Who Is Chris Daughtry's Wife? All About Deanna Daughtry

Chris Daughtry has been married to his wife, Deanna Daughtry, for more than 20 years.

The “It's Not Over” singer and Deanna wed in 2000, years before he placed fourth on season 5 of American Idol. In the years since, the couple has welcomed children together, collaborated on music and overcome challenges.

"I think we've been committed enough to learn as we go and realize that we're still trying to figure it out," Chris told PEOPLE in 2019.

"It's like the universe knew that we were going to help each other grow," Deanna added at the time. “And each of us was going to be exactly what the other needed."

In a 2019 Instagram post celebrating 19 years of marriage, Chris wrote: “We challenge each other’s growth daily and our marriage is far from perfect and I never expect it will be... but I’m so happy you’re my person and to be sharing this life with you!”

Here's everything to know about Chris Daughtry's wife, Deanna Daughtry.

She was a single mother when she met Chris

Deanna was already a mom to son Griffin and daughter Hannah, both from previous relationships, when she met the singer. The couple met at a party in North Carolina when Chris was 20.

Deanna recalled meeting her husband in an Instagram post to mark their 18th wedding anniversary in 2018. She wrote: “When we married 18 years ago I never imagined where it would lead us. I was thinking back on it...you seven years younger than me, living with your parents, selling vacuum cleaners. I was a single mother of two just starting my own business and very broken from childhood & past relationships. Neither of us had learned how to do any of this properly but we were both committed to stand by each other and go through it all together.”

She and Chris got married years before he competed on American Idol

The couple went on to tie the knot on Nov. 11, 2000. The pair married six years before Chris appeared on season 5 of American Idol, finishing in fourth place.

In an Instagram post to mark their 16th wedding anniversary in 2016, Chris revealed that everyone around him thought he was “making a terrible mistake” when he got married. He wrote, “On paper? Crazy as hell! To my circle, I was a 20 year old kid, with a world of opportunity in front of him, fresh outta my parents house, about to marry an older woman with 2 kids that were not mine and throw my life away...and I knew NOTHING about parenting!!!They weren't wrong about that part.”

Chris continued, “Even as I write this now I'm thinking 'what the hell was I thinking!!??' Hahaha. At that time, the ONLY incentive and/or motivation was love. There was no promise of money, fame, fortune, stability, financial security etc... just love. I had no idea just how much my life would change. How much this person would challenge me, not only in my aspirations of getting my voice heard, but to be a better man, a better father, a more compassionate human being, a better friend. The list does go on and on.”

She was at Chris’ American Idol audition

Chris had his wife’s support as he auditioned for American Idol. Deanna waited outside of the door as her husband sang for then-judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

“This is his dream and when he married me, he took on my two kids and he’s younger than me. He’s only 25 and I just felt like he’d have done so much if he was single, but he has a family to take care of and I just want his dream to come true because he’s given me and my kids so much,” Deanna said at her husband’s audition. “I’m so emotional because I know this is his chance and I just love him. He’s such a good husband and a good father.”

She has kids with Chris

In 2010, Chris announced that he and his wife had twins on the way. “Due to Deanna’s partial hysterectomy in 2006 the couple used IVF and had their embryos transferred to a gestational surrogate,” read a statement on Chris’ website at the time (per Just Jared). The couple’s fraternal twins, Noah James and Adalynn Rose, were born via surrogate in November 2010.

Becoming a parent admittedly made the rockstar grow up. Chris previously told PEOPLE, “Being a father has made me grow up,” adding, “Life is about more than just me. I’ve got a great wife, great kids and a great life now.”

Deanna has also sung her husband’s praises, previously telling PEOPLE, “I love to see Chris as a husband and father. He really has his priorities together, and we both have committed to put the kids first. But he’s good at finding time for us to ‘date,’ which is good for us, and also good for the kids.”

She has collaborated with Chris

Deanna is a songwriter. She and Chris worked together on the song “As You Are” from Daughtry’s 2018 Cage to Rattle album. Deanna wrote the lyrics and Chris worked on the song, but he didn’t share the finished product with his wife until he recorded a demo.

“It’s very important for people to know what the song is about and where it really came from,” Chris told PEOPLE in 2019. “Otherwise we’re not being authentic with the song.”

She mourned the death of her daughter Hannah in 2021

In 2021, Deanna mourned the loss of her 25-year-old daughter Hannah Price, who died by suicide while under the influence of narcotics. In an Instagram tribute to her eldest child, Deanna wrote, “My first born. I love you endlessly Hannah. Our family would like to thank you all for the outpouring of love as we grieve the loss of our daughter Hannah."

In January 2023, Chris opened up to PEOPLE about Hannah's death and how their family has navigated their grief. "Some days we struggle, and that's life. We're vulnerable enough to not hide those emotions from them because it's a part of life, and it's something that we don't want to shelter them from," he said. "That's the best thing I've learned — to allow it and try not to beat yourself up with guilt for things you didn't say or didn't do, because you can't change that."

She is a grandmother

Deanna’s late daughter had children of her own. According to E! Online, Hannah was a mother to a son named Liam and a daughter named Lily. On her Instagram, Hannah once credited her mother as the reason for her kids having “the best lives I could possibly give them.”

"I'm so blessed to have my mother, who has taught me so much & has been by my side through thick and thin. She has shown me what true love is and true love requires a lot of sacrifice ... my mother is the reason for so many blessings in my life.. including my children having the best lives I could possibly give them,” Hannah wrote, per E! Online. “I am also grateful for the two beautiful souls, and very close family friends, who chose to take on my daughter as their own and who are taking the absolute best care of her."

Chris has posted about being a grandfather on Instagram. Sharing a picture of a Father’s Day gift featuring Liam’s baby footprints in 2015, Chris wrote, “And from my 8 month old grandson (YES GRANDSON) Liam. Full on waterworks from my eyeholes. #bestFathersDayEver.”

They've overcome infidelity in their marriage

The couple revealed to PEOPLE in 2019 that Chris had been unfaithful to Deanna soon after he rose to stardom. "I look back and I had no idea who I was,” Chris said, noting that tours that had him on the road for months at a time were "just a recipe for disaster on a relationship.” He said, "There's been infidelity.”

Deanna told PEOPLE she knew it “didn't really have anything to do with” her. According to her, Chris “was drowning in the stuff he was dealing with, and I was drowning in the stuff I was dealing with. We both had to learn to save ourselves."

They both fought to save their marriage. Surviving crises together is "when real growth happens,” Chris told PEOPLE. “That's when real closeness happens. That's when you can say, I love this person, not because it's fun and new right now. I love this person because she just dealt with some real b------- of mine that I'm dealing with myself, and she's strong enough to stand by me and get through it with me, and hopefully, we come out stronger together. And we have."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.