Chris Sligh first rose to national attention during the sixth season of #American Idol, where his self-deprecating humor and passionate tenor vocals helped him earn a tenth-place finish. He then parlayed that success into a CCM career, first with the band Half Past Forever (which Sligh had formed prior to the #American Idol season) and later as a solo act. Born into a Baptist household in 1978, Charles Christopher Sligh developed his faith and singing ability at a young age. His parents were missionaries whose work required the family to move often, and the young Sligh spent time in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Germany while taking musical influence from his guitar-playing father.