Chris Daughtry
Daughtry in 2022
Background information
Born	Christopher Adam Daughtry[1] (1979-12-26)December 26, 1979 (age 46) Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, U.S.
Origin	Lasker, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Rock pop rock
Occupations	Singer songwriter musician illustrator actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1999–present
Member of	Daughtry
Formerly of	Absent Element Cadence
Website	daughtryofficial.com

Christopher Adam Daughtry (/ˈdɔːtri/; born December 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and comic book artist. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock bandDaughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on thefifth season ofAmerican Idol. Released byRCA Records, Daughtry'sself-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album inNielsen SoundScan history,^[2] selling more than one million copies within five weeks of release, and music's top-selling album of 2007.^[3] The album was recorded before the band was officially formed, making him the only official member present on the album.

In its ninth week of release,Daughtry reached number one on theBillboard chart. Chris Daughtry is the third most successfulAmerican Idol contestant in terms of record sales, behindKelly Clarkson andCarrie Underwood who both won their respective seasons. At the50th Grammy Awards, the band was nominated forBest Rock Song for the single "It's Not Over".

Since the band's first album, Chris Daughtry has collaborated with several artists, includingSlash,Sevendust,Theory of a Deadman,Chad Kroeger,Brad Arnold,Vince Gill, andCarlos Santana. He is known for his powerfulvocal belting technique and widevocal range.

Chris Daughtry was born inRoanoke Rapids, North Carolina on December 26, 1979,^[4] and raised inLasker, North Carolina, until he was 14. His parents, Sandra and James "Pete" Daughtry,^[5] reside inPalmyra, Virginia, where Daughtry grew up before he relocated to McLeansville, outside ofGreensboro. Daughtry attendedFluvanna County High School in Palmyra, graduating in 1998.^[6]

At age 16, Daughtry started taking singing seriously as a musician. He took guitar lessons fromblues rock guitarist Matt Jagger at Stacy's Music store in Charlottesville and Mark Ebert from Laurinburg, North Carolina. He sought advice from Andy Waldeck (frontman forEarth to Andy) who is credited first on his debut album. He performed with rock bands during his time in high school at local venues, opening for his future bandmate Brian Craddock's band My Dog Lucy and Matt Jagger. During high school, he appeared in two stage productions:The Wiz andPeter Pan.

Daughtry's high school band went by the name of Cadence. He sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar. They produced one album,All Eyes on You (1999), a rarity that can sometimes be found oneBay.^[7]

The band Absent Element consisted of Daughtry onlead vocals andguitar, Mark Perry onlead guitar, Scott Crawford ondrums and Ryan Andrews onbass. Absent Element releasedUprooted in 2005. This release contains the songs "Conviction" and "Breakdown", whichDaughtry later combined and re-recorded as the song "Breakdown" for the albumDaughtry.

In 2005, Chris Daughtry auditioned for theCBS singing contestRock Star: INXS. He did not make the cut for the live performances.^[8] Former Daughtry drummer Joey Barnes was at the same audition and made the cut only to drop out of the running due to disagreements regarding the contract.

Daughtry auditioned forAmerican Idol inDenver, Colorado, withThe Box Tops' "The Letter"; he was portrayed as a young rocker withSouthern andhard rock influences. He passed the audition by a split decision: approved byPaula Abdul andRandy Jackson, disapproved bySimon Cowell. Cowell felt that Daughtry at that time was too robotic. After being given a Golden Ticket to Hollywood, he performed "The First Cut Is the Deepest", and sang "Emotion" during his trio performance with Ace Young and Bobby Bullard. The song for Daughtry's a cappella performance remained unknown untilAmerican Idol Rewind aired Season 5 Hollywood week, when it was shown that he sangElton John's 'Your Song'.

Daughtry eventually made it to the Top 24. On March 1, 2006, Daughtry's "raw" performance ofFuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" received critical acclaim by all three judges. On March 3, 2006, Jackson stated in an interview that Daughtry had been offered the opportunity to become Fuel's new lead singer, as the band was at the time without a lead singer. At a welcome home party, Daughtry said he had declined the offer,^[9] but, he said, "he'd still like to work with them somewhere down the road."^[10]

Daughtry's March 21 performance caused controversy when he sang a minor-key rendition ofJohnny Cash's "I Walk the Line", based on a cover of the song by the bandLive originally recorded for the 2001 tribute albumGood Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records. Neither Daughtry nor the judges (who uniformly praised the performance) noted the Live version, making it appear to some viewers and critics that Daughtry was trying to pass off the arrangement as his own. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Daughtry defended himself, saying "It wasn't my doing. You say a lot of things in the [pretaped] interview, and when editing gets involved, things get cut out for time constraints. I did mention in my interview that I'm doing a different version from a band I totally respect. The lead singer of Live,Ed Kowalczyk, called me to say, 'Man, don't listen to that.'...It was really cool to get that kind of respect."^[11] On August 2, 2008, at the Tom's River Fest in Tom's River NJ, Daughtry, Kowalczyk, and Live performed Live's rendition of "I Walk the Line" together.^[12]

Chris Daughtry was in the final four on May 10, 2006, and found himself in the bottom two withKatharine McPhee. When asked by host Ryan Seacrest who should be leaving, Cowell expressed that he believed that McPhee should be eliminated. Seacrest then announced that Daughtry was eliminated. Seacrest asked Daughtry if he was surprised. A stunned Daughtry could only utter, "A little, yeah." The media grabbed hold of the surprise elimination and there was some controversy regarding the accuracy of the vote count on the night Daughtry was eliminated. The vote-tallying websiteDialIdol, however, predicted that Daughtry was the lowest vote-getter for the week.^[13] In an interview after his elimination, Daughtry said that he thought he got voted off because his fans were "overconfident" that he would be safe, so they did not call and vote. Later, he stated the best piece of advice he ever received was, "Don't believe your own hype," a possible nod toward his surpriseAmerican Idol elimination.^[14]

During the Season Five finale on May 24, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Daughtry performed the song "Mystery" with the band Live. Live's version of the song was later available for download on the band's MySpace.com profile with Chris Daughtry performing backup vocals.

After leavingAmerican Idol, Daughtry traveled the talk show circuit, which has become commonplace for non-winners asAmerican Idol progressed through the years. He made appearances onThe Tonight Show,Total Request Live, andThe Today Show. He also appeared onLive with Regis and Kelly andThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, in which he performed "Wanted Dead or Alive". In a later episode of the show in which Ellen interviewed former presidentsBill Clinton andGeorge H. W. Bush, who were collaborating on the Bush-ClintonKatrina fund, she even jokingly asked if anything could be done about Chris Daughtry's elimination. Chris Daughtry was asked to audition as the lead vocalist forFuel and, though incredibly flattered, he declined the offer in order to form his own band.

On December 18, 2019, he was named the runner-up on thesecond season ofThe Masked Singer where he competed as "Rottweiler".

For the week of June 10, 2006, Chris Daughtry's cover of "Wanted Dead or Alive" charted at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, being named the Hot Shot Debut of the week. On July 10, 2006, it was announced that Daughtry had signed with 19 Entertainment andRCA Records and began working on an album that was to be released in November. It was also announced that, like season 4 rockerConstantine Maroulis, he would be forming his own band. His band was formed under the nameDaughtry, after the singer's last name.^[15] The band currently consists of Chris Daughtry, guitarists Josh Steely and Brian Craddock (the latter replaced former guitarist Jeremy Brady in 2007), bassist Andy Waldeck replacing Josh Paul at the end of 2012 (formerly ofSuicidal Tendencies), and drummer Robin Diaz (who replaced former drummer Joey Barnes in 2010). In 2012, Elvio Fernandes joined Daughtry playing keyboard and singing backup vocals. Daughtry's debut album was released on November 21, 2006. Chris Daughtry reportedly toldUS Weekly that the band's album "would not be...pop." The first single offDaughtry, "It's Not Over", was released November 21, 2006. The album reached number one in Billboard Charts with his debut album. He joins Kelly Clarkson and Scotty McCreery as the only contestants to reach number one in Billboard 200.^{[citation needed]} The album featuredVelvet Revolver and formerGuns N' Roses guitaristSlash, who performed the guitar solo on the eventual single "What I Want".

Beginning on March 14, 2007, on every episode ofAmerican Idol's sixth season's results show, Daughtry's song "Home" was played every time a participant was knocked out of the competition, as each of the losing contestants was asked to look at their own journeys. Additionally, on the final competition on May 22, 2007, Daughtry performed the song live at the end of the show. It also became the song for the eliminating home team for the2007 NBA Playoffs. In March, Daughtry performed during theFinal Four round of the2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.^[16] On May 27, 2007, Daughtry performed at the2007 Indianapolis 500.^[17]

On September 19, 2007, on ABC, Viva Las Vegas premiered, which was a tribute to Elvis Presley's career in Las Vegas. The band performed an acoustic version of "Suspicious Minds". On November 18, 2007, the band was the winner of multiple awards at the "2007 American Music Awards" (ABC Television). The winning categories were: 1) Pop or Rock: Favorite Album – Daughtry; 2) Adult Contemporary Music: Favorite Artist; 3) Favorite Breakthrough Artist. On December 6, 2007, the band was nominated for four50th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album forDaughtry, Best Rock Song for "It's Not Over", Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for "Home", and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "It's Not Over".

On May 6, 2009, Daughtry performed "No Surprise", the debut single for their forthcoming album, onAmerican Idol.^[18] Chris Daughtry wrote the song withNickelback vocalistChad Kroeger.^[18] The album on which "No Surprise" appears,Daughtry's second album titledLeave This Town, was released on July 14, 2009. Chris Daughtry made history with its release by becoming the firstAmerican Idol alumnus to have two consecutive number one albums.Leave This Town was the first Daughtry album that they wrote and recorded as a band, as theirself-titled album was recorded before the band was officially formed and featured only Chris Daughtry as an official member.

On July 2, 2009, Daughtry performed an acoustic cover ofLady Gaga's "Poker Face" and has received over 25 million views onYouTube.

The band Daughtry kicked off a tour withLifehouse andCavo on August 2, 2009, in Orlando, Florida. The final show of the tour was in Tempe, Arizona on October 13, 2009. The band played a show in Chris Daughtry's hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina on November 12, 2009.

On December 31, 2010, Daughtry tweeted that the band will be working on a new album soon.^[19] On March 7, 2011, he tweeted that the album sounds nothing like the previous two and will feature a song titled "Spaceship".^[20] There will be another song on the record called "Rescue Me", which the band has performed on stage in New Jersey. The album would be released on November 21, 2011, according to Daughtry's Twitter.

Daughtry has written and recorded a song for the soundtrack to the video gameBatman: Arkham City. On September 5, 2011, Daughtry tweeted that the song "Drown In You" is exclusive to the soundtrack and will not be featured on his upcoming album.

On September 15, 2011, Daughtry posted a new song "Renegade" on his official website. The newest single "Crawling Back to You" was posted on the website and released on September 19, 2011, from the albumBreak the Spell.

The first single from their fourth album,Baptized, is "Waiting for Superman".^[21]

On February 12, 2016, Daughtry released their albumIt's Not Over...The Hits So Far.^[21] On July 27, 2018, the band released its albumCage to Rattle. On September 17, 2021, Daughtry released the albumDearly Beloved.

In August 2023, Daughtry released a new single, "Artificial".^[22] On February 9, 2024, "Artificial" reached number one on Billboard'sMainstream Rock Airplay chart.^[23]

In a January 2024 interview with Tommy Behnke ofThe Daily Herald, Daughtry said that he grew tired of producing softer-sounding music at the recommendation ofRCA Records that he did not always feel passionate about making.^[24] He said thatBig Machine Label Group, which his band signed with in August 2023, supports his group's vision for a harder-sounding future and that they are working on a new record.

In 2008, Chris Daughtry provided vocals on aSevendust track entitled "The Past" on their albumChapter VII: Hope & Sorrow. He had previously stated he had become friends with the members of the band.Alter Bridge membersMyles Kennedy andMark Tremonti appear on the same album. That same year, Chris Daughtry also provides vocals on theTheory of a Deadman song "By the Way", which is featured on their third albumScars & Souvenirs. Still in 2008, he appeared on the song "Slow Down" on the albumRevelation byChristian rock bandThird Day. In 2009, the band Daughtry collaborated withTimbaland on their song "Long Way Down" from the albumShock Value II. During this time, Chris Daughtry also co-wrote three songs with bandDay of Fire for their 2010 albumLosing All, including the track "Hello Heartache".^[25]

In 2010, he andJason Wade performed a duet onLifehouse's fifth studio albumSmoke & Mirrors on the song "Had Enough". Chris Daughtry also co-wrote the song "Send Me All Your Angels" forAmerican Idolseason 8 winnerKris Allen'sdebut album. He later performed lead vocals on the coverDef Leppard's song "Photograph" withCarlos Santana on Santana's album calledGuitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. It was released on September 21, 2010, with a performance on theDancing with the Stars results show that day.

Daughtry made his acting debut in the 100th episode ofCSI: New York.^[26] In March 2015, it was announced that Daughtry would play a rocker with a drug addiction and write original music for a new dramedy,Studio City,^[27] though it was announced in May 2015 that the show was not picked up byFox.^[28] He next portrayedJudas Iscariot in the Biblical live version ofThe Passion, which aired on March 20, 2016.^[29]

Daughtry portrayedHugo Strange in theBatmanfan film,Batman: Dying Is Easy, released onYouTube on March 10, 2021.^[30]

In addition to his careers in music and acting, Daughtry is an illustrator who specializes in illustratingcomic books. Daughtry is a longtime fan ofBatman; Daughtry's first published comic book art appeared as a variant cover toBatman (Volume 2) #50.^[31][32][33]

In a segment on the 2006 season ofAmerican Idol (before singing "Broken" bySeether), Daughtry revealed that he isbalding and made the decision to shave his head completely in order to retain an aesthetically pleasing appearance. He has been married to Deanna Daughtry since November 11, 2000. He has four children: two stepchildren, Hannah (died November 2021) and Griffin, and twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James.^[34][35] In a December 2007 interview withGibson Lifestyle, Daughtry said, "I used to call [my wife] and just quickly throw in the towel. But I've found that the less I say and the more I actually listen to her, and just be there without actually being there, is the best thing I can do. As a man, I always feel like I need to say something. Sometimes I have to stop myself because all I want to do is call and tell her about how much awesome stuff is going on in my life, and, you know, her day is sucking hard. I could write a book on it, I'm serious."^[36]

Daughtry and fellowIdol contestantAce Young have been friends since they met at the show's Denver auditions, and even periodically shared an apartment as finalists. Young said they clicked because they shared similar upbringings and were both "big on family."^[37] Ryan Seacrest had also dubbed them "the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon of the season" when the two were placed in the "bottom 2" together upon Young's elimination. In the final episode of the season, a clip of them in a "Best Male Bonding" segment was also shown.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Daughtry was on thesecond season ofThe Masked Singer as "The Rottweiler" and was named the runner-up. He also played for the "Home" roster during theNBA All-Star Celebrity Game.^[38]

Chris Daughtry's musical influences includeCreed,Bush,Live,Pearl Jam,Alice in Chains,Soundgarden,Stone Temple Pilots,Journey,Bon Jovi, andFuel.^[8][39][40] He states that he grew up onrock andhard rock music.

On October 18, 2018, Daughtry was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.^[41]

Todd Pettengill stated in a January 2024 interview withThe Daily Herald that Daughtry could be considered America’s last rock star.^[24]

• All Eyes on You (1999)

• Uprooted (2005)

• Daughtry (2006)
• Leave This Town (2009)
• Break the Spell (2011)
• Baptized (2013)
• Cage to Rattle (2018)
• Dearly Beloved (2021)
• Shock to the System (Part One) (2024)
• Shock to the System (Part Two) (2025)
• A Complete Shock to the System (2025)

^ a: The CD of Daughtry's former band, Absent Element, began to float around the internet during the 2006 season ofAmerican Idol.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toChris Daughtry.

• Official website
• Chris Daughtry atIMDb

• 1979 births
• 20th-century American male singers
• 20th-century American singers
• 21st-century American male singers
• 21st-century American singers
• 21st-century Christians
• American Christians
• American comics artists
• American Idol participants
• American rock musicians
• Christians from North Carolina
• Living people
• Musicians from Greensboro, North Carolina
• American male television actors
• American male film actors
• People from Palmyra, Virginia
• RCA Records artists
• Songwriters from North Carolina

• Webarchive template wayback links
• CS1 errors: generic name
• CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from November 2021
• Articles with hCards
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from August 2009
• Articles with unsourced statements from October 2019
• Commons category link from Wikidata
• Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia