Danny Gokey hasn't just set his sights on landing a recording contract once the American Idol summer tour is over. He wants an eyewear deal as well.
"I want to come out with a line of glasses," says the third-place finisher, known for his fashionable array of eyewear. "And hopefully somehow tie into the foundation [his deceased wife Sophia's Heart Foundation]. Maybe some of the proceeds can help whatever we try to do for the foundation. I would really like to start a Danny line or a Gokey line."
Danny says he started out the season of Idol with only 15 pairs of glasses, but since appearing on the show, "glasses have been raining out of the sky," and he's up to more than 50 pairs.
He also says he'd like to model.
In addition to having his own line of eyewear, the Milwaukee singer says he'd jump at the chance to model glasses as well. "I would love to be an eyeglass model. I'm serious," he says. "That would be so cool. I haven't been offered anything yet, because I'm just leaving the American Idol bubble right now. I hope I made glasses cool for kids. That was kind of the word that I got on the street—that kids were kind of excited to wear glasses again."
In case it wasn't clear: "On the record, I would love to do anything glasses-wise," he adds.
Oh, and for the record, the heart that Danny's been making with his hands all season? That has nothing to do with the LensCrafters commercials featuring the same symbol. It's just a coincidence, Danny insists: "It has no affiliation with a glasses company." Instead, the singer says the heart symbol stems from a photo of a child doing that symbol that's been up on his website, www.sophiasheart.org, since December 2008.
"It's my symbol for my music," he explains. "It has no affiliation with a glasses company. I did some research on it, and they started their campaign April 16."
Now we'll have to see if fans heart Danny's eyewear as much as they do the singer himself.