Ruben Studdard

About Ruben Studdard

America knows who Ruben Studdard is because America voted for him. Christopher Ruben Studdard was American Idol's second smash success story, following the triumphant win of Kelly Clarkson on season 1. The Velvet Teddy Bear beat out the popular runner up Clay Aiken in a very close race. Go out and buy one of his albums and it's easy to see why he won, even if you didn't cast your vote for him. Studdard's smooth voice is characterized by a broad range and his interpretations of R&B and gospel standards all bring his own, unique phrasing to the familiar songs. Studdard's music is like curling up under flannel blankets after playing in the snow?warm and comfortable. During his white-knuckle stint on American Idol, Studdard wowed the viewers and judges?including diverse gusts like Lionel Richie, Gladys Knight and Luther Vandross?with his soulful versions of hits like "For All We Know" by Donny Hathaway and "Superstar" by Bette Midler. Since his big American Idol win, Ruben had justified all those faithful votes, becoming the fourth best selling artist out of the show's many winners. His debut full-length, Soulful, broke a million copies and the original single "Sorry 2004" peaked at #9 on the Billboard charts. Following Soulful, Studdard returned to his Alabama Baptist roots with the release of an uplifting collection of gospel standards, I Need An Angel, in 2004. Since the launch of his recording career, Studdard has branched out and charmed his way into several big screen rolls as a character actor. Ruben Studdard has gotten work in a string of friendly blockbusters, including 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Daughter, Scooby Doo 2 and Eve.