Career Timeline of Chris Daughtry: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Chris Daughtry made an impact.

Christopher Adam Daughtry is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and comic book artist. He gained fame as the fourth-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. Following his Idol run, he formed the rock band Daughtry, serving as the lead vocalist and guitarist. Daughtry's self-titled debut album, released by RCA Records, achieved record-breaking success, becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history and the top-selling album of 2007. Notably, the album was recorded before the band's official formation, with Daughtry being the sole official member present during the recording.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1999: All Eyes on You Album Release

In 1999, Daughtry's high school band, Cadence, released one album titled "All Eyes on You".

2005: Rock Star: INXS Audition

In 2005, Chris Daughtry auditioned for the CBS singing contest Rock Star: INXS but did not make the cut for the live performances.

2005: Absent Element Album Release

In 2005, Daughtry's band Absent Element released an album called "Uprooted" containing the songs "Conviction" and "Breakdown".

March 1, 2006: American Idol Performance

On March 1, 2006, Daughtry's "raw" performance of Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" on American Idol received critical acclaim.

March 3, 2006: Fuel Lead Singer Opportunity

On March 3, 2006, Jackson stated Daughtry was offered the opportunity to become Fuel's new lead singer.

May 10, 2006: American Idol Elimination

On May 10, 2006, Chris Daughtry was eliminated from American Idol, finishing in fourth place. This caused controversy regarding the accuracy of the vote count.

May 24, 2006: American Idol Finale Performance

On May 24, 2006, during the Season Five finale of American Idol, Daughtry performed "Mystery" with the band Live.

June 10, 2006: "Wanted Dead or Alive" Chart Debut

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.

July 10, 2006: Record Deal and Band Formation

On July 10, 2006, it was announced that Daughtry had signed with 19 Entertainment and RCA Records and would form his own band.

November 21, 2006: Daughtry's Debut Album Release

On November 21, 2006, Daughtry's debut album was released and reached number one on Billboard Charts. The first single off the album, "It's Not Over", was also released on this date.

2006: Absent Element's CD Surfaced Online

During the 2006 season of American Idol, the CD of Daughtry's former band, Absent Element, began to circulate on the internet.

March 14, 2007: "Home" on American Idol

Beginning on March 14, 2007, Daughtry's song "Home" was played on every episode of American Idol's sixth season's results show when a participant was eliminated.

May 22, 2007: American Idol Finale Performance

On May 22, 2007, Daughtry performed "Home" live at the end of the American Idol finale.

May 27, 2007: Indianapolis 500 Performance

On May 27, 2007, Daughtry performed at the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

September 19, 2007: Viva Las Vegas Premiere

On September 19, 2007, Daughtry performed an acoustic version of "Suspicious Minds" on ABC's Viva Las Vegas, a tribute to Elvis Presley.

November 18, 2007: American Music Awards Wins

On November 18, 2007, Daughtry won multiple awards at the American Music Awards, including Favorite Album, Favorite Artist, and Favorite Breakthrough Artist.

December 6, 2007: Grammy Nominations

On December 6, 2007, Daughtry received four Grammy Award nominations, including Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song.

2007: Daughtry's Debut Album Success

In 2007, Daughtry's self-titled debut album was released by RCA Records and became the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history. It sold over one million copies within five weeks and was the top-selling album of the year.

2007: Jeremy Brady Replaced

In 2007, Jeremy Brady was replaced by Brian Craddock as a guitarist in Daughtry's band.

August 2, 2008: Tom's River Fest Performance

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.

2008: Guest Vocals in 2008

In 2008, Chris Daughtry provided vocals on Sevendust's "The Past" and Theory of a Deadman's "By the Way". He also appeared on Christian rock band Third Day's "Slow Down".

May 6, 2009: American Idol Performance of "No Surprise"

On May 6, 2009, Daughtry performed "No Surprise", the debut single from their forthcoming album, on American Idol.

July 2, 2009: "Poker Face" Cover

On July 2, 2009, Daughtry performed an acoustic cover of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", which gained over 25 million views on YouTube.

July 14, 2009: Leave This Town Album Release

On July 14, 2009, Daughtry's second album, Leave This Town, was released, making Chris Daughtry the first American Idol alumnus to have two consecutive number one albums.

August 2, 2009: Tour Kickoff with Lifehouse and Cavo

On August 2, 2009, the band Daughtry kicked off a tour with Lifehouse and Cavo in Orlando, Florida.

October 13, 2009: Tour Finale

On October 13, 2009, the final show of the tour with Lifehouse and Cavo was in Tempe, Arizona.

November 12, 2009: Hometown Show

On November 12, 2009, the band played a show in Chris Daughtry's hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina.

2009: Collaboration with Timbaland

In 2009, Daughtry collaborated with Timbaland on "Long Way Down" from the album Shock Value II.

September 21, 2010: "Photograph" Release

On September 21, 2010, Daughtry released a cover of Def Leppard's "Photograph" with Carlos Santana on Santana's album called Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time and performed it on Dancing with the Stars.

2010: Co-writing with Day of Fire

In 2010, Chris Daughtry co-wrote three songs with Day of Fire for their album Losing All.

2010: Drummer Replacement

In 2010, Robin Diaz replaced Joey Barnes as the drummer for the band Daughtry.

December 31, 2010: New Album Announcement

On December 31, 2010, Daughtry tweeted that the band would be working on a new album soon.

March 7, 2011: Album Update

On March 7, 2011, Daughtry tweeted that the upcoming album would sound different from the previous two and would feature a song titled "Spaceship".

September 5, 2011: "Drown In You" Announcement

On September 5, 2011, Daughtry tweeted that the song "Drown In You" was exclusive to the Batman: Arkham City soundtrack and would not be on his upcoming album.

September 15, 2011: "Renegade" Song Release

On September 15, 2011, Daughtry posted a new song "Renegade" on his official website.

September 19, 2011: "Crawling Back to You" Release

On September 19, 2011, the single "Crawling Back to You" from the album Break the Spell was released and posted on Daughtry's website.

November 21, 2011: Album Release Date

According to Daughtry's Twitter, the new album would be released on November 21, 2011.

2012: Personnel Changes in Daughtry

In 2012, Andy Waldeck replaced Josh Paul as bassist for Daughtry, and Elvio Fernandes joined as keyboardist and backup vocalist.

March 2015: Announcement of Daughtry's role in "Studio City"

In March 2015, it was announced that Daughtry would play a rocker with a drug addiction and write original music for the dramedy "Studio City".

May 2015: "Studio City" not picked up by Fox

In May 2015, the show "Studio City", in which Daughtry was cast, was announced to not be picked up by Fox.

February 12, 2016: It's Not Over...The Hits So Far Album Release

On February 12, 2016, Daughtry released their album It's Not Over...The Hits So Far.

March 20, 2016: Portrayal of Judas Iscariot in "The Passion"

On March 20, 2016, Chris Daughtry portrayed Judas Iscariot in the live Biblical version of "The Passion".

July 27, 2018: Cage to Rattle Album Release

On July 27, 2018, the band Daughtry released its album Cage to Rattle.

October 18, 2018: Induction into North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

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

December 18, 2019: The Masked Singer Runner-Up

On December 18, 2019, Chris Daughtry was named the runner-up on the second season of The Masked Singer where he competed as "Rottweiler".

2019: Runner-up on "The Masked Singer" and NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

In 2019, Daughtry was the runner-up on the second season of "The Masked Singer" as "The Rottweiler" and participated in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.