NEW YORK -- Chris Daughtry wishes we would forget his shocking elimination from last year's American Idol, a contest he was widely favored to win. It's kind of a touchy subject.
"You hear one of two things: 'You were robbed' or 'You shoulda won,' " he says about attention from sympathetic fans, who continue to offer unsolicited condolences and pep talks about his controversial departure. (Taylor Hicks eventually took home the title).
"I'm just gonna be real: I hate hearing it," he says. "It makes you feel like they're stuck in that moment from where you were on the show. You want them to kinda break out of that and follow you where you're at now, and see that things are fantastic and there's nothing to be upset about. Get over it, you know, because I'm doing all right."
He's doing more than all right. Daughtry, who was voted off American Idol a few weeks before its finale, is having another moment in the spotlight -- one he hopes will last long after the Fox talent contest crowns its final winner. His band, called Daughtry, saw its self-titled debut album, released in November on Sony BMG's RCA label, climb to No. 1. The disc has sold more than 1 million copies on the shoulders of its single, "It's Not Over."
Instant celebrity
The 27-year-old father of two was a musician in McLeansville, N.C., when he decided to heed his wife's advice and audition for Idol, which has turned out hit makers such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. He needed the exposure to "get to that next level," he says.
Along came Idol, overnight celebrity and a "massive amount of rabid fans." He made Paula Abdul blush -- OK, all you need is to be young and male to do that -- and won over viewers with impassioned, rock-infused covers of songs ranging from Elvis numbers to pop ballads.
Unlike stars such as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, who signed record deals before they were boldfaced names, Daughtry was discovered first by Idol judges and then by voting viewers. They "feel responsible" for his success, he says. That's why they stop him on the street to say "You were robbed!"
"It's the power of TV," he says. "They feel like they know you. And then once you really get to know me, you probably wouldn't like me," he jokes, laughing heartily.
The 'Idol' effect
The show certainly boosted his career. Following his fourth-place finish, Daughtry found himself in demand: He turned down an offer to be lead singer for the band Fuel and later signed a record deal with music mogul Clive Davis in conjunction with 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by Idol creator Simon Fuller.
The deal allowed him to form his own band. He hired four new bandmates, who did not record on the album. They will, however, perform songs on their 25-city tour, which stops at Orlando's Universal Studios on Saturday, and contribute to a follow-up disc.
Drummer Joey Barnes, who has known Daughtry since their days "playing the same circuit," boasts that the band's next album will be "really, really good." But he's also crossing his fingers that they "don't go through the sophomore slump."
For all his talk about preferring to be among bandmates, Daughtry was out there all alone performing the national anthem at the recent National Football Conference championship game between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints. He shed a tear as he sang.
"It's perfect timing," he says. "I mean, it comes out right at the right moment. There's all kinds of emotions going on."
He turns serious when discussing his goals, which include replicating the successes of arena-packing bands such as U2 and Bon Jovi.
"I wanna look back 20 years from now and still be in the game in a big way," he says. "I wanna be a very important part of the music industry, whether it be playing or developing other bands. I would still honestly like to be performing every night and doing what I love to do."
Even Idol judge Simon Cowell, that acerbic king of sarcasm, wouldn't scoff at such earnestness.
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