danny - my american idol

i have always enjoyed watching american idol and this season was no different. it's just that it seemed a little more personal this year. one of the top 12 finalists, danny gokey, was from milwaukee. of course, i felt i should support and root for the local boy. actually i really like his voice, but also what type of person he is.

for those of you who don't follow, danny made it to the final 3 and was voted off last night. in hindsight, i think it was more disappointing for all of his fans than for him. listening to him in interviews last night and today, (of course he was the main news story today in the milwaukee area), he tells of his relief.

his story is a rather sad one. he was happily married and his wife died less than a year ago, early last summer due to congenital heart problems. sophia was going in for her third heart surgery since birth and didn't survive. she had encouraged him to try out so he did so to honor her and did amazingly well. danny is/was also a youth music director at his church so a lot of his songs have a gospel feel to them.

i noticed as the season went on, little was said about his wife and he even stopped wearing his wedding ring. he did have it on again last night when he was voted off, i sensed he knew he might be going home. what he has said since is that he feels free again now, free to be able to talk about sophia and her inspiration to him and his love for her. he no longer has to listen to advice given to him by those at american idol and worry about if he wears his ring he might not get as many votes, or if he talks about sophia or his work at his church he might turn people off. he said he can now concentrate on the foundation he started for children in sophia's name, www.sophiasheart.org, and talk freely about her and his experience. yes, danny admitted, he is competitive in nature so a part of him wanted to win, but if he had, he would have been under contract from idol, and not able to do what he wanted to do.

i also learned in an interview with his brother that no family members are allowed to talk to the media while their relative is in the competition. it really makes me realize how controlled the entire competition is and only what the dirctors want to portray to the public is shown, so that we may never get to really see the person for who he or she is.

for that i am glad that danny was voted off. now he is able to pursue his foundation in sophia name. he made a name for himself while on the show and i can't help but think he will be able to do wonderful things in his wife's name. and he can now also publicly talk and grieve for her if he so chooses. he can also talk about his music ministry with the youth in his church. he will still be my american idol for what he stands for and believes in.

i'm glad i got to see another side of these reality shows. i will continue to watch idol in the future but i know i will never look at it the same, i will always wonder if what we are seeing is what is really reality.