“Home” by Daughtry, Thursday, December 14, 2023
In 2006, American Idol still had a grip on pop culture. The show’s fifth season
was the highest-rated season, with an average of 30.1 million viewers per episode. The season featured gospel singer Mandisa, country singer Kelly Pickler, country-rocker Taylor Hicks--who won the season, and rocker Chris Daughtry. The show had already produced stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood. It would launch the careers of several other acts like David Archuleta, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert. While the show became much less culturally significant at some point, the first seasons had the hearts of pop listeners.I’M STARING OUT INTO THE NIGHT. Chris Daughtry was born in North Carolina and grew up in Greensboro. He performed with local bands in high school. His band was called Cadence, which produced one album in 1999. Before auditioning for American Idol and forming the band Daughtry, Chris was the lead singer of Absent Element. In 2005, Chris auditioned for Rockstar: INXS, an American Idol-like show to determine who would be the lead singer for the re-formed Australian band that had suffered the loss of its lead singer Michael Hutchence in 1997 when he committed suicide. Chris was not selected for the show but then auditioned for American Idol. On his American Idol run, Daughtry performed rock songs to a mostly pop-oriented audience. His performance of Fuel’s “Hemorrhage” (In My Hands) even led to an offer for Daughtry to become Fuel’s lead singer as they were between vocalists. Daughtry became a voice for rock on American primetime. His vocal styling happened to fit at the end of the post-grunge revival. If he had premiered today, he would probably end up in Country music due to the decline of rock music in the ‘10s. He made the top 4 before being eliminated on May 10, 2006.
WHERE YOUR LOVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ENOUGH FOR ME. Shortly after his tenure on American Idol, Chris Daughtry entered the studio with Howard Benson to produce a debut record from the newly formed band, Daughtry. But the band Daughtry wasn’t actually formed until after recording the self-titled debut. Accompanying Chris on Daughtry were session musicians. When a band was formed, they toured and were recorded starting with Daughtry’s second album, Leave This Town. Daughtry’s debut album was the band’s most successful. Partly because of Daughtry’s name recognition, the album was the fastest-selling debut rock record and the best-selling album of 2007. The singles “It’s Not Over” and “Home” were Daughtry’s highest charting hits on Billboard’s Hot 100, reaching 4 and 5, respectively. Chris wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on the album, except for the album’s closer, the adult contemporary hit “What About Now?” and “Feels Like Tonight.” While Daughtry clearly has a rock-inspired sound, the band was usually played on pop and adult contemporary stations. Many of the songs feel like a well-produced late-‘90s radio rock. And while Daughtry’s post-RCA catalogue leans into a hard rock sound, “Home” is still one of the band’s signature songs. It was a song that Chris wrote just before appearing on American Idol. It was a prophetic song imagining what a post-fame Chris Daughtry would feel like after being on tour, coming home to his family. So, as we near the holiday season, many families are reuniting. But some of us can only dream of a time when the family is all together. I wish everyone the peaceful mindset of home this holiday season.
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