...was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. He was raised in Lasker, North Carolina until he was 14. His parents, Pete and Sandra Daughtry, reside in the town of Lake Monticello, Virginia in Palmyra, Virginia, where Daughtry grew up before he relocated to McLeansville outside of Greensboro, North Carolina. His brother, Kenneth, resides in Victoria, Virginia. In his spare time, Daughtry was an artist, and he read comic books avidly. At age 16, Daughtry started taking singing seriously as a professional musician. He performed with rock bands during his time in high school. Musical influences include 1990s bands like Bush, Live, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots. Other influences include Fuel and Bon Jovi. During high school he appeared in two stage productions: The Wiz and Peter Pan. For his first official performance he sang "Achy Breaky Heart" at his grandfather's bar. Daughtry graduated from Fluvanna High School in 1998. His first job was a service advisor at a car dealership at Crown Honda, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In a segment on the 2006 season of American Idol, Daughtry revealed that he is balding and made the decision to shave his head completely in order to retain an aesthetically pleasing appearance. He has been married to Deanna Robertson since 2000. Chris has two children: a step-daughter, Hannah Price b. July 1998, from his wife's previous marriage, and an adopted son, Griffin Daughtry b. January 2000.