Chris Daughtry
News (Page 5)

Rocker Chris Daughtry may not have won American Idol, but his presence on the show made a lasting impression. The North Carolina product has topped AOL's 2006 "TV's Top 5! Viewer Awards."

According to the blogging wizards at TMZ.com, Daughtry's shockingly early elimination from American Idol -- despite being favored to top Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin and eventual winner Taylor Hicks, he finished in fourth place -- ranked as the fan pick for the best moment of the past TV season. Probably because of the shock value, not because Chris lost!

The TV's Top 5! recognizes the most talked about memorable 2006 TV moments in categories like best Trainwreck Moment and Best Steamy Smooches. Fans voted online for their favorite nominated clips.

Chris, who is working on his debut album with numerous collaborators, and whose star status has risen ever since his ouster from Idol, is probably over it by now. Other winners include Jennifer Garner accidentally admitting the sex of her baby on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for Best Celeb Did What?! Moment and the kiss between Derek and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy for Best Too Close for Comfort Moment.

Chris Daughtry turned down an offer to become the frontman of Fuel, but that's not stopping him from drafting the band's guitarist to work on his much-anticipated debut.

Fuel's Carl Bell is on a list of rockers that includes Rob Thomas, Three Doors Down singer Brad Arnold and SR-71 singer (and Bo Bice collaborator) Mitch Allan, who are writing tunes with the American Idol finalist for his forthcoming album, MTV reports.

As previously reported, Daughtry's debut will be helmed by one producer -- Howard Benson, whose credits include the All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance and Papa Roach.

Chris, whose rendition of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" was a smash hit on American Idol this spring and continues to maintain a presence on the Billboard charts, is forming a band to back him on tour. As a unit, the band will assume his surname (à la Bon Jovi) and be called Daughtry.

The as-yet-untitled album is due November 21, with the first single hitting radio in late September. Daughtry, who recently bought a new house with wife Deanna and their two adopted children, is still performing as part of the American Idols Live tour, which runs through September 24 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. But he has been doing some writing and recording on off-days, and we're excited to hear the fruits of that labor!

Chris Daughtry's record label, RCA, has issued a press release containing information about his upcoming album.

The news reveals the album's expected release date -- November 21, a week after his Idol counterparts release their debuts.

It also talks about his producer (Howard Benson, who has worked with the All American Rejects, My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach, Hoobastank and more), and some songwriting collaborators, including folks from Three Doors Down, Fuel (which unsuccessfully tried to recruit Chris as lead singer) and Rob Thomas.

The popular vocalist is also putting together a band, to be called simply Daughtry, with a brand new website in the works.

The release does not include a title for his single, which is scheduled to be available by late September. For the benefit of Chris fans who want to read the whole thing, and also those who appreciate the verbose, self-adulating nature of entertainment industry press releases, we've posted the full version beneath our page break.

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To a bigger house, that is -- in addition to the most-downloaded charts. AIW has learned that Chris is moving from his small hometown of McLeansville, N.C., to a bigger town and house.

The 26-year-old American Idol sensation, who finished fourth on this year's Fox talent competition despite of being considered one of, if not the most talented performer the show has ever produced, has moved to Oak Ridge, N.C. The town has a population of about 4,000 and is located north of Greensboro.

Daughtry and his wife, Deanna, paid $690,000 for a four-bedroom, 3,782-square foot home with a swimming pool and a putting green on a little more than an acre of land. McLeansville, also in Guilford County, N.C., has one barbershop, one grocery store and no gas stations.

"If you look at the houses here, and the type of people here, they're very upscale business people, and they're going to go about their daily life," said area resident Steve Spalding, who works in the summer child care program at Oak Ridge Elementary.

The raw-voiced rocker has been signed to a record contract and is on tour at present with the rest of his American Idol cohorts. Last month, RCA Records announced that Daughtry had signed to work alongside music mogul Clive Davis, with plans to produce an album by the end of the year.

Daughtry has been married to Deanna since November 2000. They live with their step-daughter, Hannah Price, born to Deanna in July 1998, and their adopted son, Griffin Daughtry, born in January 2000.

Two years ago, Absent Element won a local battle-of-the-bands contest.

The prize, according to the News-Observer, was a gig at the Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek, a chance to play early on a Saturday morning during a ticket-sales promotion in Raleigh, N.C.

"We'd been under the assumption we'd be on the side stage inside. Instead, we wound up outside, no stage, in the parking lot. But whatever, it was a little closer to the stage than we'd been a couple of years earlier. And I'd still be there if I hadn't been on the show," recalled that band's lead singer, a young man by the name of Chris Daughtry.

The McLeansville, N.C. rocker probably won't be playing any parking lots anytime soon after his run on American Idol, which a lot of people thought he should have won. Instead, he was surprisingly voted off May 10 and settled for a fourth-place finish.

While Taylor Hicks went on to claim the big prize, Daughtry has had plenty of good things come his way since that defeat. He's on the American Idol concert tour right now alongside Hicks, as well as fellow North Carolina natives Kellie Pickler (Albemarle) and Bucky Covington (Rockingham), and other Season Five finalists. On Sunday, July 30, the Tar Heel trio will have a homecoming of sorts when the show rolls into Greensboro Coliseum.

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Thank goodness for Entertainment Weekly. The magazine reviewed a concert from the Season Five American Idol tour last week. With Taylor, Chris and the crew at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ, here's one critic's take on various performers:

Most likely to succeed: Based on audience feedback, Chris Daughtry may be poised for the biggest post-Idol career. It doesn't hurt that the guy is sex on a stick - parents should probably to cover the wee ones' ears and eyes during his cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" - but he's also the most polished, confident performer of the bunch.

Most embarrassing: Ace Young will never advance beyond cheesy Idol also-ran status, if only for his painfully literal on-stage gestures. He traced a tear down his face on two separate occasions - singing the words "cried" on "Father Figure" and "cries" on Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe." He also tapped his head meaningfully on the word "mind." That's just wrong.

Most surprising: Tenth-place finisher Lisa Tucker had the night's strongest showing among the women, sitting down at the piano to offer a restrained, heartfelt rendition of Elton John's "Your Song" - with no accompaniment from the band.

Most disappointing: Since her grandma Ann Nesby is apparently unwilling to say it, I'll deliver a much needed newsflash to Paris Bennett: "Young lady, you are not, nor will you ever be, the next Beyoncé Knowles." Paris' shenanigans on "Crazy in Love" provided too much awkward wiggle, and almost no vocal sizzle.

Most in need of a good life coach: After hearing his awesome one-two-three punch of "Moody's Mood for Love," "Never Too Much," and "Trouble," who could deny that Elliott Yamin is the best singer on the entire Idol tour? However, even after winning over millions of fans en route to a third-place finish, the guy still looks vaguely skittish at center stage. It might help if he traded a solo career for fronting a smooth jazz-R&B band.

Most sincere: It was actually Kellie Pickler. She sounded sincerely genuine thanking her fans for giving her a chance at fulfilling her dreams.

Most puzzling: No doubt, Taylor Hicks has a fine voice. And no doubt, he's going to sell boatloads of records. Still, this year's champ offered up a set that was just slightly underwhelming. Perhaps he's a little burned out from taking the lion's share of tour publicity, but after opening strong on "Jailhouse Rock" and Bob Seeger's "Hollywood Nights," he seemed oddly detached on "Sweet Soul Music" and "Don't Let Me Down."

Despite crooning - in his cover of Bon Jovi classic, "Wanted Dead or Alive" - that he's rocked a million faces, Chris Daughtry hasn't entertained quite that number of fans just yet.

Thanks to a new record deal, however, that may be changing soon.

The North Carolina native has inked an agreement with RCA Records chief Clive Davis and Idol creator Simon Fuller's label, 19 Recordings Unlimited. It's the same company fellow stars Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee have joined.

Davis launched the careers of singers such as Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. The Daughty deal will place American's new favorite rocker in front of a band, while a recent RCA statement said he "has already begun to work with A-list collaborators" to write and record new material.

Daughtry, famously, turned down a deal from rock group, Fuel, soon after his shocking Idol exit. While considering the offer, Chris, who is raising two children with wife Deanna, told People:

"They're good friends of mine, and right now I'm just thinking everything through and making sure that I make the right decision for me and my family. Those things take time."

He eventually declined. But it's apparent this is a man with a head on his shoulders as good as his voice.

Rocker Chris Daughtry -- a.k.a. the fourth-place finisher on American Idol this spring, a.k.a. the 27-year old who many feel was flat-out robbed (no offense Taylor and Katharine) -- is featured in the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly.

The North Carolina product tells us what we can expect from the forthcoming Idol tour (beginning July 5), how he'll handle the hardships of life on the road, what's next for his career, why he turned down the Fuel gig, and more. Here's the transcript:

EW: So break it down for us — what can we expect from this summer's Idol tour?
CHRIS: Well, I won't tell you what we're singing, but everybody's got at least two songs and a duet, and then a few of us have three or four songs. Everybody seems to have pretty strong sets. It's really cool. A lot of us are playing instruments — a little departure from the show there.

EW: The group numbers — are they going to be like what we saw on the Idol finale?
CHRIS: Not really. Well, kind of. [Laughs] We're doing a couple group songs. They're not, like, totally cheesy or anything. They play out very well.

EW: So there's no danger of it coming off as, you know, a bit Brady Bunch?
CHRIS: Well, we'll see. We haven't done choreography yet.

EW: And you don't strike me as the kind of guy who is necessarily all about the choreography.
CHRIS: I'm not about it at all. But I do what I gotta do and always try to keep it from, you know, looking too silly.

EW: What are you most looking forward to performing?
CHRIS: My first song. Actually, me and Elliott are doing a duet that's going to be awesome as well... It's a rock song.

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