Daughtry in it for the Long Haul...

Chris Daughtry in it for the long haul

By ED CONDRAN • CORRESPONDENT • November 6, 2009

Chris Daughtry is a pretty humble guy, considering his accomplishments. The soft-spoken singer-songwriter has sold millions of albums and is the first "American Idol" alum to have two-consecutive chart-topping albums. "Leave This Town," Daughtry's sophomore effort released in July, hit the top of the Billboard charts by mid-summer.

"I've been very fortunate," Daughtry said. "It's been amazing. This isn't something I could have expected. In some ways, what I have accomplished is mind boggling. It just keeps getting more and more incredible. But it's not just something I've done. It's something I've done with my band."

Daughtry, 29, isn't just a surname, it's the name of his group, which also includes guitarists Josh Steely and Brian Craddock, bassist Josh "JP" Paul and drummer Joey Barnes. "Those guys are a huge part of this," Daughtry said. "This is a band."

It isn't easy to follow up a platinum-plus smash. More than four million copies of the eponymous Daughtry album, released in 2006, have been sold to date, while the group's second CD has sold roughly half that amount.

"It's not easy to sell (albums) these days," Daughtry said. "It's a challenge, but I have a great fan base that really supports me."

"Leave This Town" isn't as slick as the debut disc. It's also edgier and includes songs with bigger hooks. Songwriters-for-hire Ben Moody and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger co-wrote tracks along with Daughtry, thereby bolstering the group's attack.

"I'm always up for making things that much better," Daughtry said. "That's what it's all about. I want every album to be better than the next. I don't want to blow this opportunity. This is (what) I've waited for all of my life." Daughtry, who performs with his band at the Trump Taj Majal in Atlantic City on Friday, Nov. 6, has been working toward that opportunity for a long time. He performed in bars for 11 years before entering the "American Idol" arena in 2006.

"A lot of people have no idea about that," Daughtry said. "I didn't become an overnight sensation. I worked hard at this for so many years."

Daughtry hopes to be writing and recording for many years to come. "This is what I want to do," Daughtry said. "I have a lot of music in me. I want to keep on doing this for as long as I can."

It sounds to me like Mr. Daughtry has a bit of the Bon Jovi work ethic in him, don't you think?


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