Hailing from the small town of Escatawpa, MS, near Biloxi, 3 Doors Down forged a major-label contract using popular live shows and the reputation of a single song. Their hit, "Kryptonite," generated unprecedented buzz at local radio station WCPR in Biloxi, helping to make them hometown favorites and enabling them to draw relatively large crowds to their local live shows, which consequently, helped them extend their range beyond Mississippi and the deep south to internationally famous clubs like New York's CBGB.Originally a trio consisting of vocalist and drummer Brad Arnold, guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell, the band soon added guitarist Chris Henderson and retained a studio drummer so that Arnold could come forward and sing live. The CBGB show brought them to the attention of Republic Records, a subsidiary of Universal, which issued the band's major-label debut, The Better Life, in early 2000 which went on to become the 11th best-selling album of that year, selling over 3 million copies. It has since been certified 6x platinum, thanks in large part to the international hit singles, "Kryptonite", "Loser", and "Duck and Run". A fourth single, "Be Like That", also did well and was actually re-recorded for the 2001 film American Pie 2, with alternate lyrics for the first 2 lines. This version is known as "The American Pie 2 Edit".
Away from the Sun arrived in November 2002 - it debuted at number eight on the Billboard Top 200 and since been certified 4x platinum in the United States and platinum in Australia. "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone" proved to be the most successful singles from that album. "The Road I'm On" and "Away from the Sun" also charted, but with less success. 3 Doors Down toured steadily throughout 2003 and 2004 in support of Away from the Sun, and issued the live EP Another 700 Miles in November 2003 as a holdover between studio efforts. The group returned with the LP Seventeen Days in early 2005. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and went platinum in its first week of release. "Let Me Go" and "Behind Those Eyes" charted with the most success. "Live for Today", "Landing in London" (on which Bob Seger provided back-up vocals and guitar), and "Here by Me" were also released as singles. Greg Upchurch, formerly of Puddle of Mudd, replaced Daniel Adair in 2005, when Adair left to accept the position as drummer and contributing member of Nickelback.
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A self-titled album (3 Doors Down), which followed in May 2008, repeated its predecessor's success when it too debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 154,000 copies in its first week. It is the band's second consecutive #1 album on the chart after Seventeen Days, as well their fourth album to reach the Top Ten. The album contains the hit singles "It's Not My Time", "Train", "Let Me Be Myself" and "Citizen/Soldier", a song written as a tribute to the National Guard.
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source: AllMusic.com; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Doors_Down