Christopher Rubern Studdard African American singer, performs in pop, R styles Date of Birth: 12.09.1978 Country: USA

Biography of Ruben Studdard

Ruben Studdard, an African-American singer, is known for his performances in the pop, R&B, and gospel genres. He gained fame after winning the second season of the television show "American Idol," which aims to determine the best emerging American performers.

Born on September 12, 1978, in Frankfurt, Germany, where his father, an American, was stationed, Studdard grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the youngest child in his family, and both of his parents worked as teachers. His mother had a passion for music and sang in a local choir. Studdard first sang at the age of three in a Baptist church in his hometown. He eagerly listened to his mother's soul and gospel records.

During his school years, Ruben continued to sing gospel and had a passion for football, for which he received a scholarship to attend Alabama A&M University. In college, Ruben joined a fraternity with a traditional Greek name. He took vocal lessons and performed with the popular jazz group "Just a Few Cats" in Birmingham. One day, a backing vocalist asked Ruben to accompany her to Nashville for an audition for "American Idol." At the audition, Studdard sang Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky" and became one of the local finalists. He was nicknamed "The Velvet Teddy Bear" by the audience and became known for wearing shirts with the number 205, the telephone code of his hometown. He also performed a song by Donny Hathaway, whose music influenced Ruben's upbringing.

In May 2003, with a lead of 134,000 votes out of 24 million, Studdard became the second African-American to win the finale of the show. Governor Bob Riley of Alabama declared March 11, 2003, as Ruben Studdard Day. One month after the show ended, Studdard released his first single, which reached second place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In December 2003, the number of pre-orders for Ruben's album "Soulful" exceeded a million, even before it was available in stores. In the first month alone, more than 400,000 copies were sold.

In November 2004, Studdard released a gospel album titled "I Need an Angel," which sold 96,000 copies in the first few days after its release. His third album, "The Return," was released in October 2006, but its sales could not be compared to the first two albums. In 2009, he released the album "Love Is," and in January 2010, his fifth compilation album, "Playlist: The Very Best of Ruben Studdard," was released.

Studdard also pursued acting and made appearances in television series as a guest star. His works include episodes in sitcoms such as "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," "Life on a Stick," "All of Us," and "Eve." He also had a cameo appearance in the film "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed." In Birmingham, Studdard appeared in commercials for the car dealership "Kia."

In October 2006, Ruben met Surata Zuri McCants while recording an album in Atlanta. They got married in June 2008 in a modest family ceremony in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Ruben Studdard founded the organization "Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts," which aims to promote music and other forms of art in education.