‘Idol’ Alum Danny Gokey Announces Dates for His ‘Celebrate Christmas’ Tour

It’s Christmas in July for Danny Gokey fans! The “American Idol” season 8 finalist just announced the dates for his annual “Celebrate Christmas” tour. 2025 marks the 10th year that Gokey and Christian music star Natalie Grant have toured together for the holiday season. 

Gokey and Grant sang their announcement in a cute Instagram video that features them sitting by a pool. “We’re creating Christmas songs, I mean for goodness sakes guys,” Gokey joked. “We want you to come out … It’s an awesome night.”

The singer continued, “Listen, we do all the classic songs, but we worship Jesus. We bring it all around.” The tour will run from December 4 through December 21 and visit various cities in the U.S. Tickets officially go on sale Friday July 18 but can also be purchased during the pre-sale on Wednesday July 16.

Danny Gokey’s Musical Journey

In 2008, Gokey competed on “American Idol” at the urging of his wife Sophia, who passed away during a routine surgery just weeks before his audition. It was Gokey’s Christian faith that got him through those tough times, but he had yet to blend it into his music. 

Following his third-place win on “Idol,” Gokey pursued a career in country music, releasing his album “My Best Days” in 2010. It was not a commercial success, and Gokey then shifted his focus towards faith-based music. His 2014 album “Hope in Front of Me” rose to the top spot on Christian album charts. 

“I was really thrilled with the reception that people gave me,” the singer told Billboard. “God always uses everything for your good and I loved the fact that God’s plans prevailed in my life.” In 2021, Gokey released the album “Jesus People” which also debuted at no. 1.

Danny Gokey’s Giving Spirit

In addition to Gokey’s musical success, he has a loving family as well. He and his second wife Leyicet have been married since 2011 and share four children together, Daniel, 12, Victoria, 10, Gabriel, 7, and Emanuel, 5. 

Gokey loves to give back and has even started his own charity, Better Than I Found It. The organization aims to help those in need, and Gokey is very hands-on. In June, he and his wife worked a shift at a Dominos in La Vergne, Tennessee. Along with delivering pizzas, the couple delivered pizza boxes full of cash to members of the community. 

The mayor of La Vergne, Jason Cole, thanked Gokey for “his incredible generosity and for consistently blessing the lives of so many in our La Vergne community.”