Ruben Studdard

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard (born 12 September 1978; Frankfurt, West Germany) is an American R&B, pop and gospel singer and actor, widely known by the nickname the "Velvet Teddy Bear."
 

Early Life

Studdard was born in Frankfurt while his father was stationed there with the United States Army; the family returned to the US while he was still young, and he was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the youngest son of two teachers.

He sang for the first time at the age of three at Rising Star Baptist Church in Birmingham, continuing to perform solos in the choir alongside his mother, and grew up listening to her collection of Donny Hathaway and Fred Hammond albums alongside gospel music more broadly. While attending Huffman High School, he played football and earned an athletic scholarship to Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, but shifted his focus to the performing arts, graduating with a degree in voice studies in 2000. He went on to sing with Just a Few Cats, a Birmingham-based jazz and R&B band.

Career

In 2002, Studdard accompanied a fellow member of Just a Few Cats to an audition for the second season of American Idol in Nashville, Tennessee, singing Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky" to advance through the early rounds. He went on to win the competition in May 2003, becoming the show's first male and first African American winner; soul singer Gladys Knight gave him the nickname the "Velvet Teddy Bear" during his run.

His coronation single, "Flying Without Wings," reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and in December 2003 he earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his rendition of "Superstar," losing to his idol, Luther Vandross.

His platinum-selling debut album, Soulful, followed later that year, featuring the hit single "Sorry 2004," and in March 2004 he won the NAACP Outstanding New Artist award. His gospel album, I Need an Angel, released in November 2004, sold more than 96,000 copies in its first week, reached number one on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart and number 20 on the Billboard 200, and went on to top the 2005 Billboard Year-End Gospel Albums chart, eventually selling over 500,000 copies.

In 2007, Studdard recorded the gospel single "Love Him Like I Do" alongside Deitrick Haddon and Mary Mary, and became the first artist to have a recording used as American Idol's official farewell song, with his rendition of Kenny Loggins's "Celebrate Me Home," produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, featured during the show's seventh season. He has released six studio albums in total since his Idol win, including Unconditional Love (2014) and The Way I Remember It (2023), the latter producing two charting singles.

Beyond music, Studdard has built a career on stage, starring as Fats Waller in the 30th-anniversary national tour of Ain't Misbehavin' from December 2008 to May 2009 and touring in the comedy-drama Heaven I Need a Hug alongside Robin Givens. In 2018, he released Ruben Sings Luther, a tribute album to Vandross, supporting it with a 22-city "Always and Forever Tour."

In 2013, he appeared on NBC's The Biggest Loser to address long-standing struggles with his weight, and in 2024 reunited with fellow Idol alumnus and close friend Clay Aiken as part of the duo "The Beets" on the eleventh season of The Masked Singer, finishing in fifth place.

Personal Life

Studdard founded the Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts, supporting music education in schools. He has maintained a long friendship with fellow American Idol season two contestant Clay Aiken, frequently touring and appearing together in the years since the show, and shares a distinction with fellow Birmingham native Taylor Hicks, winner of the show's fifth season, as one of two Alabama-born Idol champions.

Studdard's warm, Vandross-influenced vocal style has made him one of the more enduring and consistently touring artists to emerge from the American Idol franchise.

Current Activities

Studdard continues to tour extensively, presenting his Masterpiece Tour alongside Christmas shows in support of a recent holiday album, with 2026 dates including an appearance at the Florida Strawberry Festival alongside Brian McKnight and Ginuwine.