Danny Gokey continues to demonstrate his musical success earning chart-topping hits and award nominations, including three Grammy nominations. But few are aware of the debilitating fear that nearly kept him from catching his big break, a story Gokey is now sharing in a new short film from I Am Second, a storytelling organization.
I Am Second is known for delivering powerful and inspiring stories of lives changed. Its website, iamsecond.com, features more than 100 short films featuring celebrities, cultural influencers and everyday people. Gokey joins a number of musicians, including fellow American Idol alum Jason Castro, KoRn’s Brian Head Welch and Country Artist Josh Turner, in opening up about his personal journey.
Though Gokey has always been vocal about his faith in God, fear has been a constant battle since he was a young child, as he shares in the I Am Second film. This was only propelled by the death of his wife Sophia, four years into their marriage.
Yet, it was the tragedy of Sophia’s death that led Gokey to audition for American Idol, a promise he had made to his late wife. But as he progressed through the audition process, the deep fear he had fought since childhood grew.
In the film, Gokey acknowledges, “You know as a young kid, I didn’t believe Christ was enough. I believed there was Christ plus ‘now I’ve got to do X, Y, and Z.’ One of the most profound things that I’ve learned in my walk with Christ is that He…is…enough.”
“When I finally made it to the top 50, I literally looked at God and said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on here, but I do not want to go on this TV show. I’m a mess, and I’m going to look like a mess in front of all these people,’” Gokey said.
In the I Am Second short film, available now on iamsecond.com, Gokey shares how he overcame his fear, which led him to not only placing third in the competition but also inspiring millions of viewers with his and Sophia’s story.