Ruben Studdard
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Ruben Studdard is an American pop/gospel singer who rose to fame as winner of the second season of the Top rating Reality TV Show singing contest, American Idol. He has just recently released his third album, The Return.
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[edit] About
Ruben Studdard was born on July 14, 1978 in Birmingham, Alabama and was the youngest son of two teachers. At the age of 3, Ruben had already sang at the Rising Star Baptist Church in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama and continued singing gospel in church, perfoming solo while his mother also used to sang in the local choir. When Ruben was in high school, he used to play football. It wasn't until college that Ruben became serious about music.
Ruben took up voice studies in Alabama A&M University and graduated in 20000. After graduating from college, he started his professional career as a singer for Just a Few Cats, a Birmingham based jazz and soul band. On the year 2002, Ruben with one of the backup singers of the said band did an auditioned for the second season of American Idol.
During the proper contest, Ruben impressed viewers and the judges with his performances of Superstar and A Whole New World; during the show, Ruben had received praised from music legends such as Lionel Richie, Neil Sedaka, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, Luther Vandross and Gladys Knight. Ruben was voted once into an elimination round and after that, the season had turned into a horse race between Ruben and Clay Aiken. But Ruben emerged as the winner over runner-up Clay Aiken by just 134,000 votes and became the second American Idol winner and the first male to win in the said contest and hold that title until 2006, which another male, Taylor Hicks had won the title.
A month after the said competiton, Ruben released his first single, Flying Without Wings and releasing his first album, Soulful on the later part of 2003 that reached an advance orders of more than a million copies before the said released of the said album in the stores. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, and sold over 400,000 copies in its first week and attaining the highest first-week sales of any American Idol winner. His single, Sorry released in 2004 reached the number nine spot in the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart.Ruben had also appeared a cameo role in the movie, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleased and in 2004, he won the NAACP Best New Artist award.
Ruben released his gospel album, I Need An Angel on the later part of 2004. The album sold over 96,000 copies in its first week, and peaked the number one spot at the Gospel Charts and number twenty on the Billboard 200 chart and became number one on the 2005 Billboard Year end Gospel Albums chart. Ruben has just recently released his third album, The Return last October 2006.
Songs Performed in American Idol
- Superstar
- I Need Your Love
- A Whole New World
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Can't Get Enough of Your Love
- Kiss and Say Goodbye
- Just the Way You Are
- Music of my Heart
- Ain't Too Proud To Beg
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
- Nights on Broadway
- How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
- If Ever You're in my Arms Again
- Smile
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered
- Flying Without Wings
- A House is not a Home
[edit] Awards & Certifications
[edit] Chart Toppers
| Year | Song | U.S. Chart | U.S. Billboard Hot R&/Hiphop | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Superstar | - | 2 | Soulful |
| 2003 | Sorry 2004 | 9 | 2 | Soulful |
| 2006 | Change Me | - | 23 | The Return |
[edit] News
[edit] Tours & Concerts
2007 Tour
March 11, 2007 Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
[edit] Announcements
- Watch Ruben Studdard Music videos and American Idol Performances in YouTube
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
 November 28, 2004 J- Records |
 December 28, 2004 J-Records |
 October 17, 2006 J-Records |
[edit] Singles
 2003 J-Records |
 June 10, 2003 J-Records |
[edit] Compilations & Live Releases
[edit] Other artists
[edit] Similar artists
[edit] Influences
[edit] Contemporaries
[edit] Trivia
- Ruben Studdard appeared in a commercial for Serra Kia, a local dealership.
- His nickname Velvet Teddy Bear was given by Gladys Knight during the competition.
- He played footbool in his high school days.
- He sang "God Bless America" in the 2004 MLB All-Star Game.
[edit] Reviews
[edit] External Links
- Official Ruben Studdard Website
- Ruben Studdard Myspace Page[[category:Gospel
