In the wake of tragedy, the world discovered former Wisconsin church-music director Danny Gokey and his uplifting, gospel-trained soul during his run on the eighth season of American Idol. Spurred on by his late wife's wishes, Gokey auditioned for the competition only four weeks after her death, eventually landing third place with spirited takes on classics like “Stand By Me” and “You Are So Beautiful.” Since then, he's shifted from pristine Christian pop to the more earthbound grooves of contemporary country, spreading earnest messages of hope through slick, radio-ready twang and pushing his impressive tenor toward the clouds.