses the desk that renews my love of music, I’m gonna shout to the rooftops about it. The latest single for Danny Gokey, “I Will Not Say Goodbye” is one of those kinds of songs.

Read the full review: Roughstock.com | Danny Gokey – I Will Not Say Goodbye

Newcomer Danny Gokey follows the footsteps of his fellow American Idol alums into the world of country music. Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin and Phil Stacey are just some of the names of those who found themselves in Nashville after their time on the popular reality show was up. Those artists have had varying degrees of success with their music outside of the Idol world. Now Season Eight’s third place finisher Gokey tries his luck with his debut album My Best Days which is available now.

For his first single, Danny chose to release the title track “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” a positive song which kicks off the album and is a good indication of what is to come as you listen. The majority of the 10-track set is up-to-mid-tempo and full of encouraging messages with spiritual undertones like “I Still Believe,” a contribution from the pens of Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and songwriter Mike Busbee. While “If Only,” co-written by Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood and writer Tom Douglas, shares a message of making a difference in people’s lives.

Read the full review: American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks – Music – Interviews.

Also, check Danny out at the Artist to Watch section and the 3-part video interview through the links below.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

THIS bespectacled soul-man who was a ­frontrunner on the eighth (arguably the best ­season) of American Idol who eventually came in third overall, surprised a lot of people by going country.

The good news is, he is in his element singing in this genre and this album is a testament to that.

My Best Days has an interesting combination of country, rock and soul influences, making him stand out from most other country ­singers.

Artists like Rascal Flatts seems to have ­influenced him a great deal too. Gokey sings My Best Days, his first single, with his deep soulful vocals. His vocals are the biggest-selling point here as he is able to carry even the simplest songs with the necessary emotion.

When you listen to love songs such as I Still Believe, the ballad Tiny Life and the hard-luck story in It’s Only, you realise how versatile he is. He is also in true form singing funky tracks such as Get Away and Like That’s a Bad Thing.

Overall, Gokey seems to have made a good move going country and, hopefully, there is more good things to come.

See the original article here.

Sugarland gives balanced but short show to open Comcast’s 25th season

MANSFIELD — Sugarland kicked off the 25th season of the Comcast Center last night with a vibrant illustration of why they have reached the top of the mainstream country heap: a smart balance of substance and ear candy in their songwriting and a dogged dedication to a good time. [..]

Jake Owen, one of the night’s two openers, returned to reprise his role in his hit collaboration with the pair on “Life in a Northern Town.’’ It was a majestically harmonious way to cap a great show. Judging by the positive response to his brief but exuberant opening set, Danny Gokey may just stretch his “American Idol’’ 15 minutes into a career.

Read the full article here.

Sugarland warms up Comcast

Every moment of the three-hour Incredible Machine concert – featuring solid performances by openers Danny Gokey and Jake Owen – was about heightening the audience’s senses and having fun with the music.[..]

While Sugarland was definitely the climax of the evening, the two openers managed to warm the audience up nicely. Gokey, the third place contestant in last year’s “American Idol” competition, was fun and lively. Owen showed his amazing range with light songs like “Yee Haw” and tender tunes like “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You.”

Read the full article here.

Country music blogger NashvilleGab.com has posted a recap / review of the May 6th Sugarland concert in Nampa, Idaho, featuring Julianne Hough and Danny Gokey in his first evening as an opening act for Sugarland’s “Incredible Machine” tour.

So Danny Gokey was first up.  Now not to burst the bubbles of the Danny fans in my readership, but I’m not a big Danny Gokey fan.  I didn’t eat up his CD like many others and I was never a fan when he was on American Idol.  That said, he really was much better live than I was expecting.  The stage had a huge black backdrop separating Sugarland’s stage so the opening acts didn’t have a chance to move around too much, but I have a feeling that even if Danny had four times as large a section of stage he still wouldn’t have moved around a whole heck of a lot.  He seems to be more the singing and getting it over sort of guy.  He talked a bit about his deceased wife, American Idol, and also encouraged the audience to text in a donation to help out the Nashville flooding.  He sang four songs, moved around a bit, and then was done.  Honestly, he has a great voice, much better than I was expecting, but definitely new to the entertainment aspect of things.  I’d really love to see him in another couple of years to see how he progresses.  And as a side note, the audience just ate him up.  He’s definitely one popular guy.

Read the entire review with photos and video here.

The parade of TV reality star openers started with former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey. Gokey’s soulful voice soared on his own original songs during his 20 minute set. Songs like “Be Somebody,” “I Will Not Say Goodbye” written in honor of his wife who passed away just a few weeks before his Idol audition, and his single “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” were technically sound and more soulful than his dull cover of Rascal Flatt’s “What Hurts The Most.” 

Awww, we love What Hurts the Most — but overall a great response for one of Danny’s first shows out with Sugarland.

Read the full concert review here  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700030675/Sugarland-cranks-out-sweet-tunes-at-the-E-Center.html

You can buy tickets to other upcoming shows for Sugarland through Ticketmaster.com; see dannygokey.com or our iheart calendar (the most complete anywhere!) for dates at which Danny will be appearing.

And don’t forget to pick up your Danny Gokey meet & greet pass with a modest donation to Danny’s foundation Sophia’s Heart for your Sugarland or other Danny Gokey concert experiences.