Ruben Studdard became known nationwide as the second winner of the famed American
television show American Idol in 2003.
Ruben was born in Birmingham, Alabama in the late 70s. He began singing in church as a
youngster. His love of music continued as he grew and in 2000, Ruben graduated from
college with a degree in voice. In 2002, Ruben decided to audition for the American Idol
show with a fellow member of the singing group he was in at the time. For Ruben, it has
been full steam ahead since then.
During the American Idol competition, Ruben's cool demeanor, southern charm and smooth
vocals earned him the moniker the velvet teddy bear by Gladys Knight. It is a lovable
handle that is sure to follow him throughout his career. But Ruben did not win the
competition without a bite of controversy. Votes were very close between him and fellow
contestant for the finale. In fact, Ruben won by just a few thousand or so votes.
Ruben's first album "Soulful" was released in late 2003 and reached number one on the R&B
charts. Singles from the album include, "Superstar", "Flying Without Wings", "What If",
and "Sorry 2004".
For his next work, the singer decided to change things and release an inspirational album
entitled, "I Need An Angel". The album made it to number six on the R&B charts and proved
that Ruben is an immensely talented and a versatile singer.
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