[4][5] Although Sligh has been singing since high school he grew up listening only to classical music in a regimented upbringing.

He transferred to Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, in his sophomore year intending to major in music.

After Sligh was voted off American Idol in March 2007, the band signed with record label Brash Music.

Jesusfreakhideout.com music critic Scott Fryberger reviewed the CD on July 7 saying, "Although a good mixture of adult contemporary and rock, Half Past Forever still isn't quite a must-buy album.

[7] On the other hand, critic Christa Bannister at Christianity Today.com reviewed the album, giving the album a solid 4/5 stars, saying "While the project is a little long by today's standards, there's actually not a throwaway in the bunch...The biggest surprise lies in the varied production, which is especially impressive for an indie band.

They go all out with strings on the aforementioned "In a Moment," while faster songs like "Naïve" and "Closer" are reminiscent of The Strokes' latest project, with a more raw, stripped-down indie feel that offers nice contrast to overproduced pop.

"[8] Sligh auditioned in Birmingham, Alabama singing "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, after which Paula Abdul gave him a standing ovation and said, "I like you very much."

However, by the third week of the semi-finals, after Sligh sang "We All Wanna Be Loved" by DC Talk, the judges criticized him more sharply.

During the top 24 week, Sligh showed his extensive knowledge of American Idol trivia, which he claimed to have learned while researching for hours at his job in South Carolina.

While he sang his last song, he told Phil Stacey "You owe me 50 bucks," referencing their bet that he would be eliminated that show.

The first official single, "Empty Me," was added to radio playlists February 22, 2008 and reached number six on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Charts.

[15] From September to November 2009, Sligh completed his second annual Back to School Tour, a co-headlining effort with Aaron Shust.

[citation needed] In 2013, Sligh and his family moved to Austin, Texas, where took a position as a worship minister and later the creative director of Shoreline Church.

He built a songwriting and production division of the church called Shoreline Music and featured on the album No Height, No Depth, which came out in 2015.

[19] In 2016, Sligh and family moved to Chicago where he was the executive creative director at Parkview Christian Church.

[20] At the end of 2016, Sligh left his job at the church around the time of releasing Mighty Roar / Healing Flood in December 2016.