The Unofficial Danny Gokey Fan Site

Listen to James Durbin’s "Love Me Bad"

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:45:19 +0000

Did you hear it? Season 10′s rocker, James Durbin, debuted his new single, “Love Me Bad” on Ryan Seacrest‘s morning radio show. If you missed it or if you want to rock out again, listen here on Ryan’s website.

The fourth place finalist also revealed to Ryan that he had to postpone the recording of “Love Me Bad” due to vocal strain. Hear more.

James’ debut album, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster, drops on November 21^st. Preorder the album on iTunes.

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Scotty and Lauren to Appear at ACAs

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:45:19 +0000

Season 10′s Top 2, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, will appear at the second annual American Country Awards this December. Scotty is also nominated in the Artist of the Year: New Artist category. You have ten more days to vote for your favorite American Country Awards nominees including Scotty, Carrie Underwood, and Kelly Clarkson.

Vote for the Idols now!

Are you the ultimate country fan? Enter GSN’s contest for a chance to meet Scotty!

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Idols in the News

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:45:19 +0000

As the holidays approach, the Idol alumni get busy with new music and special performances. See what some of your favorites are up to.

Season 6 star Melinda Doolittle released her first Christmas song, an original called “God Bless Us Everyone,” which is now available on iTunes. Melinda will pay tribute to Aretha Franklin when she performs at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum’s American Music Masters Series Honoring Aretha Franklin. The event takes place on November 5 at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre in Cleveland, OH. On November 12, Melinda will perform at the Aurora Actionaires 36^th Annual Benefit Dinner at Gaslite Manor in Aurora, IL. Your ticket donation will help provide scholarships to high school grads. Then, on November 29^th, Melinda will join Amy Grant for the Lighting of the Green, a Nashville tradition, kicking off the holiday season at David Lipscomb University.

The video for Season 7 winner David Cook‘s new single, “Fade Into Me,” premiered today. The video includes footage of David on tour. Watch it on David’s official site. Catch David on tour with Gavin DeGraw and Carolina Liar now.

See Season 7′s Syesha Mercado will perform at Upright Cabaret’s American Icon Series on November 14^th at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and the show will be held at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA.

<… read more
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Kellie Pickler Announces Upcoming Album

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:45:19 +0000

Kellie Pickler will release her third album, 100 Proof, on January 24, 2012. “I’m just happy to be making country music,” said Kellie. “I hope everyone enjoys the new music as much as I’ve enjoyed making it!”

The Season 5 finalist set out to get back to her southern roots on 100 Proof and make a traditional and fresh sounding country album. To help her achieve her goals she enlisted producers Frank Liddell (Miranda Lambertand Lee Ann Womack) and Luke Wooten.

The album-opener “Where’s Tammy Wynette” (written by Jimmy Ritchey, Don Poythress and Leslie Satcher) sets the tone of 100 Proof with its raw and unconventional sound. Kellie co-wrote 6 of the 11 songs on 100 Proof including “Long As I Never See You Again,” which she wrote with famed songwriters Dean Dillon and Dale Dodson.

Fans can pre-order the 11songalbum,100 Proof, now on Amazon.

Last week, Kellie helped the Opry go pink! Learn more about her charitable performance.

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Lauren Alaina’s Charity Concert in Chattanooga

admin@dangokey.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:45:12 +0000

Season 10′s runner-up, Lauren Alaina, will perform at the US101 Country concert on December 7^th to benefit Christmas for Kids and the Forgotten Child Fund. The performance will take place at Track 29 in Chattanooga, TN at 7pm with special guest Jacob Lyda. Tickets will be $20 (plus applicable fees) and are on sale now. Find tickets.

The Georgia native will perform at Tim & Willy’s 20^th Anniversary Christmas Breakfast Show at Night to benefit the Kids FUNDation at Phoenix, AZ’s Celebrity Theater on December 2, 2011. Season 6 American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will perform at the show too!

Don’t forget to pick up Lauren’s brand new debut album, Wildflower.

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Kelly and Daughtry Top the Charts

admin@dangokey.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:45:11 +0000

American Idol’s first champion, Kelly Clarkson, is still as successful as ever. According to USA Today’s Brian Mansfield, Kelly moved into the Top 5 on the Hot AC (Adult Contemporary) airplay chart with her latest single, “Mr. Know It All,” off her album, Stronger, which was released last week. The single is also within the Top 20 on the Top 40 and AC charts. Meanwhile, megastar Chris Daughtry reached the Top 20 on the Hot AC charts with “Crawling Back To You” and on the Mainstream Rock charts with “Renegade.” Daughtry’s third studio album, Break The Spell, drops on November 21^st!

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Happy Birthday, Amanda Overmyer!

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:44:41 +0000

Season 7 finalist Amanda Overmyer celebrated her 27th birthday on the 26th. The motorcycle-riding nurse from Indiana made it to the Top 11 of her season. Her smoky voice, rocker roots, and two-toned hair made her stand out from the crowd. Amanda wasn’t afraid to sing rock music by artists and bands such as Janis Joplin, The Doors, and Joan Jett.

In the months following Amanda’s time on American Idol, she worked on her debut album. The CD, Solidify, was released on December 10, 2008 via Chile Records. This hard rock album included 12 tracks.

Lately, Amanda has been touring around the country and performing her music. In 2009, Amanda performed in her hometown of Lafayette, Indiana to an audience of almost 14,000 people.

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

View photos of Amanda performing on American Idol.

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Happy Birthday, Justin Guarini!

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:44:41 +0000

American Idol’s first runner-up, Justin Guarini, celebrates his birthday today. Justin had one of the most eventful years of his life, performing on Broadway and welcoming a son!

Justin made his Broadway debut in 2010 as Carlos in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Lincoln Center Theater. Then, in February, Justin joined the cast of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical American Idiot as Will. An even more important Will entered Justin’s life on April 26, when he and wife Reina welcomed a son named William Neko Bell Guarini. Justin also took park in some regional performances of Rent (as Roger) and Chicago (as Billy) this year.

What’s next for Justin? He tweeted this week: “In South Philly working on music for the ABC Thanksgiving Day Parade…”

Happy Birthday, Justin!

View photos from the first season of American Idol.

Photo credit: Matt Beard

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Happy Haleyween!

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:44:41 +0000

In the spirit of Halloween, Season 10′s Haley Reinhart is creating a photo gallery on her official site of her fans in Halloween costumes. Using #haleyween, tweet @haleyreinhart a picture of you in your Halloween costume and automatically be featured in her gallery.

Check out the gallery and add your own photo, here.

See the great outfits Haley wore throughout her American Idol journey.

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Design Boots for Lauren Alaina

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:44:41 +0000

Lauren Alaina, country music sensation, former American Idol runner-up and an avid fan of cowboy boots now has her hands in the design realm. In celebration of the release of her album Wildflower, Lauren is inviting artists to submit a design for a pair of Justin Boots for the chance to have them produced and worn by her. This is an incredible opportunity for aspiring artists to have their design worn by an American idol. Get the details and get started!

Check out some of the cook kicks Lauren sported during Season 10 of American Idol.

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Tweets of the Week: Baseball, Halloween, and Everything in Between

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:44:41 +0000

Some of your favorite American Idol alumni and crew are tweeting up a storm on Twitter. While you wait for the Idol Community on AmericanIdol.com to be back up and running, join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

Here are the tweets of the week:

CHRIS_Daughtry Chris Daughtry
Test test….is thing on? lockerz.com/s/151044665

MichaelOrland Michael Orland
@CHRIS_Daughtry Sing great tonight. Can’t wait to watch and listen. What the frick!!!! Miss ya

Ta_Tynisa Ta-Tynisa Wilson
Miss my @PiaToscano twitpic.com/774tx5

RayChewLive Ray Chew
Working on my next big event – honoring the legacy of Motown @CarnegieHall. What Motown classics do u want 2 hear live w/ a full orchestra?

KrisAllen Kris Allen
I make the coolest beats in the world……. read more
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Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson are “Divas” Again

admin@dangokey.com — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:44:29 +0000

VH1′s beloved, popular franchise, VH1 Divas, returns and will pay tribute to the cities where soul gave birth to music’s most powerful classics and inspired today’s divas. American Idol Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, Season 3 star Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Florence + The Machine, and Jessie J will pay homage to these cities and soul music’s timeless classics at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom. VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul premieres Monday, December 19. Kelly and Jennifer were performers at the 2009 Divas concert too!

“This years’ telecast will showcase the vast impact soul music has had on the 21st century’s music and pop culture landscape as our talented and diverse lineup will attest,” said Lee Rolontz, EVP, Original Music Production & Development, VH1 and VH1 Classic. “This year’s Divas offers a modern twist on soul music, all while tipping its hat to the legacy of key cities that created this musical heritage.”

VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul will bring together some of the best singers across the globe, men and women alike, to honor the soulful cities that inspired these divas and their art. The cities honored include: Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia. Accompanied by one of the most exciting groups of modern soul, The Roots, with ?uestlove as musical director, each diva will pay tribute through not only their own soul-inspired songs, but some of the greatest classics that have shaped a genre.

As in previous years, this edition of VH1 Divas will benefit VH1 Save The Music Foundation and its programs to restore music … read more
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Kris Allen News: Halo Awards and Live Chat

admin@dangokey.com — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:44:29 +0000

Season 8′s American Idol, Kris Allen, walked the red carpet at the Teen Nick Halo Awards last night on behalf of Donorschoose.org and Music Empowers, two charities that Kris supports. The award show honors teens that make a difference in their community.

Don’t forget to join Little Pawns, the Official Kris Allen street team, to participate in a members-only chat with the Idol TONIGHT, Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10pm ET/7pm PT.

Last year, American Idol was welcomed to the home of Kris Allen in Arkansas. Watch the video.

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Happy Birthday, Didi Benami!

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:44:08 +0000

Season 9′s tenth place finalist, Didi Benami, celebrates her 25^th birthday today! The Knoxville native was inspired to go on American Idol to pursue the music of her late best friend, Rebecca Joy Lear. Didi impressed the judges at her Los Angeles audition with her performance of “Hey Jude.” It was during Hollywood week when Didi really became a stand-out with the Kara DioGuardi penned song by Katharine McPhee, “Terrified.”

After becoming a semi-finalist on Season 9, America voted and Didi was safe every week of the competition until her Top 10 elimination during R&B/Soul week. As the tenth place finalist, Didi got to kick off the night of performances at each stop around the country on the American Idols LIVE! 2010 Tour. Read more about Didi’s experience on tour.

This year, Didi co-hosted the Season 10 finale red carpet for AmericanIdol.com alongside Season 6′s Brandon Rogers. Watch Didi interview Lauren Alaina after the finale.

Didi will be performing at a charity concert and dinnerweekendat the Grand Lucayan, Bahamas on November 11, and she’s chosen to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/musicgives). read more
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Siobhan Magnus’ Halloween Concert

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:44:08 +0000

Season 9′s Siobhan Magnus announced her first solo Boston concert event. Siobhan has been writing and recording since January and will showcase her first collection of original songs at an unconventional Hallowe’en Dreams Concert and Celebration at The Wilbur Theatre on Sunday October 30th. Siobhan says to look for lots of spooky tricks and treats!

Autumn has always been Siobhan’s favorite time of year, so what better time to release her first album on CD and online than with a major Boston show? Concert goers are invited to enjoy her theatrical rock show and to compete in a full scale costume contest on the night of the show. Winners will be invited to a very special private party in Boston with Siobhan on Halloween itself, Monday night October 31st.

The past eight months saw Siobhan appearances at both Red Sox and Celtics games plus her first self-produced concert event at The Cape Cod Melody Tent in June to a packed house and rave reviews. She also appeared with The Boston Pops at Cape Cod’s “Pops By The Sea” concert in August.

Siobhan’s collection of new, original songs was written and recorded in Nashville with an Australian production team but there is nothing “country” in the content. Siobhan’s love for all musical genres, notably alternate rock may be heard by listening to her first single, “Beatrice Dream,” which was released on iTunes in May.

A second single release, “Black Doll,” is an homage to Cape Cod illustrator Edward Gorey, whose books and works have been a major influence on Siobhan as evidenced by the Gorey tattoo she sports proudly on her arm. Black Doll will be released … read more
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Catching Up With Diana DeGarmo

admin@dangokey.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:44:08 +0000

Season 3′s runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, has made quite a versatile career for herself since soaring to the American Idol finale. On Monday, October 31^st, she will make her debut on The Young and the Restless as Angelina, the Jersey-girl daughter of mob boss Angelo (Mike Starr). We hopped on the phone with the 24-year-old to find out about the character and life after American Idol!

Diana landed the role as Angelina by performing at the right place at the right time. “I booked the part thanks to a performance of Hairspray I was in at the Hollywood Bowl in early August. The right people from Y&R were in the audience and were pleased with my performance, and apparently they saw me as a perfect fit for the gum-smacking Jersey girl who can’t sing.”

That’s what is so funny-Diana, who is obviously an amazing singer, has been cast as a character who sings poorly! “Angelina is a fantastic character, and I’m never afraid of a challenge. In comedy there’s no vanity. It’s a lot of fun because you get to throw the ego out and belt out whatever comes. It’s challenging because singers can hear the melody in songs, and they’re throwing some standards my way, so it’s pretty funny to ignore that. The looks on the cast and crew’s faces are pretty great. The performance is not to be missed; it starts on Halloween. You’ll see Angelina about once a week as she comes in to stir things up in Genoa City and cause trouble. I acted a lot on Broadway, but this is my first time acting … read more
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Kelly Clarkson’s "Stronger" is Available Now

admin@dangokey.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:43:21 +0000

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for…Kelly Clarkson‘s fifth studio album, Stronger, is available now wherever music is sold. The first American Idol continues to be one of the hottest pop stars nine years after her Idol win.

The first single off of Stronger was “ Mr. Know It All,” and it topped the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, giving Kelly her 61st Billboard #1!

The track list for Stronger is:

01 Mr. Know It All
02 What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)
03 Dark Side
04 Honestly
05 You Love Me
06 Einstein
07 Standing In Front Of You
08 I Forgive You
09 Hello
10 The War Is Over
11 Let Me Down
12 You Can’t Win
13 Breaking Your Own Heart

Kelly will be hitting up the talk show circuit to perform music from her new album. Upcoming Kelly events:

10/25: The Today Show (performance)
10/26: The View
10/27: The Today Show (interview)
10/28: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
11/18: VH1′s Unplugged

Thanks, Kelly Clarkson, for giving us a decade of great music!

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Pre-order James Durbin’s Upcoming Album

admin@dangokey.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:43:21 +0000

Season 10 rocker James Durbin‘s official store is now live and his new album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster, is available for pre-order in CD or MP3 format. Shop now (http://bit.ly/oTG4Re) for pre-order bundles featuring an exclusive t-shirt, a limited edition, autographed lithograph, and a patch.

If you are a member of James Durbin’s official e-news list, look out for an email later today that will include a 10% OFF COUPON for the merch store. If you are not on his mailing list, sign up now (http://bit.ly/nVTOG2). The coupon code will be re-sent in next week’s E-news update.

Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster drops on November 21^st. See the full track list.

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James Durbin’s New Site and Flickr Group

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:42:25 +0000

Season 10′s James Durbin will release his debut album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster, one month from today! Check out his newly revamped website, DurbinRock.com. In addition, join the Official James Durbin Fan Group at Flickr and add your own collection of James Durbin photos and artwork to the group pool. Your images will also show up on DurbinRock.com’s Fan Group Photos page for all the other Durbinators to see!

Also, Durbinators can talk about the album on Twitter using the hashtag #MOABD.

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Nominee Selections People’s Choice Awards

admin@dangokey.com — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:42:25 +0000

People’s Choice Awards 2012 has posted their nominee selections, and American Idol, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Hudson were all recognized. Vote for them and write in your favorite Idols in the music category. Vote often to make sure your favorites make the top 5. Then come back on November 8th to start voting for the official nominees as chosen by you!

VOTE NOW

Favorite TV Competition Show
American Idol

Favorite Female Artist
Jennifer Lopez

Favorite Song of the Year
“On The Floor”
Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

Favorite R&B Artist
Jennifer Hudson

Favorite Music Video
“On The Floor”
Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

In January, American Idol took home the Favorite Competition Show award for the fifth time!

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