Danny Gokey's Performance of "Jesus Take the Wheel" on American Idol's March 17 Show

On Tuesday, March 17 2009, the Top 11 contestants of American Idol Season 8 took the stage. The night was filled with great performances, barely including that of Danny Gokey, whose mediocre singing voice has somehow carried him into the Top 11. Danny sang Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel."

Blue lights flashed upon the stage, the camera pivoted, and out of the shadows stepped Danny Gokey, wearing an outfit that Simon Powell said made him look like he was "Going on some sort of Polar expedition." Indeed, Danny's outfit was atrocious: a white jacket resembling a windbreaker that closed over a bland gray shirt, and equally bland jeans. The collar of the jacket was too big and made Danny look far too stocky. I suppose whoever dressed him was trying to go for a slimming and wholesome look, but it just ended up being awkward.

Danny's singing was much less awkward, but not in the beginning, and this is why I said his performance was "barely" great. In a trend I've seen repeated in hundreds of American Idol performances, he started off quiet and slow, in keeping with the opening melody of "Jesus Take the Wheel." This would have worked out beautifully in the hands of a more talented singer, but unfortunately, Danny's voice isn't really suited for singing quietly. He seemed to struggle when hitting the lower notes in the beginning of the song, which made the end of each line fall flat. But even with the flat notes, he did a pretty good job keeping emotion on his face and in his voice. This was essential to the performance, since he was singing a song that told a life-changing story.

After the somewhat clumsy introduction, the music swelled, and Danny's voice rose to burst with the power that has made him a favorite American Idol contestant this season. He emoted very well, and hit each note nearly perfectly, with a passion that invoked the true meaning of the song. I have definitely heard better singers, but when it comes to singing with emotion, it's hard to get much better than Danny Gokey (on American Idol, anyway). The last half of the performance saved the entire thing from being a failure. It was truly a joy to hear Danny singing with what seemed to be a sincere emotion.

All in all, Danny Gokey's performance of "Jesus Take the Wheel" was an average one. Not spectacular, all things considered, but it definitely showed off his vocal talent.