Danny Gokey Announces First Headline Tour, THE HOPE ENCOUNTER Tour

GRAMMY® nominee, Dove Award winner, and Capitol recording artist, Danny Gokey is gearing up for his first-ever headline tour with this fall's Hope Encounter. Also featuring GRAMMY® nominee Tauren Wells and breakout artist Riley Clemmons, the tour will hit 29 markets across the country, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and more. Produced by general market powerhouse Outback Concerts, the tour will play mostly theaters and performing arts centers.

"It's been a dream of mine since American Idol to headline my own major tour," says Gokey. "That platform opened my eyes to the power of mixing hope with entertainment. Hearing a message of hope at just the right time can truly make an impact in someone's life. Getting this opportunity is a dream come true! I love touring, being with fans, and seeing first-hand how the music can encourage people in a time in our society where hope (mixed with a little fun) is so desperately needed."

Hope Encounter tickets pre-sale takes place Tuesday, May 29, with an email push to Gokey's fan list. Venue pre-sales launch in each market at 10 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, May 30. National on-sale date is Friday, June 1, at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets for the Eugene, OR date will go on sale at noon on June 1st at the Hult Center ticket office as well as online and by phone.

"The process of creating the tour has really been awesome," continues Gokey. "I can't wait to hit the stage with Tauren and Riley - they are both crazy good and I love their fresh sound. We've also brought in uber-creative director Laurieann Gibson, who has worked with everyone from Michael Jackson to Katy Perry, to design the show and help me take it to another level."

Gokey continues, "My purpose with this tour is that people walk away entertained, inspired, empowered, and that hope invades every area of their lives."

Gokey became a favorite of millions of fans as a Top 3 finalist on Season 8 of American Idol. His first album, My Best Days, debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Since then, the Wisconsin native has celebrated a series of #1 album debuts, including his first award-winning holiday album, Christmas Is Here, as well as singles including the recently Gold-certified "Tell Your Heart to Beat Again" and "Hope In Front of Me." Gokey's latest album, Rise, reached #1 on the Billboard Top Christian Album chart and garnered his first Grammy nomination. Its title track, marked his third, multi-week, multi-chart #1 single.

Tauren Wells, a four-time GRAMMY® nominee, debuted Hills and Valleys - his first full-length solo project - in July 2017, just prior to hitting arenas on the Lionel Richie/Mariah Carey 22-city "All the Hits Tour." The album's title track was one of the most streamed Christian songs of 2017, according to Spotify, and currently registers over 50 million total streams. The official music video and lyric video have combined views exceeding 25 million. His single, "Undefeated," also served as the soundtrack for the internet-famous Dude Perfect's "World Records Edition" episode on YouTube which, along with another Dude Perfect video featuring the No. 1 single "Love Is Action," has garnered more than 100 million views combined. Wells made history earlier this year by landing singles in both the #1 ("All My Hope (ft. Tauren Wells)" by Crowder) and #2 ("When We Pray") spots simultaneously on national radio charts.

Riley Clemmons is an 18-year-old, Nashville-based singer/songwriter signed to Capitol Christian Music Group. Her debut single, "Broken Prayers," skyrocketed at radio upon its release in early 2018 and the music video earned over a million views on YouTube in less than two months. The single has now crossed over ten million global streams. Most recently, Riley was featured on the song and music video for Social Club Misfit's radio single "Misfit Anthem" and mainstream DJ, Tritonal's "Out My Mind." Her upcoming full-length debut album releases August 3, 2018.

"The Hope Encounter" Tour

*Dates subject to change without notice.

** On Sale date for St. Paul, Sioux Falls & Fresno To Be Announced

September 20 Peoria, IL

September 21 Sioux Falls, SD

September 22 St. Paul, MN

September 23 Champaign, IL

September 27 Columbus, OH

September 28 Lancaster, PA

September 29 Wilkes Barre, PA

September 30 Stamford, CT

October 4 Louisville, KY

October 5 Atlanta, GA

October 6 Jacksonville, FL

October 7 St. Petersburg, FL

October 11 Oklahoma City, OK

October 12 Albuquerque, NM

October 13 Phoenix, AZ

October 14 Los Angeles, CA

October 16 Fresno, CA

October 18 Rocklin, CA

October 19 Eugene, OR

October 20 Portland, OR

October 21 Seattle, WA

October 23 Nampa, ID

October 25 Salt Lake City, UT

October 26 Denver, CO

October 27 Topeka, KS

November 1 Charlotte, NC

November 2 Knoxville, TN

November 3 Evansville, IN

November 4 Chattanooga, TN