Charles Christopher Sligh(/ˈslaɪ/;born April 13, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and pastor who was a finalist on thesixth seasonofAmerican Idol,finishing in tenth place. He has released 14 albums since 2001 as a solo artist, with his band Half Past Forever or with his former church's musical entity, Shoreline Music. He also starred inOctober Baby.[2]
Chris Sligh | |
|---|---|
 Sligh and Sarah Sligh, his wife | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Christopher Sligh |
| Born | April 13, 1978[1] Madison, Tennessee |
| Origin | Greenville, South Carolina,United States |
| Genres | Christian rock,alternative rock |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Formerly of | Half Past Forever |
| Website | chrissligh |
Early years
editSligh was born inMadison, Tennessee,to Chuck[3]and Susan Sligh, Baptist missionaries to American military servicemen. The family moved toDurham, North Carolina,when Sligh was three years old but soon moved toWiesbaden,Germany,where Chuck ministered to American troops. Chuck Sligh is an accomplished guitarist and passed his love of music to his three sons, of whom Sligh is the oldest.[4][5]Although Sligh has been singing since high school he grew up listening only to classical music in a regimented upbringing.[6]
Sligh began his college study in pre-law atPensacola Christian CollegeinFlorida.He transferred toBob Jones UniversityinGreenville, South Carolina,in his sophomore year intending to major in music. Despite having no previous formal instruction, Sligh progressed rapidly in the school's vocal performance program; he was invited to audition both for theJuilliard Schooland theMetropolitan OperainNew York City.Sligh was expelled from Bob Jones after he broke school rules. He then attendedNorth Greenville Universitybut left shy a few credits of earning a music degree.
Half Past Forever
edit
Over the next few years he put several bands together, leading eventually to the creation of the band Half Past Forever. Sligh was the frontman and guitarist for his band which was formed with a member of a defunct, localSouth Carolinaband.
In 2006, they recorded the album,Take a Chance on Something Beautiful,which was produced over a few months in Sligh's home studio. After Sligh was voted offAmerican Idolin March 2007, the band signed with record label Brash Music. Sligh produced, and wrote or co-wrote all of the album's seventeen songs.Jesusfreakhideout.commusic critic Scott Fryberger reviewed the CD on July 7 saying, "Although a good mixture of adult contemporary and rock, Half Past Forever still isn't quite a must-buy album. It remains, however, a very good debut for the band. I wouldn't be surprised to hear them on mainstream radio stations in the near future.[7]
On the other hand, critic Christa Bannister atChristianity Today.com reviewed the album, giving the album a solid 4/5 stars, saying "While the project is a little long by today's standards, there's actually not a throwaway in the bunch...The biggest surprise lies in the varied production, which is especially impressive for an indie band. They go all out with strings on the aforementioned "In a Moment," while faster songs like "Naïve" and "Closer" are reminiscent of The Strokes' latest project, with a more raw, stripped-down indie feel that offers nice contrast to overproduced pop."[8]
American Idol
editSligh auditioned inBirmingham, Alabamasinging "Kiss from a Rose"bySeal,after whichPaula Abdulgave him a standing ovation and said, "I like you very much."American Idoljudges laughed at his ambition "to makeDavid Hasselhoffcry, "a reference to Hasselhoff's crying whenTaylor Hickswon season 5.
Sligh was an early favorite of the judges, as all 3 judges spoke of a guy with curly hair who did not look like your typical American Idol. Abdul compared him toPenn Jillettefrom the duo ofPenn & Teller,to whom he bears some resemblance. However, by the third week of the semi-finals, after Sligh sang "We All Wanna Be Loved" byDC Talk,the judges criticized him more sharply.
During the top 24 week, Sligh showed his extensive knowledge of American Idol trivia, which he claimed to have learned while researching for hours at his job in South Carolina.Simon Cowellclaimed that Sligh's performance of "Typical" by the bandMutemathwas "...like being at some weird student gig" and told Sligh that he felt like Sligh was there more on personality than vocal skill. Sligh retorted by saying, "Just because I don't sound likeIl Divoor theTeletubbiesdoesn't mean that I don't have a good voice "alluding to Cowell's creation of the classical boy band Il Divo and his work in making an album featuring the Teletubbies.Randy Jacksonand Abdul cheered at the supposed insult. Many fans were left bewildered by Cowell's dour reaction, which Sligh andRyan Seacrestlater cleared up in saying the dour expression was aimed at Seacrest.
Sligh was eliminated fromAmerican Idolon March 28, 2007 finishing in tenth-place. While he sang his last song, he toldPhil Stacey"You owe me 50 bucks," referencing their bet that he would be eliminated that show. The next day, Sligh said that he had not sought to win the competition and that he had considered quitting the show two weeks before, but stayed on the show in order to make it into the top ten so that he could go on tour with the other top ten finalists.[9]Later he commented that his wanting to quit was similar to anyone working a job and feeling like they could not do it anymore. He also addressed the rumor that he never wanted to win, saying, "I never set my sights on winning because it would've driven me crazy...I just focused on small goals, the first of which was to make the top 10 so I could go on tour."
Performances
editAuditions/Hollywood
- Audition - "Kiss From a Rose"(Seal)
- Group Performance - "How Deep Is Your Love"(Bee Gees) (performed withBlake Lewis,Rudy Cardenas, andTom Lowe)
- Final Round Performance - "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"(Bryan Adams)
| Week # | Theme | Song Choice | Original Artist | Order # | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 24 (12 Men) | N/A | "Typical" | Mutemath | 9 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 20 (10 Men) | N/A | "Trouble" | Ray LaMontagne | 5 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 16 (8 Men) | N/A | "Wanna Be Loved" | dc Talk | 8 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 12 | Diana Ross | "Endless Love" | Diana Ross andLionel Richie | 3 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 11 | British Invasion | "She's Not There" | The Zombies | 10 | Safe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top 10 | No Doubt/Artists who inspireGwen Stefani | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | The Police | 2 | Eliminated |
Career
editIn November 2007, Sligh stated that he had signed a solo deal with Brash Music, anAtlanta-based independent label that is distributed throughWarner Bros.,Alternative Distribution Alliance,andWordDistribution.
The album titledRunning Back to Youwas produced byBrown Bannister,Stephen Leiweke andWill Owsley.Sligh's album was released on May 6, 2008 by Brash Music. The first official single, "Empty Me," was added to radio playlists February 22, 2008 and reached number six on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Charts. The album debuted on theBillboard200at 190 with 4,000 copies sold the first week, the top Christian debut for the week.[10]It has sold 54,000 copies in the U.S. as of October 2009.[11]
The album has mostly positive reviews.USA Todaycalled Sligh "the most musically ambitious Idol to date" and popularChristianwebsite Jesus Freak Hideout gave the album 4.5 stars (out of 5) and called it "...one of the year's best albums". Other websites including The Bridge Live, CMCentral, Soul-Audio.com, and others gave the album glowing reviews, praising Sligh's songwriting, the album's production, and Sligh's soaring vocals which set him apart from the rest of the pack. The album reached number 190 onBillboard magazine'sTop Heatseekerschart.[12]
Through 2008 Sligh toured relentlessly, with over 115 shows and over 150 other appearances (radio, TV, and web interviews). In August and September 2008, he headlined theBack to SchoolTour. The tour went to 32 cities, most of which were partnered directly with Christian radio stations. In December 2008, Sligh toured withNewSongon the NewSong Christmas celebration tour. The tour hit 18 cities from December 1–22, 2008.
In March and April 2009, Sligh toured with[1]Natalie GrantandMeredith Andrewson theMake It Matter Tour.[13]
In April 2009, Sligh co-wrote a song called "Here Comes Goodbye"with Clint Lagerberg. This song was released by thecountrybandRascal Flatts.The song went number one after 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Charts.[14]
In May 2009, Sligh announced that he had parted ways with his label Brash Music and was "negotiating with a major label" for his next deal. His second album "Anatomy of the Broken" was released in September, 2010 onWord Records.[15]
From September to November 2009, Sligh completed his second annualBack to School Tour,a co-headlining effort withAaron Shust.[16]
In November 2009 Sligh's first Christmas album became available oniTunes.In November he also announced details of his upcoming album,The Anatomy of Broken,which was released on September 14, 2010.[17]The album peaked at number 44 on theBillboardTop Christian AlbumsChart.
Sligh made his acting debut in the movieOctober Babyas B-Mac. He performed "Broken (Beautiful)," "One", and "Willow Tree" for the soundtrack.[18]
In 2011, Sligh left Warner Brothers/Word Records. He was hired at Rocky Mountain Christian Church inNiwot, Coloradoas a worship minister. Sligh released his third album,For Our God & King,and a 37-song triple albumThis Is Life.[citation needed]
In 2013, Sligh and his family moved toAustin, Texas,where took a position as a worship minister and later the creative director of Shoreline Church. He built a songwriting and production division of the church called Shoreline Music and featured on the albumNo Height, No Depth,which came out in 2015.[19]
In 2016, Sligh and family moved toChicagowhere he was the executive creative director at Parkview Christian Church.[20]At the end of 2016, Sligh left his job at the church around the time of releasingMighty Roar / Healing Floodin December 2016.[21]The album received positive reviews by major Christian publications: it received 4 of 5 stars by New Release Today[22]4 of 5 stars by CCM Magazine[23]and 3.5 of 5 star by JesusFreakHideout[24]plus a 9/10 rating by CrossRhythms Magazine.[25]The album also garnered Sligh a nomination for JesusFreakHideout's Pop Album of the Year.[26]
In 2017, Sligh returned to touring and played over forty shows. In April 2018, he releasedA Modern Liturgy.The album followed upMighty Roar / Healing Floodwith equally great reviews: JesusFreakHideout gave it 4/5 stars,[27]CCM Magazine again gave a Sligh album 4/4 stars.[28]
In 2018, Sligh produced the majority of an EP for Curt Anderson[29]and wrote and produced for Jenna Long.[30]
In 2019, Sligh partnered with Worship Tutorials to release a series of videos.[31][non-primary source needed]
In 2021, the Feckers[32][better source needed]released their third album,Courage of Conviction Part I: Picking Up the Piecesand Sligh sang on the duet, "Picking Up the Pieces."
As of December 2023, Sligh was focused more on songwriting than performing.[33]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Berg: Vesselas Berg (Chris Sligh) | |
| 2002 | Someone Just Like You | |
| 2005 | Half Past Forever(with Half Past Forever) | |
| 2005 | Besides...(with Half Past Forever) | |
| 2007 | Take a Chance on Something Beautiful(withHalf Past Forever) | 1,700[34] |
| 2008 | Running Back to You | 54,000[11] |
| 2009 | Christmas EP | |
| 2010 | The Anatomy of Broken | 10,000[35] |
| 2012 | For Our God and King | |
| 2013 | This Is Life(three album set) | |
| 2015 | Shoreline Music -No Height, No Depth | |
| 2016 | Mighty Roar / Healing Flood | |
| 2018 | A Modern Liturgy | |
| 2019 | Sing, Vol. 1 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak | sales | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ | |||||||||
| 2007 | "Hero" | — | Take a Chance On Something Beautiful | ||||||
| 2008 | "Empty Me" | 6 | 52,000[36] | Running Back to You | |||||
| "Arise" | 30 | ||||||||
| 2010 | "Only You Can Save" | 13 | 10,000[37] | The Anatomy of Broken | |||||
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart or not released | |||||||||
References
edit- ^Chris Sligh's personal BlogSpot entry commenting on his birthday.
- ^"October Baby - Cast & Crew".Retrieved30 August2012.
- ^Chuck Sligh bio on church websiteArchivedMarch 11, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^Stars and Stripes news article[dead link];1999 missionary prayer letterArchivedSeptember 28, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^From My Mind To Your Eyes: My Musical Journey
- ^Greenville News, March 21, 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^Jesusfreakhideout.com: Half Past Forever, "Take A Chance On Something Beautiful" Review
- ^Half Past Forever - Take a Chance on Something Beautiful - Christian Music Today
- ^"Ousted 'American Idol' contestant Sligh says he considered quitting before being voted off",Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), March 30, 2007.
- ^"Clay's No. 4, Chris S. No. 190 in chart debuts".USA Today.May 14, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon May 18, 2008.
- ^abIdol Chatter 10-14-2009
- ^"Top Heatseekers".Billboard.2008-06-28.Retrieved2008-06-23.
- ^Natalie Grant. Make it Matter Tour. April 29, 2009.http://nataliegrant.com/2009/04/29/make-it-matter-tour/[permanent dead link]
- ^Country Standard Time. "Rascal Flatt's Here Comes Goodbye Skyrockets to the Top." April 13, 2009.http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=2783
- ^Conner, Matt."Chris Sligh | The Anatomy of Broken".TodaysChristianMusic.com.CCMMagazine.Retrieved30 August2012.
- ^Chris Sligh. News."Chris Sligh: News".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-28.Retrieved2009-11-28.
- ^Chris Sligh. News. November 21, 2009."Chris Sligh: News".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-28.Retrieved2009-11-28.
- ^"October Baby - The Music of October Baby".Retrieved30 August2012.
- ^No Height, No Depth,2015-04-23,retrieved2018-09-28
- ^"Outreach 100 Largest Churches 2017 - OutreachMagazine.com OutreachMagazine.com".www.outreachmagazine.com.Retrieved2018-09-28.
- ^"Who Is Chris Sligh?".Chris Sligh.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Mighty Roar / Healing Flood by Chris Sligh | CD Reviews And Information | NewReleaseToday".www.newreleasetoday.com.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^Conner, Matt (2017-01-16)."Chris Sligh - 'Mighty Roar/Healing Flood' album review".CCM Magazine.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Jesusfreakhideout.com: Chris Sligh," Mighty Roar / Healing Flood "Review".www.jesusfreakhideout.com.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Review: Mighty Roar/Healing Flood - Chris Sligh | Cross Rhythms".www.crossrhythms.co.uk.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Jesusfreakhideout.com: JFH Awards 2017".www.jesusfreakhideout.com.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Jesusfreakhideout.com: Chris Sligh," A Modern Liturgy "Review".www.jesusfreakhideout.com.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^Argyrakis, Andy (2018-04-11)."Chris Sligh - 'A Modern Liturgy' album review".CCM Magazine.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^Clarks, Jessie (8 May 2018)."TCB Exclusive: Curt Anderson Talks New Release And Tour Plans".www.thechristianbeat.org.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Covered EP".SoundCloud.Retrieved2018-09-29.
- ^"Chris Sligh Archives".
- ^"The Feckers".
- ^Herner, Hannah (2023-11-30)."Idol Behavior: A Look at Nashville's Ecosystem of 'American Idol' Alumni".Nashville Scene.Retrieved2023-12-05.
- ^Idol Chatter 01-10-2008
- ^Idol Chatter 02-23-2011
- ^Idol Chatter 12-03-2008
- ^Idol Chatter 12-22-2010