Chris Daughtry

With his hard, Southern rock sound and commanding stage presence, Chris Daughtry was in a class all his own when he found himself a season five finalist on "American Idol" (Fox, 2002- ). Christopher Adam Daughtry was born on Dec. 26, 1979 in Roanoke Rapids, NC. Growing up, his hobbies were comic books and sports; it was not until he started performing in high school productions that he found his calling in the performing arts. At 16, Daughtry took guitar lessons and began performing as a lead vocalist and guitarist for local rock bands. After graduating from high school in 1998, he worked at a car dealership for a few years and married wife Deanna in 2000, becoming a step-father to one child and adopted father to another. Daughtry auditioned for the singing competition "Rock Star: INXS" (CBS, 2005), but failed to make the cut. He tried his luck again with "American Idol," auditioning for the show's fifth season in Denver, CO. His unforgettable rendition of The Box Tops' rock song "The Letter" (1967) impressed the judges and he made it to the semi-finals round in Hollywood.

Daughtry's Southern rock sound quickly set him apart from the other finalists. Week after week, the bald-headed rocker received positive reviews from the judges and fans, particularly after his powerful rendition of Fuel's hit single, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" (2000), that even resulted in Fuel offering Daughtry a spot as their new lead singer. The contestant shockingly declined, and went on to become the season-long front-runner, thanks to nearly flawless performances of rock classics like Queen's "Innuendo" (1991) and Styx' "Renegade" (1979). Based on his show-stopping performances and glowing comments from the judges, it was widely believed that Daughtry would be one of the finalists. But with only four weeks of competition left, he found himself on the verge of elimination along with contestant Katharine McPhee, whom the judges and many viewers believed deserved to go home due to her lackluster performance the night before. In what most viewers consider the program's most shocking turn of event, Daughtry was eliminated from the fourth round of the semi-finals. The shock on both his face and McPhee's was telling. Following his departure from "Idol," he released his debut album, Daughtry (2006). Fueled by the hit singles "It's Not Over," "Home," and "What About Now," the album shot up to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, and won an American Music Awards for Favorite Pop-Rock Album in 2007.