This past Sunday night, three-time GRAMMY nominee and American Idol alum Danny Gokey was surprised with a plaque presentation celebrating the RIAA Gold Certification of his debut CCM single "Hope In Front Of Me." The surprise presentation took place in the middle of a sold-out stop on the Jesus People Tour in Gokey's hometown of Milwaukee, with the commemorative plaque presented by Christian radio veteran Chris Hauser and Gokey's longtime manager, Penny Railey. This marks the third gold certification of Gokey's career, following the gold certification of his singles "Tell Your Heart to Beat Again" and "Haven't Seen It Yet."
 
"Wow, what an amazing surprise to find out my single went gold in front of a hometown audience of family and friends!" said Gokey. "It's always an honor to celebrate a milestone like this, especially since this was my very first CCM radio release! And what an honor to have my first radio promoter, Chris Hauser, there to help with the surprise! I'm truly grateful to all the people who were early supporters of what has now become a longstanding career!"
 
"Hope in Front of Me" was co-written by Danny Gokey, Bernie Herms, and Brett James and produced by Bernie Herms (Josh Groban, Casting Crowns, and Natalie Grant). It was released to Christian radio on January 24, 2014. Written as a message of hope in dark times, "Hope in Front of Me" peaked at number 1 and spent four weeks on top of the Billboard Christian Audience chart.
 
"Danny has a big voice and a big heart that shines through in all that he does both on and off stage, so it was especially gratifying to surprise him with this achievement," said Railey, Gokey's longtime manager.  "His love for God and people, in addition to his soulful talent, have always made him a joy to work with. It's truly an honor to have been a part of his journey this far!"
 
The sold-out Milwaukee concert was the 12th sell-out of Gokey's Jesus People spring tour. Prior to that evening's show, Gokey spent time earlier in the day serving alongside his nonprofit Better Than I Found It, hosting a bus stop giveback event where they distributed groceries and food staples along with $8,000 in grocery gift cards to local residents in need.
 
To learn more about Danny Gokey's music and his nonprofit, Better Than I Found It, visit DannyGokey.com.