Daughtry
Biography
Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside the context of the show. Of course, it helped that he was the polar opposite of Bice, a shaggy retro-rocker soaked in the South. Bold and bald, Daughtry was the picture of a modern rocker, living by the rulebook written by Live and Fuel. These were the qualities that helped make Chris Daughtry the most successful new rock & roll singer of 2006, as well as one of the most successful Idol graduates in the show's history.
Like many American Idol finalists, Daughtry had a long run as an amateur musician. The North Carolina native -- born in Roanoke Rapids, he lived in Charlottesville, VA, before establishing himself in the Greensboro area -- began singing in local rock bands when he was 16 years old. He continued to play local shows after his high-school graduation in 1998, marrying his girlfriend Deanna several months after the January 2000 birth of their son Griffin (he also adopted Deanna's daughter from a previous marriage). Family man he may have been, but Daughtry didn't let his rock & roll dream die, as he continued to play guitar and sing in a band called Absent Element. He also auditioned for Rock Star: INXS in 2005 but was rejected -- a rejection that turned out to be rather fortunate, as it freed him to audition for the far more popular televised singing competition American Idol.
Daughtry was featured heavily during the show's seemingly never-ending audition rounds for two reasons: he was telegenic, and he capitalized on the rocker promise of Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis from the previous season. Moreover, he was bald and handsome, had a terrific smile, and his devotion to family made for great TV. Daughtry sailed through to Hollywood and made it into the final 12, where he was hailed as a standout and soon seemed to be a favorite to win. Daughtry mania began to peak in March when his rendition of Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" caused such a sensation that rumors began to fly that Fuel wanted to hire him as their lead singer -- something that proved to be no rumor, as the modern rock group, savoring the new press, practically pleaded for his presence after he was voted off the show. But this was still two long months away -- two months in which he continued to be one of the top draws in the season, even courting some controversy when he sang Live's arrangement for Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." This moody reinterpretation was misinterpreted as a Daughtry original, and on the results show he had to clarify where he had learned this version. Still, this controversy paled to his exit from the show in May: Daughtry was one of the final four and Katharine McPhee just narrowly beat him, a result that visibly shocked the rocker. Daughtry would soon have the last laugh.
After he was kicked off of Idol, he turned down Fuel's standing offer of replacing their lead singer and set off on his own career, signing with Idol's 19 Entertainment group and RCA Records in July 2006. By the time his album materialized in November, it had turned into a project by a band called DAUGHTRY (spelled all in capital letters), whose lineup featured guitarist Jeremy Brady, guitarist Josh Steely, bassist Josh Paul, and drummer Joey Barnes. They did not play as a band on the finished album, though, as Brady was replaced after the album's release by Brian Craddock -- a matter of semantics overlooked by most, especially in light of the album's blockbuster success. Like many hotly anticipated albums of the SoundScan era, it debuted high on the charts, but it surprisingly remaining in the Top Ten for months. Leadoff single "It's Not Over" proved to be equally popular. This meant that DAUGHTRY was not only a huge hit by Idol standards, it was one of the few hit rock albums -- period -- in 2006.
By February, it was evident that Chris Daughtry's popularity eclipsed his American Idol rivals Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, as DAUGHTRY was certified the fastest-selling debut album in SoundScan history. Five hits charted in the Top 40 before the singer set to work on a sophomore album. Released in 2009, Daughtry's Leave This Town was a solid follow-up to his hit debut album and featured more of his signature back-to-basics modern rock sounds. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
my top 3 fave bands 1.DAUGHTRY 2.GREEN DAY 3.ALL-AMERIC A N REJECTS
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doesn't get much better than daughtry. here are my five personal favorite songs:
1. What I Want 2. There and Back Again 3. No Surprise 4. You Don't Belong 5. Crashed Easily one of the best bands out there today. |
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I LOVE HIS MUSIC HE HAS A GREAT VOICE! I ALSO LIKE THAT HE IS A DEDICATED HUSBAND AND FATHER AND HASNT LET THIS FAME TEAR HIS FAMILY APART!
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He has amazing voice and hotttttttttt t t ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! t h e BEST!!!!!!!!
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<: i love "no surprise"its a great song and i hope to hear great music from daughtry sooon!!
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i hope daughtry keeps getting better as the years progress...r o c k on daughtry!
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His story is really interesting and his talent, songs and personality are so great that one should make him his or her favourite pop singer. Thank you Daughtry for feeding our souls with good songs.
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Nessuno,
He is a great singer, respect the talent. Don't jugde people on their sexual preference. You don't even know this guy. |
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I would rather a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in my ear than listen to this makeup wearing homo sing about his male lover.
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Daughtry is awesome :)
One day I will crash into someone, that special someone..... |
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I love Daughtry. I own both of his CDs and I cant wait to see what he comes up with next. The bald head makes him sexy, sexy, sexy!!!!
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he also should stop wearing makeup during his performances , rockstar or no rockstar. takes away from the incredible music...
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His voice at times reminds me of Freddy Mercury. The same voice ranges too.
Chris'lyrics are touching. He sings with his soul. His voice is Amazing!!! Such a welcomed break from all these other "singers" these days. |
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i like daughtry because he has a good voice but he also has good music...two combinations that definitely don't always go together. there are only a few songs that i don't perticulerly like...but 95% are awesome.
(Ps revanfan...g r e e n day and nickelback ARE awesome) |
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Daughtry is tied with Green Day and Nickelback for my favorite band. Chris Daughtry should've won American Idol, but alas, it is rigged.
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hes got an incredible voice but im getting kinda sick and tired of him popping up on all my radios. i saw them perform on americas got talent twas really good :)
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love this guy and the band...one of the best in the music industry!!! always great music and overall a sweet, family guy! :)
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I own "Daughtry" and I just rented "Leave This Town". I hope it is as good as his first compact disc.
I agree with "mgoodiern" he should have won American Idol. |
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wow this guy can really rock it out, definitely should have won american idol hands down.
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