Born on December 26, 1979 in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, Christopher Adam "Chris" Daughtry started to pursue a professional singing career when he was only 16 years old. While attending Fluvanna County High School in Palmyra, Virginia, Chris took time to perform with different local rock bands. He graduated from high school in 1998 and five years later tried out for the CBS reality rock competition Rock Star: INXS, but did not make it to the Finals. Before he joined season 5 of American Idol, Chris was busy singing lead for some of his own bands in Burlington. His other interests include drawing and painting and his favorite artists are season 1 American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and Rob Thomas. He considers his wife as both his hero and lucky charm. The shaved head is not a gimmick; rather, it is Chris' way of defeating male baldness at its' worst.

Chris' audition at Denver, Colorado for season 5 of American Idol proved rewarding as his rendition of "The Letter" by the Boxtops was well-received by two of the American Idol judges, namely, Randy and Paula. Despite Simon's criticism that Chris gave a robotic performance, he went on to Hollywood, and after surviving the stressful competition, became part of the semifinals. As a semifinalist, Chris finally won Simon's approval with his renditions of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" and Fuel's "Hemorrhage" but went back to the British judges overly critical side after he performed Seether's "Broken." Nevertheless, Chris made it to the Finals, thanks to America's votes, where he continued to impress, singing favorites like "Higher Ground," "Walk the Line," "What If," "What a Wonderful World," "Renegade" and "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" However, as the show progressed, it became apparent that Chris's voice was getting strained from performing week after week, and on the ninth week, Chris fell to the bottom three for the second time and ultimately became the ninth contestant to be eliminated.

Being eliminated from American Idol did not stop Chris' career from taking off. In July 2006, he made a record deal with 19 Entertainment and RCA Records and in November of the same year released the single "It's Not Over" from his own band's debut album Daughtry. The album topped the Billboard Charts. He has also appeared in many television shows which include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The 2006 MTV Movie Awards. He is currently living with his wife of 7 years and their 4 children.

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