19 Recordings signs Danny Gokey, the first time ever it has signed all final four

Conspicuously unsigned American Idol 8 finalist Danny Gokey has signed a record deal with 19 Entertainment, making season eight “the first time in the show’s history that Idol’s recording arm has signed the entire final four,” USA TODAY reports.

Danny signed with 19 Recordings/RCA Nashville and will release a country album, which will probably come out in March. USA TODAY says “no producer is attached to Gokey’s album yet, [but] he’ll go into a Nashville studio shortly after the Idols Live tour ends Sept. 15. [Sony Music Nashville’s Joe] Galante expects a single in late fall and an album to follow, most likely in March.”

All three of the other final four signed deals in early June, but Danny was left out, so it’s somewhat surprising that 19 signed him so late and now, well after Aug. 20, the day the finalists were free to sign with other labels and 19’s option expired.

As to the other final four, Kris Allen’s album will be out Nov. 17, with Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta’s out sometime that same month.