Ruben Studdard

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Biography

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978), best known as Ruben Studdard , is an United States|American contemporary R& B|R& B , pop music|pop , and gospel music|gospel singer . He rose to fame as winner of the American Idol (season 2)|second season of American Idol . He received a Grammy Award nomination in December 2003 for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance for "Superstar."

In the years following Idol , Studdard has released four studio albums, including his most recent disc, 2009's Love Is (Ruben Studdard album)|Love Is .

In addition to appearing on various television shows he has toured with Robin Givens in the comedy-drama Heaven I Need a Hug and in 2008 accepted the role of Fats Waller in a national tour of '' Ain't Misbehavin' (musical)|Ain't Misbehavin' ''. by Mary Colurso, AL.com, November 30, 2007, retrieved December 16, 2007

Early life

Studdard, who was born in Frankfurt , Germany while his American father was stationed there with the U.S. Army, grew up in Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham , Alabama . by Burl Burlingame, Star Bulletin, January 2, 2007, retrieved December 10, 2007 The youngest son of two teachers, at the age of three he sang for the first time at the Rising Star Baptist Church in his hometown of Birmingham.
He continued singing gospel music|gospel in church, performing solos as a child while his mother sang in the local choir. While at Huffman High School , he played American football|football for which he received a scholarship to Alabama A& M University . While at Alabama A& M he joined the Omicron Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia , the men's music fraternity of America.

After growing up listening to his mother's Donny Hathaway albums, Fred Hammond , and gospel music, Studdard began to pursue a career in the music industry, majoring in voice studies at Alabama A& M. He sang with Just a Few Cats , a popular local Birmingham jazz and R& B band founded by members of Ray Reach 's , along with other local musicians. "A lot of people don't realize how hard I was trying to get into the business before American Idol ," Studdard related several years later. "I was making demos and just working so hard.""The Idol's Idol", The Asbury Park Press , January 26, 2007. A back-up singer from Just a Few Cats asked him to accompany her to Nashville, Tennessee for an audition on the 2003 second season of "American Idol".

American Idol

When auditioning, Studdard sang Stevie Wonder 's " Ribbon in the Sky ." This guided him to being one of the local finalists. On American Idol , he impressed viewers with his performances of the Leon Russell / Bonnie Bramlett song " Superstar (Carpenters song)|Superstar " (best known as a hit for The Carpenters ) and the Peabo Bryson / Regina Belle duet " A Whole New World "; during his time on the show, Studdard received praise from music legends such as Lionel Richie , Neil Sedaka , Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees , Luther Vandross , and Gladys Knight .

During the televised competition, Studdard gained the nickname "Velvet Teddy Bear" and was noted for his shirts printed with "205", the telephone area code of his hometown of Birmingham. Studdard also did a cover version of "For All We Know", originally recorded by Donny Hathaway, whose music he grew up with.

He won the contest over runner-up Clay Aiken by only 134,000 votes out of 24,000,000 cast in the May 2003 finale, becoming the second American Idol winner.

Alabama Governor Bob Riley declared March 11, 2003 as "Ruben Studdard Day".

Career

2003& ndash;2004: Soulful

Studdard released his first single, a cover of Westlife 's " Flying Without Wings " (which he had sung on the show's finale), produced by The Underdogs (duo)|The Underdogs and Babyface (musician)|Babyface , a month later in June 2003. Fueled largely by sales, it debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 . In December 2003, advance orders for his album Soulful (Ruben Studdard album)|Soulful topped the one million mark before it was released into stores. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200|Billboard 200 album chart that month, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week and attaining the second highest first-week sales of any American Idol winner. The single " Sorry 2004 " from this album found substantial airplay, reaching number nine in the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard R& B singles chart . Studdard received a Grammy Award nomination in December 2003 for Best Male R& B Vocal Performance for "Superstar", nominated with his idol Luther Vandross (Vandross won that category). In March 2004, Ruben won the NAACP Outstanding New Artist award.

2004-2005: I Need An Angel

Studdard released the gospel album I Need an Angel (album)|I Need an Angel on November 23, 2004. The title track and first single " I Need an Angel " was a cover of a 2002 single performed by R& B singer Daniel DeBourg and written by R. Kelly . The Compact disc|album sold over 96,000 copies in its first week, it also entered the Gospel charts at number one, opened at number twenty on the Billboard 200 chart, it since has sold over 500,000 copies. It was also number one on the 2005 Billboard Year-End Gospel Albums Chart. As of June 2007, Studdard is the fifth-best selling American Idol performer with more than 2.4 million albums sold in the U.S.

In March 2005, Studdard filed a lawsuit against his godfather and business advisor Ronald Edwards. The suit alleges that Edwards ran up $156,000 on Studdard's credit cards and stole $90,000 from his checking account. Edwards filed a countersuit. On June 15, 2006, Studdard was awarded $500,000 for personal losses and another $1.5 million in punitive damages., The Baltimore Sun, June 17, 2006, accessed June 17, 2006

Between his second and third albums, Studdard began a diet and fitness program to deal with his weight, out of concern for a family history of diabetes and hypertension resulting in his losing over 70 pounds on a vegetarian diet.

2006& ndash;2008: The Return

Studdard's third album, The Return (Ruben Studdard album)|The Return was released in October 2006; it goes back to his R& B roots, but is different from his previous efforts. Studdard collaborated with the artist Ne-Yo on this album, along with a variety of producers. The single " Change Me (song)|Change Me " was released ahead of the album. The Return sold 71,000 copies in its first week to open at number eight on the Billboard 200|Billboard 200 album chart , but sales declined rapidly after that, not approaching those of his earlier albums. However, Studdard did have good success on the Urban Contemporary chart with "Change Me" (which reached number one) and its successor " Make Ya Feel Beautiful ". Studdard continued to tour saying he would play a variety of music: "Coming out to my show is like coming to my house. I'll play the songs I love. It's like a party. For me, a party has all different types of music happening."

Studdard appeared on the finale of American Idol season 6 in May 2007. He spent a few weeks touring with Robin Givens in the comedy-drama Heaven I Need a Hug and prepared to take on the role of Fats Waller in a national tour of '' Ain't Misbehavin' (musical)|Ain't Misbehavin' '' in 2008. The tour is scheduled to begin November 17, 2008 in Atlanta, GA and end May 14, 2009 in Syracuse, NY. By Andrew Gans, Playbill, April 28, 2008, Retrieved 2008-06-11

In December 2007, Studdard had been dropped from his record company, J Records , due to poor sales of The Return and " short of expectations." He remained under contract with 19 Entertainment|19 Recordings , however. by Ann Donahue on BillBoard.com (02-29-2008) As such he was assigned the high-profile position of performing the American Idol (season 7)| American Idol season 7 farewell song, a recording of Kenny Loggins ' " Celebrate Me Home (song)|Celebrate Me Home ", in a new version produced by Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam .

Studdard performed "Celebrate Me Home" live on May 20, 2008, at the L.A. Live#Nokia Theatre|Nokia Theatre for the first night of the two-night Grand Finale of American Idol's seventh season.

2009& ndash;2010: Love Is

Studdard was featured in the music video for gospel singer Deitrick Haddon 's "Love Him Like I Do" along with Gospel duo Mary Mary .

Studdard announced that his next album, to be released May 19, 2009, would be released on Sony Music offshoot Hickory Records . The new album, entitled Love Is (Ruben Studdard album)|Love Is , is being produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis .Steve Penhollow, , The Journal Gazette, Dec. 5, 2008. The first single off Love Is is the ballad "Together", which was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Phillip Taj Jackson and Martin Kleveland, produced by StarGate & Martin K.

He performed his new single "Together" on American Idol season 8 on March 26, 2009., Croshal Entertainment Group, 2009.

Love Is was released on May 19, 2009 to mostly positive reviews. The album, which features a mix of covers and original songs, sold 15,200 units in its first week to debut at number 36 on the Billboard 200, number five on Independent Albums and number eight on Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums.Donna Reynolds, , Foxes on Idol, June 1, 2009.

Studdard appeared with the " David Foster and Friends" 10 city tour beginning October 21, 2009 in Chicago , Illinois and ending November 8, 2009 in Vancouver , Canada.

A fifth album, Playlist: The Very Best of Ruben Studdard was released on January 26, 2010 by Sony's Legacy Recordings .

Studdard returned to the American Idol stage on March 31, 2010 to perform his latest single "Don't Make 'Em Like U No More". In his on camera interview with Ryan Seacrest after his performance he said that he would be touring with Clay Aiken in the summer.

Studdard and Aiken brought their “Timeless” tour to cities in the US and Canada beginning in Asheville, North Carolina on July 23, 2010 and ending in Biloxi, Mississippi on August 14.Franklin, Mark. 'The York Dispatch Idol Chatter April 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-01 clayonline.com April 1, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-01 Instead of a concert focusing on each singers recordings, Studdard and Aiken opted for a variety show format covering medleys of songs from the 60s to the 90s with a few solos and interspersed with comedy bits.Wener, Ben. The Orange County Register August 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-10

2010& ndash;present: New label

It was announced in July 2011 that Studdard had signed with Shanachie Entertainment and would release his next album in the Spring of 2012.

Acting

Studdard has worked as an actor in several roles, including single-episode appearances on the television series 8 Simple Rules , Life on a Stick , All of Us , and Eve (TV series)|Eve , as well as a cameo appearance in the film Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed . He has also appeared on a television commercial for a Birmingham-area Kia Motors|Kia dealer.

He appeared in an episode of One on One (TV series)|One on One as himself & in an episode of All of Us as an older Bobby. He also appeared in the 8 Simple Rules episode where CJ's dad comes; he played a delivery boy whom CJ mistakes for his father. He greets him by hugging him and saying, "You have always been my idol," referring to his win on Idol . Studdard also appeared on an episode of Eve (TV series)|Eve as Paul, Janie's younger brother who has a huge crush on Shelly.

Studdard headlined the revival tour of '' Ain't Misbehavin' (musical)|Ain't Misbehavin' , starring alongside fellow American Idol (season 2) '' alums, Trenyce and Frenchie Davis . Starring as Fats Waller , Studdard received positive reviews and was part of the cast recording album released by Rhino Records on January 13, 2009., Amazon.com.

Advocacy

Studdard's love of music led him to create The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts . The foundation's mission statement says their aim is "to promote the essential role of the arts in education through learning initiatives for the development of students in the Greater Birmingham Area." Retrieved 2009-09-30

Studdard has signed on as an official spokesperson for ‘Be Sickle Smart’, a nationwide grassroots health-education program aimed at increasing awareness of iron overload among people living with sickle-cell disease . todaysdrum.com. September 15, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-30.

Personal life

Studdard met Surata Zuri McCants in October 2006, when he was signing CDs at a Wal-Mart in Atlanta. On June 28, 2008, Studdard married McCants in a short, private ceremony in Mountain Brook, Alabama.

After a performance on American Idol on March 31, 2010, Ruben discussed losing approximately 80 pounds through a vegan diet and regular exercise.

On November 16, 2011 Studdard's attorney announced that Studdard was in the process of a divorce. "Ruben Studdard and Zuri McCants Studdard have separated, and they are in the process of seeking a dissolution of their marriage," said Byron Perkins.

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

*2004, Favorite Male R& B/Soul Artist: (Nominated)

BET Awards

*2005, Best Gospel Artist: (Nominated)

*2004, Best New Artist: (Nominated)

*2004, Best Male R& B Artist: (Nominated)

Grammy Awards

*2004, Best Male R& B Vocal Performance: "Superstar" (Nominated)

Image Awards

* 2004, Outstanding New Artist: Soulful (Ruben Studdard album)|Soulful (Winner)

Soul Train Awards

*2004, Best New R& B/Soul or Rap New Artist: "Superstar" (Nominated)

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions				sales threshold )
Year	Album	US	US R& B	US Gospel	US Indie	sales threshold )
2003	Soulful Released: December 9, 2003 Label: J Records (#54639) Format: CD	1	1	—	—	RIAA certification: Platinum U.S. sales: 1.8 million Billboard 3/ 25/ 09
2004	I Need an Angel Released: November 23, 2004 Label: J Records (#62623) Format: CD	20	6	1	—	RIAA certification: Gold U.S. sales: 483,000
2006	The Return Released: October 17, 2006 Label: J Records (#78961) Format: CD, music download\|digital download	8	2	—	—	U.S. sales: 238,000
2009	Love Is Released: May 19, 2009 Label: Hickory Records (#301005) Format: CD, digital download	36	8	—	5	U.S. sales: 50,000
2012	Letters from Birmingham Released: March 13,2012 Label: Shanachie Records Format: CD, digital download	align="center"	align="center"	-	align="center"	align="center" colspan="10""—"denotes the album failed to chart or not released

Compilation albums

Year	Album	sales threshold )
2010	Playlist: The Very Best of Ruben Studdard Released January 26, 2010 Sony Legacy	U.S. sales: 3,500

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions			Album
Year	Title	US	US R& B	US Urban	Album
2003	" Flying Without Wings "	2	13	27	Non-album single
2003	Superstar "	112	2	—	Soulful (Ruben Studdard album)
2004	" Sorry 2004 "	9	2	—
	"What If"	—	47	—
	" I Need an Angel "	—	—	32	I Need an Angel
2006	Change Me "	94	18	1	The Return (Ruben Studdard album)
2007	" Make Ya Feel Beautiful "	—	32	6	The Return (Ruben Studdard album)
2008	Celebrate Me Home "	—	—	—	single
2009	"Together"	—	60	—	Love Is
2009	"Don't Make 'Em Like U No More"	—	32	40	Love Is
2012	"June 28th"	align="center"	align="center"	24	Letters from Birmingham

Single certifications

Year	Title	Canadian Recording Industry Association>CAN
2003	"Flying Without Wings"

Other albums

American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs (2003)

* "What the World Needs Now" (with Season 2 Finalists)

* "God Bless the U.S.A. (Proud to Be an American)" (with Season 2 Finalists)

* Superstar

American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (2003)

* "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

* "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (American Idol Ensemble)

* "This Christmas"

Genius & Friends (2005)

*" Imagine (song)|Imagine " with Ray Charles and The Harlem Gospel Singers

'Ain't Misbehavin (2009 Cast Recording)

*"Honeysuckle Rose" duet with Frenchie Davis

*"The Jitterbug Waltz" with Patrice Covington & Company

*"Lounging At The Waldorf" with Frenchie Davis, Trenyce Cobbins & Patrice Covington

*"Your Feet's Too Big"

Filmography

Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

Natural Born Komics (2006) (direct-to-DVD)

Copyright Citations

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1. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis 2. Mario Vazquez

Urban/R&B Music Artists