Another record deal...

...but will it be the road to stardom? Probably not.

About a month ago, Chris Daughtry was offered the lead singer position of Fuel, an established band, no doubt pissing off the dozens of singers who had auditioned to replace outgoing singer Brett Scallions. It's a combination that made sense for all parties: an established band trying to live up to past success gets a shot of attention via hordes of American Idol fans, and a singer gets instant credibility by being part of a band that succeeded musically without cheesy television exposure. However, he turned down the offer.

Now, he has signed a record deal with 19 Records.

The 26-year-old North Carolina native will form a band "and has already begun to work with A-list collaborators" to write and record material for an album, expected to be released later this year.

Well, if you are going to succeed long-term in the music business, it can't hurt to start with the connections provided by American Idol and Clive Davis. What other starting singer, even a good one, would get access to A-list collaborators before even releasing an album?

Any bets on whether his album will have a Diane Warren tune?