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Daughtry making most of 'Idol' worship

By Cara Jordan

When Chris Daughtry made his public debut last year on "American Idol," he brought an aggressive edginess the competition had never seen before.

Though he placed fourth in the competition, America already had embraced the intensity and passion he brought to the stage each week. This, in turn, skyrocketed Daughtry into superstardom.

Since his stint on the "Idol" stage, the sexy, bald rocker has relished in his album's platinum status and the fact that "DAUGHTRY" is the top-selling album in the country for the second time since its release in late 2006.

To write the album, Daughtry enlisted the help of veteran rockers Brent Smith of Shinedown, Mitch Allan of SR-71 and Hinder producer Brian Howes. With songs such as "It's Not Over" and "Home," Daughtry fans already have embraced the vulnerable, yet energy-charged lyrical reality that gives them insight into the man they already know so well.

Daughtry is in the midst of a sold-out tour with guitarists Brian Craddock and Josh Steely, bassist Josh Paul and drummer Joey Barnes. When putting his band together, Daughtry focused immensely on the audition process to find musicians with just the right chemistry and hint of panache. Obviously, he hit the nail on the head.

The album's debut single "It's Not Over" has made its mark on the top of every major music industry chart, including Hot AC chart, the Top 40 Singles Chart and a No. 1 spot on the Adult Top 40 chart.

In addition, the single sold more than 800,000 copies and maintained a spot in the Top 10 Digital Songs chart.

"The tremendous radio and video support, the great crowds we get at our shows, the intensity of our online fans — all of it — is everything any artist could ever ask for," said Daughtry.

Since the start of his tour and his movement into rock star standing, he has never forgotten the most important part of his music career: the fans.

"We see all these new faces every day at our shows, including great, great rock fans who make each performance an adventure," he said.

"I want all of our fans to know that every song we play is a thank you right back at each and every one of them for standing by us in such an awesome way."

Daughtry will perform Wednesday at the Music Farm. Tickets are sold out, so concert-goers are urged to arrive early. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9. For more information, visit www.musicfarm.com.

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