In 2006, the winner of the music contest American Idol, Chris Daughtry, decided to form his own band. After several grueling auditions, he ended up inviting four members: Jeremy Brady, Josh Steely, Josh Paul, and Joey Barnes. A decision was made to call the band in honor of the founder in order to capitalize on the popularity he earned at the show.In the end of 2006, the band recorded the first studio album Daughtry, produced by a well-known producer Howard Benson. The group signed a contract with RCA records. Almost all the songs for the LP were written by Chris.
The debut album was immediately successful. It topped Billboard 200 and sold over 7 million copies worldwide. The leading single "It's Not Over" reached the 4th spot on Billboard Hot 100. Soon, Jeremy Brady made a decision to leave the group and was replaced by Brian Craddock. The second single from the LP “Home” made it to the 5th spot of Billboard Hot 100. The song was featured in the six season of American Idol and made it into the similar shows in Australia and Brazil.
The third single "What I Want", was a 2007 radio hit and reached the 6th spot on US Mainstream Rock Tracks. All six singles from the LP were very successful. The album itself earned four platinum certificates by April 2008.
The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008 in four categories but didn’t win any prizes. However, in 2007, it earned six Billboard Music Awards and three American Music Awards. Two more they received in 2008.
