'Idol' Power Boosts Chris Sligh Band to Top of Music Nation

|PIC1|The curly-haired Christian star who placed tenth in this season's American Idol has already been showing his future prospect in the music industry, having his South Carolina-based band already being voted as the top rock group for week 10 in Music Nation's online video contest.

"Know," the debut single of former Idolcontestant Chris Sligh and his band, Half Past Forever, was picked as the best rock song of the week and now will move into the quarterfinals of the music video competition.

Should the group win the contest, they will receive a professional recording contract with Epic Records and an appearance on Clear Channel's Stripped.

Following his expulsion from American Idol last month, Sligh said he had actually thought of quitting the show. The 28-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, said he would not have been happy performing the style of music that goes along with the top-rated programme.

His hometown band is a better fit for the reality star, and may work out to a record contract in the end despite.

"I'm excited to get back to my band," said Sligh, during a telephone press session the day after his exit. "We had some label interest before, so this should really have opened some doors for us."

Music Nation is an online video competition which aims to find the next big unsigned performers in three genres: rock, pop, and urban. It allows any interested band or singer to submit their own music videos, whether they be secular or Christian, and then allows fans to vote for their favourite submissions.

The first rounds run for twelve weeks, choosing two top voted bands to move onto the quarterfinals from each week. This past round, Half Past Forever was chosen as week 10's stellar group.

Semi-finalists will then be chosen during week 13, and by the end of week 15 on May 21, one winner from each of the three genres will be crowned the winners. Band's will be critiqued by a panel of judges, including rock group Good Charlotte's Madden brothers and Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, with the public's input.

"Know" is the first single off Half Past Forever's pre-recorded
album Take a Chance on Something Beautiful. The CD saw instant success following Sligh's appearance on Idol. It had previously been ranked in the 13,000s for the past year on Amazon.com, but skyrocketed to No. 25 immediately after Sligh's television debut.

Quarterfinal voting for Music Nation will begin Apr. 30, when the band will try to rise to the top of the rock groups again.

The band, which features Sligh on lead vocals, also comprises of his two Greenville friends - Cole Edmonson on bass and Adam Fisher on guitar.