Ruben Studdard

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard is an American singer and actor who rose to fame as the winner of the second season of American Idol in 2003. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of "Superstar." Known for hits such as "Flying Without Wings," "Sorry 2004," and "Change Me," Studdard has released eight studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut Soulful and the top-selling gospel follow-up I Need an Angel. In addition to his recording career, he has expanded into television, stage productions, and Broadway.

Studdard was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, to American parents while his father was stationed there with the United States Army, and he grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. The youngest son of two teachers, he sang for the first time at age three at the Rising Star Baptist Church in Birmingham and continued performing gospel solos as a child. He attended Huffman High School, where he played football, earning a scholarship to Alabama A&M University. At Alabama A&M, he majored in voice studies, joined the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, and sang with a local jazz and R&B band called Just a Few Cats.

In 2003, Studdard auditioned for American Idol in Nashville, Tennessee, singing "Ribbon in the Sky." During the televised competition, he was given the nickname "Velvet Teddy Bear" and frequently wore shirts printed with "205," the telephone area code for Birmingham. He won the competition in May 2003 over runner-up Clay Aiken by 134,000 votes, leading Alabama Governor Bob Riley to declare March 11, 2003, as "Ruben Studdard Day."

Following his win, Studdard released his debut single, a cover of "Flying Without Wings," followed by his debut album Soulful in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week. His second album, the 2004 gospel release I Need an Angel, topped the gospel charts and earned Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. He also won an NAACP Outstanding New Artist award in 2004. Studdard subsequently released the R&B albums The Return in 2006, Love Is in 2009, and the concept album Letters from Birmingham in 2012.

Beyond his solo music releases, Studdard toured nationally as Fats Waller in a revival of the musical Ain't Misbehavin', which spawned a Grammy-nominated soundtrack. In 2013, he competed on the weight-loss show The Biggest Loser as its first celebrity contestant, losing 119 pounds by the show's finale. He signed with Verve Records and worked with executive producer David Foster on his 2014 album Unconditional Love, which he supported on tour with Lalah Hathaway.

In 2018, Studdard released the tribute album Ruben Sings Luther, honoring Luther Vandross, and launched his Always & Forever national tour. That same year, he made his Broadway debut alongside Clay Aiken in a holiday show at the Imperial Theatre. In 2023, Studdard and Aiken reunited for Twenty The Tour to mark the twentieth anniversary of their American Idol debut. Studdard also released his eighth studio album, The Way I Remember It, in 2023 while continuing to tour across the United States.