Shout for joy! With summer fully upon us the social horizon is beginning to look better than it did at the beginning of 2021. Canceled shows and concerts from last year are finding their way back to local venues, outdoor (and most indoor) attractions are up and running.

As exciting as that is, recent conversations with a couple of recording artists suggest the (cringe!) new normal will be a little different. Danny Gokey, who many know from his top 3 slot on American Idol alongside Adam Lambert and winner Kris Allen a dozen years ago, opened up recently about life and touring after the pandemic.

Danny is a devoted family man, and enjoys time with his wife, Leyicet, and their four children. When the shutdowns punched the music industry right in its touring gut last year, he found himself able to spend more consecutive days at home than he has since he walked off the Idol stage in 2009. And he liked it. In the last year, he's collaborated on recordings with several top artists including Koryn Hawthorne, Belonging Company and bilingual recordings with Evan Craft and Christine D'Clario.

Known for amazing dancing during his shows, when I caught up with him in early March last year, he was out of breath from rehearsing for his Spring tour. However, before the tour could even launch, it was canceled as venues around the country closed their doors. More recently, a decidedly more composed man sat down with me for a few minutes as we talked about his abbreviated Spring 2021 tour which stopped in Dunn, North Carolina.

When I asked Danny what he thought about touring life going forward, he didn't hesitate. “I'm not going to do as many shows,” he said. “I was doing 120 dates a year, and I'm not going to do that any more.” As a Gospel Music Association Dove Award Winner with at least three Grammy nominations, I asked Danny how he planned to make up the difference from his previous level of touring income. “I don't think it's about making it up,” he quickly answered. “It's about deciding what's most important,” and indicated connecting with fans is important, but family takes priority over that.

The sentiment was echoed by Colton Dixon, another American Idol alumnus, who became a father to twin girls Dior and Athens during the pandemic-related shutdowns. Colton recently missed a local tour date due to a COVID outbreak among tour crew, and seemed almost relieved about it when we spoke just before Father's Day. Going forward he says, “I'll be more selective about what dates I agree to.”

While you might not see Colton nearby this summer, you can catch a performance of his latest single, “Made To Fly” on ABC's “Good Morning America” on July 9. The song begins with a nod to his own father, who he says was a strong and positive influence in his life. And as we begin to see less of him and other favorites in concert in the near future, we can likely count on the fact that's what's happening in their homes. As fathers, mothers, husbands and wives, the artists we know and love are having more and better influence in their own homes.

 Pictured Above: Danny Gokey (Photo Coutesy www.facebook.com/DannyGokeyOffical/)

Pictured Left: Colton Dixion (Photo Coutesy www.billboard.com)