The bespectacled widower, who rose to acclaim as second runner-up on the last season of American Idol, has inked deal to record his debut country album with 19 Recordings/RCA Nashville — the official home of artists such as Jimmy Buffett, Sara Evans, Andy Griggs, and Martina McBride.

The season 8 Idol winner Kris Allen, runner-up Adam Lambert, and fourth place rocker chick Allison Iraheta will release their debut albums in November. Gokey’s deal marks the first time in show history that the final four contestants have been signed by the Idol-affiliated record label.

Danny Gokey is hanging up his mic and lacing up his dancing shoes.

The spectacled second runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol — whose dance moves were critically-panned by the Idol judges — will join the cast on the upcoming ninth season of the ABC ballroom reality show Dancing With The Stars, The National Enquirer has learned.

“…He’s convinced he can win it!” says an insider. “Danny may even have to rehearse his dance routines on the road this summer, but the Dancing producers have said they’d work around his schedule.”

Danny will reportedly join DWTS as soonas the Idols Live Summer Tour wraps up in September. According to The Enquirer spy, the 29-year-old Milwaukee native will dedicate his run on Dancing to the memoy of his late wife, Sophia, who passed away of cogenital heart failure just four weeks before Danny auditioned for Idol.

“He wants to raise money and awareness for Sophia’s Heart, the charitable foundation he started as a tribute to her,” The Enquirer reports. “That’s Danny’s chief motive for doing the dance show.”

Danny Gokey is mourning the loss of his grandfather. Less than a year after losing his wife to heart disease the American Idol 8 finalist is grieving the death of another family member. A source confirms to PEOPLE that Danny was back home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin over the weekend to attend funeral services for his grandpa.