Chris Daughtry: Where are they now?
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Former “American Idol” contestant Christopher Adam Daughtry of McLeansville, N.C., is walking proof that finishing in fourth place can mean that you’re a champion.
Daughtry, one of the most successful “American Idol” alumnus (only behind Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Clay Aiken), finished behind champion Taylor Hicks, runner-up Katherine McPhee and second runner-up Elliot Yamin during the show’s highly publicized fifth season.
With an iconic clean-shaven head and tightly trimmed side burns, the focused post-grunge rocker and former front-man of Raleigh-based Christian alternative rock band Absent Element, parlayed more than two months of “Idol” exposure into a record deal by RCA Records and 19 Entertainment plus a band bearing his surname.
The band Daughtry and its self-titled debut album sold more than 1 million copies after just 5 weeks of release and landed the top spot on Billboard charts within eight weeks.
Not bad for fourth place? (Nearly two years later, Season Five winner Hicks has not eclipsed 800,000 copies sold.)
Contrastingly, the off-stage Daughtry is a quiet, sensitive family man who cites one of his greatest accomplishments as having taught his son how to ride a bike. During “Idol’s” fifth season, Daughtry listed wife Deanna, a licensed massage therapist who backed his musical aspirations, as his “hero.” The couple has two children: Griffen Daughtry, born in 2000 and Hannah Price, born in 1998.
Daughtry’s family and life are often the muse of his writings. Smash hit “Home” talks about his homesickness of the AI process and dismissal from the competition, “It’s not over” is about a man who cleans up his act and makes a commitment to his partner.
Daughtry’s searing, resonant voice with smart, simplistic heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics mixed with a hellbent frontman and a hand-picked bag of rock assassins, and it’s a recipe for music chart gold.
On Nov. 19, 2007, the “Idol” alum Daughtry cleaned up at the American Music Awards, taking home awards for favorite pop-rock album (’Daughtry’), breakthrough artist and adult contemporary artist.
“American Idol” wasn’t Daughtry’s first foray into the world of reality television musical performance. Then a service adviser at Crown Honda car dealership in Greensboro, N.C., Daughtry tried out for CBS’s 2005 music-competition series “Rock Star: INXS,” but wasn’t chosen.
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Fun fact! Bob wrote this story just for you on April 1st, 2008 |
Comment added April 1st, 2008 at 10:30 am
It’s great to hear that Daughtry has done so fantastic. I was sorry to see him eliminated before others less talented were. It is reminiscent of Season 2 as far as his popularity, and ‘outshining’ the winner.
That North Carolina sure does hand out some Idol ‘winners’ with high standards,integrity, morals, and a clear view of what is important in their lives … ie…. Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken.
They don’t need a title to stand tall in my eyes.
Comment added April 1st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I have seen his pics on a celeb dating site named marrymillionaire.c om. I don’t understand what he do on that site.Does he want to date with some girls?
Comment added April 1st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I don’t buy the goody two shoe image that’s mentioned above. The pictures I’ve seen of him during his tour last year didn’t look like he was thinking about his wife!!
He may have sold a million cd’s but he’s still boring to watch.
Comment added April 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Taylor Hicks has sold 840,000 records. Daughtry’s two children are not his they are his wifes from a previous relationship.
Daughtry ONLY became successful because TPTB at AI wanted him and not Taylor Hicks to win. They were so shocked when Daughtry didn’t just sail through that they decided to make Taylor Hicks suffer and everyone has seen the nasty and disrespectful treatment he has been subject too at their hands. First they allowed four other contestants, Daughtry being the first, to release their cds before Taylor, then they ‘forgot’ to choose a single to release from his cd until six months after. They paid radio DJ’s NOT to play requests for Taylor or include him in their play rota. Many of us tried to request him from all over America and were given the same story, “Sorry we are not allowed to include Hicks music in our playlist” he was given no video to go with the single they FORGOT to promote and Simon Cowell has made some really nasty remarks about him on public television several times. Taylor has been so gracious and never spoken about the treatment he received, there are times when I would have loved to ’stick gum’ on S.Cowellls face, just as he told one contestant to do to Taylors picture on the way out. What did Taylor do to deserve the remarks from Nigel and Sleazy Davis? Nothing !!! Mean while Daughtry has been shoved down our throats 24/7 and Clive Davis of Payola fame has been involved in some pretty shady pimping where Daughtry is concerned. Please don’t kid yourself that Daughtry has got this far on his own merit. He really hasn’t. Stop just reading articles making out that Taylor is a failure. You people have absolutely NO idea what pimping goes on of the ‘chosen ones’ Taylors only fault? he dared to beat Daughtry by a mile and AI hated it! Taylor Headlines every show. Daughtry is having to open for groups like Bon Jovi.
Comment added April 5th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Why is it that every article about Daughtry’s success has one of the loony sisters show up and repeat the same nonsense about poor flopped Taylor. Daughtry is a success because ppl like and buy his music, period. Taylor was dropped from his label and has now had to resort to selling doors to make a living because his music is not too good and no amount of promotion could sell it.