Back in 2009, Danny Gokey won over the hearts of millions when he was on Season 8 of American Idol. He auditioned for the show just weeks after his wife’s death in 2008 and impressed the judges from week to week.
Gokey ended up finishing the season in third place behind winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert. He signed to a record label after his time on the show and began making music, eventually shifting from a mainstream country artist to a Christian singer.
It’s now been nearly 20 years since Gokey’s time on the show, so what is he up to now? Scroll down for the details on that and much more.
What is Danny Gokey doing now?
Gokey is continuing to release music and tour. His most recent album, Sound of Heaven, came out in 2024, but he’s also released various singles since then. Gokey mostly sings Christian music, both in English and Spanish. He is also a public speaker.
In addition to his music, Gokey also runs the Better Than I Found It organization, a non-profit he created after his first wife’s death. The charity helps other nonprofit organizations achieve their goals.
“We empower these communities by identifying worthy charitable organizations and compassionately providing them with spiritual refreshment and tangible resources to help continue or expand their reach,” the organization’s website says.
Is Danny Gokey married?
Yes, Gokey is married to model Leyicet Peralta. On November 30, 2011, the two eloped without telling anyone. Two months later, they had a larger wedding to celebrate.
“We met on Twitter,” Gokey revealed. “I saw her profile, and I was like, ‘Oh, she’s cute.’ I tweeted her in Spanish, and she tweeted back. Her friend set up her account, and her friend was a fan of mine, and he followed people for her, and I happened to be one of them.” The couple tied the knot just months after their interaction.
Peralta is Cuban and Peruvian. She is a former model and lived in Florida when she first met Gokey. Their family now lives in Tennessee, and Peralta “flips houses for sport,” per K-Love.
What happened to Danny Gokey’s first wife?
Gokey met his first wife, Sophia Martinez, when he was just 17 years old in 1997. They were high school sweethearts and tied the knot in 2004.
Martinez died on July 9, 2008, due to complications from a routine surgery for a congenital heart defect. She was just 27 years old.
Does Danny Gokey have kids?
Yes, Gokey and his wife have four children: Daniel, Victoria, Gabriel, and Emanuel. He and Martinez did not have any children together before her death.