Why So Many AMERICAN IDOL Contestants are Christian: ‘Back to Their Roots’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Danny Gokey is sharing his thoughts on why so many AMERICAN IDOL contestants are also Christians.
“A lot of these people who made the show were raised in church, sang in church, and who’ve put faith in Christ Jesus,” he explained, pointing to contestants like Lauren Daigle, Jordin Sparks, Colton Dixon, Kris Allen, Phil Stacey, Mandisa and Melinda Doolittle.
Gokey continued, “But AMERICAN IDOL, I think there’s just such an influence that churches had. Music is a huge part of church. That’s where I got my start, that’s where many people got their start. So they’re always going back to their roots.”
Gokey got his start on AMERICAN IDOL. “Following Jesus is my No. 1 priority in life,” he said of working in Christian music.
“To this day, I now do Christian music full time, and it’s still the same DNA,” he continued. “It probably wouldn’t have mattered what kind of music I did. I think the DNA of hope and belief in God is intrinsically in my DNA and in my music.”
Last season, competitor Megan Danielle was praised by judge Luke Bryan for auditioning with Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”
“What I love about you — I mean, we’re way beyond loving your voice, is you’re — you know, you’re never scared to tell everybody your faith,” the country star told Danielle.
Danielle spoke about her faith while competing on the show, explaining that AMERICAN IDOL “gave me an opportunity to share my love of God.”
“I want to be able to just lead people where the world is missing and the world is missing God. That’s what I strongly believe. And I want to really do better for myself and lead people in the right direction,” she concluded.
Movieguide® previously reported on another AMERICAN IDOL contestant who proclaimed her faith on the talent show:
Zach Williams and Dolly Parton just reacted to an “awesome” cover of their song “There Was Jesus” by an AMERICAN IDOL contestant.
“The other day I was working with @dollyparton and we watched McKenna Breinholt’s audition performance of our song ‘There Was Jesus’ on @AmericanIdol,” Williams tweeted. “Dolly saw it for the first time so we filmed this reaction.”
In the video Williams posted, Brienholt explained that she was adopted. After recently coming into contact with her birth family, Brienholt discovered that they were all musical. During her audition, some members of her biological family surprised her — Brienholt had previously only met them on FaceTime.
“That’s sweet she chose our song,” Parton said after watching Brienholt’s audition.
The pair then addressed the AMERICAN IDOL contestant, with Williams saying, “What an awesome thing it was to see you use our song on AMERICAN IDOL. We’re just praying blessings for you and your family.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
