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Former American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry is being sued by three former bandmates, who say they are owed money for songs they wrote together.

The musicians claim they contributed music and lyrics to four songs but have been defrauded of the proceeds.

Legal papers filed in North Carolina accuse Daughtry of "constructive fraud" as well as "unfair trade practices" and "other deceptive and wrongful conduct".

On his website, the singer described the accusations "false".

"I am very hurt," wrote the 32-year-old.

"The songs listed in this lawsuit were written solely by me and no one else and at this time, I have no further comment."

Ryan Andrews, Scott Crawford and Mark Perry were part of Daughtry's band Absent Element, formed in a church in Burlington, North Carolina.

They claim they had a role in writing Home, a US top 10 hit in 2007, as well as three other songs.

According to their legal case, work on the songs began before their singer's stint on American Idol, and before Absent Element disbanded in 2006.

Daughtry, they added, had reached an understanding on sharing revenues from their compositions, "and conducted himself in a way that reflected that understanding".

The singer now fronts a new band, simply called Daughtry.

He is one of the most successful graduates of American Idol, selling more than 6.1 million albums.

According to Billboard magazine, only Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson have achieved higher sales after leaving the show.