Chris Daughtry

Thursday night's tragedy in Colorado - where a gunman opened fire on moviegoers at a midnight screening of the new Batman film, leaving 12 dead and dozens wounded - has many people looking for answers. And a good chunk of them are eyeing the firearms industry. At 6:20 a.m. Friday, long after Aurora authorities began investigating the bloodshed, the @NRA_Rifleman Twitter account operated by the National Rifle Assn. posted a tweet that many since criticized as insensitive. The tweet, which read “Good morning, shooters.

Thursday night's tragedy in Colorado - where a gunman opened fire on moviegoers at a midnight screening of the new Batman film, leaving 12 dead and dozens wounded - has many people looking for answers. And a good chunk of them are eyeing the firearms industry. At 6:20 a.m. Friday, long after Aurora authorities began investigating the bloodshed, the @NRA_Rifleman Twitter account operated by the National Rifle Assn. posted a tweet that many since criticized as insensitive. The tweet, which read “Good morning, shooters.

Chris Daughtry began his encore Monday night at the Nokia Theatre by announcing, "We're gonna take you to the '80s for a second." He was referring, of course, to the 1980s, provenance of "Rebel Yell," the Billy Idol hit Daughtry and his bandmates then performed to the vocal delight of the many denim-clad mom types filling out the capacity crowd. Excepting a handful of youngsters accompanied by parents (or were they parents accompanied by youngsters?), this was an audience happy to indulge a star's flash of musical nostalgia.

Chris Daughtry began his encore Monday night at the Nokia Theatre by announcing, "We're gonna take you to the '80s for a second." He was referring, of course, to the 1980s, provenance of "Rebel Yell," the Billy Idol hit Daughtry and his bandmates then performed to the vocal delight of the many denim-clad mom types filling out the capacity crowd. Excepting a handful of youngsters accompanied by parents (or were they parents accompanied by youngsters?), this was an audience happy to indulge a star's flash of musical nostalgia.

YOU'D think that competing on "American Idol" -- with its instant celebrity and public flagellation -- would provide juicy grist for a songwriter. But the debut album by Chris Daughtry, a semifinalist from the hit show's 2006 season, dishes no backstage dirt, nor does it reveal the true texture of Rod Stewart's face. Instead, Daughtry mostly sings about the everyday frustrations and reassuring comforts of married life -- hardly what you'd expect given his tough-guy looks and emo-beefcake vocals.

Chris Daughtry: In a review of the Bon Jovi concert in Monday's Calendar Section, Chris Daughtry was incorrectly identified as a runner-up on "American Idol." He came in fourth in the 2006 competition.

He may not have won "American Idol," but Chris Daughtry is the king of the album charts this year, according to Billboard. The "Idol" finalist's band, Daughtry, sold 3.2 million copies of its self-titled debut, making it the most popular album of the year, according to the trade magazine. The group was followed by Akon, whose "Konvicted" sold 2.7 million; Fergie's "The Dutchess," which sold 2.4 million; the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack with 2.

It took an "Idol" to supplant an icon. Michael Jackson has posthumously had the top-selling album in the U.S. for the last three weeks, but the honor now belongs to Daughtry, led by former "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry. The act's second effort, "Leave This Town," sold 269,000 copies in the U.S. during the week ended July 19, according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it at No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts. Jackson's hits collection "Number Ones" added an extra 192,000 to its sales total during the same period.

AN Idol sneaks past the Dreamgirls by just a few of those hairs on his chinny-chin-chin, as "Daughtry," the debut album from "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry, snags the No. 1 spot on the national sales chart this week. The North Carolina rocker's collection sold 65,000 copies, enough to save the record industry from yet another new sales low during a particularly slow January. That was just 134 more copies than the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack, the slimmest margin ever between the No.

Daughtry "Leave This Town" RCA * * 1/2 To understand the sensibility Daughtry brings to hard rock, read the acknowledgments in the CD booklet for "Leave This Town." Every member of the band put together by Chris Daughtry, the chart-topping former "American Idol" contestant, thanks his wife -- except for drummer Joey Barnes, who expresses gratitude to a future spouse. What happened to the stripper-worshiping hedonism of hair metal, or even the monkish pose those '90s grunge rockers struck?

When a reporter suggested Monday that 60% of "American Idol" viewers show up just to see Simon Cowell, the man himself set the record straight. "I think you'll find it was slightly higher than that," Cowell joked to reporters at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena. The sharp-tongued British impresario made a surprise appearance at Fox's executive session Monday to confirm that this will be his last season on the smash singing competition before bringing his similarly themed "The X Factor" to the network in fall 2011.

It took an "Idol" to supplant an icon. Michael Jackson has posthumously had the top-selling album in the U.S. for the last three weeks, but the honor now belongs to Daughtry, led by former "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry. The act's second effort, "Leave This Town," sold 269,000 copies in the U.S. during the week ended July 19, according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it at No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts. Jackson's hits collection "Number Ones" added an extra 192,000 to its sales total during the same period.

Daughtry "Leave This Town" RCA * * 1/2 To understand the sensibility Daughtry brings to hard rock, read the acknowledgments in the CD booklet for "Leave This Town." Every member of the band put together by Chris Daughtry, the chart-topping former "American Idol" contestant, thanks his wife -- except for drummer Joey Barnes, who expresses gratitude to a future spouse. What happened to the stripper-worshiping hedonism of hair metal, or even the monkish pose those '90s grunge rockers struck?

Chris Daughtry: In a review of the Bon Jovi concert in Monday's Calendar Section, Chris Daughtry was incorrectly identified as a runner-up on "American Idol." He came in fourth in the 2006 competition.

He may not have won "American Idol," but Chris Daughtry is the king of the album charts this year, according to Billboard. The "Idol" finalist's band, Daughtry, sold 3.2 million copies of its self-titled debut, making it the most popular album of the year, according to the trade magazine. The group was followed by Akon, whose "Konvicted" sold 2.7 million; Fergie's "The Dutchess," which sold 2.4 million; the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack with 2.

YOU'D think that competing on "American Idol" -- with its instant celebrity and public flagellation -- would provide juicy grist for a songwriter. But the debut album by Chris Daughtry, a semifinalist from the hit show's 2006 season, dishes no backstage dirt, nor does it reveal the true texture of Rod Stewart's face. Instead, Daughtry mostly sings about the everyday frustrations and reassuring comforts of married life -- hardly what you'd expect given his tough-guy looks and emo-beefcake vocals.

When a reporter suggested Monday that 60% of "American Idol" viewers show up just to see Simon Cowell, the man himself set the record straight. "I think you'll find it was slightly higher than that," Cowell joked to reporters at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena. The sharp-tongued British impresario made a surprise appearance at Fox's executive session Monday to confirm that this will be his last season on the smash singing competition before bringing his similarly themed "The X Factor" to the network in fall 2011.

AN Idol sneaks past the Dreamgirls by just a few of those hairs on his chinny-chin-chin, as "Daughtry," the debut album from "American Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry, snags the No. 1 spot on the national sales chart this week. The North Carolina rocker's collection sold 65,000 copies, enough to save the record industry from yet another new sales low during a particularly slow January. That was just 134 more copies than the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack, the slimmest margin ever between the No.