local boy returns

Local Boy Returns

"We want Chris!"

It was a day the Triad has been waiting for several weeks.

McLeansville's American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry officially

returns to the Triad and the area wanted to pull out all of the stops

for him. Of course this isn't the first time the Triad has played host

to a name made from that little singing contest that FOX runs every

year.

In 2004, High Point's Fantasia (Barino) was crowned American Idol 2004

to much local acclaim just to have her turn around and dis her

hometown in a "tell all" book where she admits that the Guilford

County Schools left her academically illiterate. Even though Mr

Daughtry didn't take the AI 2006 crown (that was Birmingham, Alabama's

Taylor "Soul Patrol" Hicks) the future looks brighter for him.

His hometown of McLeansville spent this first Saturday morning of June

honoring him and later in the afternoon, he and his band, Absent

Element, gave a free concert at Grimsley High School in Greensboro to

all who wanted to attend. At the concert, in true fashion, every

entity that could hang on to his coat tails did from local businesses,

local and federal elected officials and the governor's office itself.

The poor woman from Governor Easley's office must have had too much

Hollywood in her eyes because as she was giving Mr Daughtry one of

many accolades, she misspoke. What she INTENDED to say was, "The first

time you opened your mouth to sing, a wonder sound came forth." What

she DID say was "The first time you opened MY mouth..." I just hope

she wasn't wearing stiletto heels when she stuck her foot down her

throat. Mr Daughtry wanted this concert to help the Children's Home

Society of North Carolina and donations were taken for that

organization.

Absent Element

Mr Daughtry, his family, band and close friends arrived in 2 very

stretch limos with a police escort where they were taken around the

running track of the stadium where the fans cheered and waved at the

convoy and then to the schools field house. After a few minutes down

in the field house preparing for the show, they emerged and walked

over to the stage in front of one of the football goal posts. After an

introduction that lasted too long and another 15 minutes while

everything from certificates and keys to the city were bestow upon

him, Mr Daughtry asked a simple question to the audience. "Wass up

guys?! You ready to rock?!" The crowd goes wild and Absent Element,

who has had a lead singer absent for the last 5 months begins to play.

First song? Bon Jovi's "Wanted. Dead or Alive." Performed just like he

did it on American Idol 3 months ago. This time, you could tell the

improvement in his performance. As they played and he sang, you saw

the same kind of style live that was on television. The IT factor that

is needed to succeed in the record business was there on display in

that high school stadium. He didn't seem to be a bar band singer, but

someone you could see doing stadium concerts with people going crazy.

The intensity that he showed on American Idol was there in front of

his first "professional" fans. He also made a conscience effort to

make contact with everyone one there. It was a beauty to behold. What

he can become was there for all to see. He had graduated from local

musician to up and coming star.

Wanted: Very much alive

Absent Element is not a bad sounding band. I was surprised how much

the couple of cover songs they did sounded just like he had song them

on the show. Most of the songs though were originals from the band's

only release, an indie EP called "Uprooted."

As the show went on, you could feel that Mr Daughtry wanted this show

to be just right. As important as every performance on AI with 30

million plus people watching were, this crowd of 3500 were his core,

his base, his family and friends and in his short professional career,

THIS was the big time, proving to the home crowd he was worth their

time and support. The crowd was equally worried that they didn't

disappoint him either. Several times he asked the crowd if they could

hear OK or if they were bored. Each time the crowd responded

enthusiastically in support for him and the band. I think neither had

anything to worry about.

This audience did had a nice cross section of people. You saw the hard

rockers in their tee shirts and barefoot, rednecks, older people in

the 50's and 60's, and the "wine and cheese crowd" of men in their

Izod shirts, khaki pants and women in their chic tops and pants and

high heels along with teenage girl groupies that always hang on any

celeb of any fame more than pageant queen.

As the show went on, you could tell that Mr Daughtry is tired. He had

that drained look in this face that after 5 months of stress and being

away from home can create. His wife and children sat on stage at the

back looking on in satisfaction. On Deanna's face, his wife, you could

see that all of those nights rehearsing, being gone to gigs not much

more than orchestrated reasons for getting drunk and raising hell were

paying off. People had come to hear him along with his band and not

just for beer. And that was why many had come. To see and hear Chris

Daughtry. Even though Mr Daughtry tried to play the whole "Chris

Daughtry Show" circus atmosphere down, it permeated the air like a

dead skunk in the middle of the road. The band has said all long that

they have supported and continue to support Mr Daughtry.

One thing that came out of the Welcome Home Show was that he is on a

different level than his band mates now. Even though Absent Element is

a good solid band, they are, a local band. Mr Daughtry, on the other

hand, is a "national name." He has doors opening for him that the

others in the band do not have and may never have. Most fans of Mr

Daughtry know he was in a band, but I would wager most of those people

have no idea what that bands name is.

It was announced at the show that he has officially turned down Fuel's

offer to be their lead singer. In my opinion, that was a smart move.

After researching it, it appears that Fuel needs Mr Daughtry's

celebrity more than he needs them. But on the other hand, in my

opinion, if he sticks with Absent Element and tries to bring them

along with him, you will never hear from him again. The public knows

and wants Chris Daughtry, not Absent Element, even if Chris Daughtry

is in the band.

And that is a hard thing. No one has anything against Absent Element,

they are a good sounding band, I personally like them, but the record

business is a hard business. It is built on a fickle lady called

"fame" and she doesn't care if you live or die. People think Simon

Cowell is too mean. Just the opposite. He has to tone himself down for

American Idol. If he was allowed to be as nasty as record people are,

he wouldn't be the person we love to hate. He would seem to be just

plain mean. To quote funny woman Tracey Ullman who had a record

contract in the 80's with Stiff Records in the UK, "Those bleeding

record companies are nothing but thieves!"

Of course the problem is as simple as what was faced by three guys in

a local band about to break national in 1962. Do they keep the drummer

and stay a local band or go with a better drummer and "break

nationally?" We all know that answer. Pete Best is a middle class man

now in his 60's in Liverpool, England. His three band mates and a new

drummer named Ringo Starr went on to be the best band in the world,

The Beatles.

His final song was sung with nothing but his gutar. It was a song he

had written right before AI called, "Home" and he said he was glad to

be back among us.

But for a while on a sunny June Saturday, the local community welcomed

home a man who is a husband, a father, a singer, an idol and a good

man. I wish him all the luck in the world as he starts this wild ride

of fame.