Three times was the charm for this Season 6
American Idol finalist. Although this chubby, curly-haired singer had auditioned for FOX's reality juggernaut twice before — even making it to Hollywood in Season 5 before getting the boot — he decided that he needed a gimmick to stay alive. On his wife's advice, he grew his hair out into his signature 'fro. He also let his humor show through: When the judges asked why he wanted to be on the show, he deadpanned, "I want to make David Hasselhoff cry," referring to the
Baywatch star's reaction to Taylor Hicks' 2006 win. But Sligh wasn't just a sly competitor; he was a distinctive singer, too, who had studied music in college and fronted the band Half Past Forever. In fact, the group's debut album,
Take a Chance on Something Beautiful, was released
in February 2007, a month before he made it to the
AI finals. Unfortunately, Sligh's
AI tenure was short-lived: after a series of lackluster — not to mention offbeat (both literally and figuratively) — performances, he was the third finalist to be booted.
Chris Sligh Fast Facts:
- Spent 10 years living in Germany with his missionary parents.
- Wasn't allowed to listen to music as a child.
- When he auditioned for AI, he was three credits short of his vocal performance degree.
- Is a worship leader at Seacoast Church in Greenville, NC.
- Chris Sligh Relationships:
- Sarah Sligh - Wife
- Susan Sligh - Mother
- College:
- Attended Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL; attended Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC; attended North Greenville College, Tigerville, SC
