.

Chris Daughtry Sued By Former Bandmates

Musicians claim they co-wrote four of the former 'Idol' contestant's songs

April 9, 2012 1:30 PM ET
daughtry
Chris Daughtry performs at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Kevin Winter/AMA2011/Getty Images for AMA

Chris Daughtry is being sued by three of his former bandmates over royalties, the Greensboro News and Record reports. The lawsuit accuses Daughtry of "constructive fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, unfair trade practices and other deceptive and wrongful conduct" in his dealings with the musicians.

Bassist Ryan Andrews, guitarist Mark Perry and drummer Scott Crawford filed the lawsuit in Guilford County Superior Court in North Carolina, claiming that the singer defrauded them out of money earned for four songs they say they co-wrote with the former American Idol contestant when they played together as a quartet called Absent Element.

Absent Element's only album, Uprooted, features two songs, "Conviction" and "Breakdown," which were combined as "Breakdown" on the first Daughtry album, though only Chris Daughtry is credited as a songwriter for that track.

"I am very hurt by these false accusations," Chris Daughtry wrote in a statement on Daughtry's official website. "The songs listed in this lawsuit were written solely by me and no one else and at this time, I have no further comment."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

prev
Music Main Next

blog comments powered by Disqus
Daily Newsletter

Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
marketing partners.

X

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »