Heavy/Getty Singer Chris Daughtry in November 2022
Seventeen years after Chris Daughtry rocked season 5 of “American Idol,” landing in fourth place and going on to sell millions of records, the singer is still easily recognizable. As he rose to fame in 2006 on “Idol,” he stood out from the crowd not only for his voice, but for his distinctive look including his bald head, chiseled goatee, and tattoos.
Though his facial hair has had different iterations over the years and he’s gained a few more tattoos, Daughtry’s look has remained relatively unchanged. The biggest difference since his “Idol” days has been his fit physique; after dedicating himself to a new diet and workout regimen, Daughtry revealed his first physical transformation on Twitter in 2013.
But recently, the four-time Grammy nominee has taken his fitness regime to a new level. Fans and famous friends were stunned when Daughtry posted a rare photo of himself at home on July 4, 2023, wearing nothing but running shorts and tennis shoes revealing an incredibly buff physique resembling that of a body builder.
“Using every opportunity I can to tan these gams,” Daughtry wrote, drawing hundreds of comments about his physique, from his ripped upper body to the bulging veins in his legs.
Fans & Famous Friends Comment on Chris Daughtry’s Ripped Body
The Instagram photo, taken by the singer’s wife Deanna Daughtry at their home in Oak Ridge, North Carolina, drew a huge reaction, including from the singer’s famous friends.
“Not fair you are more talented and shredded than all of us,” wrote actor Ken Jeong, who’s also a panelist on FOX’s “The Masked Singer,” on which Daughtry was the runner-up during the show’s second season in 2019.
Rocker Sammy Hagar commented, “if I (saw) that in my neighbors yard, I would call the police😂😂😂😂💪👊🥂”
Actress Aisha Tyler wrote, “You vascular yo 🔥”
David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed, wrote, “I HATE leg day lol,” and Daughtry replied, “It’s the worst!”
Daughtry’s fans were equally impressed by the singer’s physique, commenting on his “monster calves,” “thunder thighs” and “tiny” shorts.
One wrote, “dude didn’t know you looked like you could step on a bodybuilding stage jeez”
Another joked, “🔥🔥🔥🔥 Definitely haven’t skipped leg day!! 🙌🏻 May as well just order the banana hammock!”
One woman wrote, “Tell your wife we all said THANK YOU! 🤤🙄”
Another commented, “OMG!!! this photo is on fire 🔥🥵 @chrisdaughtry pass me that hose, I need a cold shower 🚿”
Daughtry’s fitness trainer Fraser Bayley commented, “That weighted vest paying dividends brother. Proud of how you show up and follow direction. These results are NO surprise as I see the work you do to achieve it all! 🔥❤️”
The singer replied, “Thank you brother!!!!! Appreciate you and your guidance immensely 💜🤘🏻🙏🏻”
Chris Daughtry Says He’s Never Felt Better On Stage
Daughtry, who kicks off his Bare Bones Acoustic Tour on August 9, first got interested in fitness several years after appearing on “American Idol,” dedicating himself to a new diet and workout regimen.
Though he’d gotten into weight lifting in high school, he told Muscle & Fitness Magazine in 2013 that the combination of raising a family and his swift rise in the music business caused his commitment to fitness to backslide.
“I hit the road and it all went back downhill,” he recalled. “You start drinking a ton of beer, eating pizza and whatever else is in front of you, and you kind of just do that everyday cycle. And after a while you’re just so unmotivated to do anything.”
During an interview on vocal coach Chris Liepe’s podcast in May, Daughtry said he realized at that point that his fitness and diet impact his singing voice.
He said, “Late night drinking, eating … Taco Bell runs and just garbage. You don’t realize just how much your voice does not like that the next day (with) acid reflux and all the things.”
And though it motivated him to get healthier, Daughtry told Liepe that he didn’t truly adopt a consistent routine and diet until the pandemic hit in 2020 and he had just entered his 40s.
“I just made a decision, like, this can’t be ‘I’m into this here and there,'” he said. “And it became a lifestyle. I became obsessed with it for all the right reasons, and not just like, you know, a little fad here and there, ‘I’m trying to get a six pack’ or whatever. Like, I wanted to feel good all the time.”
Daughtry said that he’s been amazed by “how much better I felt on stage,” adding that he barely breaks a sweat during his performances anymore.
“I’ve conditioned myself so much that I’m running all over the place, I’m jumping off the barricade or back onto the stage and even the guys (in the band) are like, ‘Dude, you should be doing American Ninja Warrior!'”
“I’m not winded, I feel more in control of my instrument than I’ve ever felt in my life,” he added. “And so I think it plays a big role in the control and the health of your voice.”