Ruben Studdard Bio
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard, known professionally as Ruben Studdard, is an American singer and actor born on September 12, 1978, in Frankfurt, West Germany, while his father was stationed there with the United States Army. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, he became a household name in 2003 when he won the second season of American Idol, beating runner-up Clay Aiken by a narrow margin. Nicknamed the Velvet Teddy Bear for his smooth vocals and warm stage presence, Studdard has built a two-decade recording career spanning R&B, pop, and gospel, while also finding a second home on the musical theatre stage.
Early Life and Background
Studdard was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, to American parents and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the youngest son of two teachers. At the age of three, he sang for the first time at Rising Star Baptist Church in his hometown and continued to perform gospel solos throughout his childhood while his mother sang in the local choir. He grew up listening to his mother’s Donny Hathaway albums, Fred Hammond, and gospel music, influences that would later shape his warm vocal style.
He attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, where he played football and earned a scholarship to Alabama A&M University. At Alabama A&M, Studdard majored in voice studies and joined the Omicron Delta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men’s music fraternity of North America. He sang with a popular local Birmingham jazz and R&B band called Just a Few Cats, an experience that sharpened his live performance skills and prepared him for a professional music career.
Path to Singing
While still a college student, Studdard spent years making demo recordings and working to break into the music business. A backup singer from Just a Few Cats eventually invited him to accompany her to Nashville, Tennessee, for an audition on the second season of American Idol. At the audition, he performed Stevie Wonder’s Ribbon in the Sky, immediately impressing the judges and setting the stage for his national breakthrough.
On the televised competition in 2003, Studdard won over viewers with renditions of Superstar, the Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett classic, and A Whole New World, the Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle duet. He received praise from music legends such as Lionel Richie, Neil Sedaka, Robin Gibb, Luther Vandross, and Gladys Knight, and gained the lasting nickname Velvet Teddy Bear. He won the contest over runner-up Clay Aiken by only 134,000 votes out of 24 million cast in the May 2003 finale, and Alabama Governor Bob Riley declared March 11, 2003, Ruben Studdard Day.
Ruben Studdard Career
Early Career (2003–2005)
Studdard’s debut single, a cover of Westlife’s Flying Without Wings produced by The Underdogs and Babyface, debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. In December 2003, advance orders for his album Soulful topped one million copies before its release, and the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with over 400,000 copies sold in its first week, earning platinum certification. The single Sorry 2004 reached number nine on the Hot 100, and Studdard received a 2003 Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of Superstar, sharing the category with his idol Luther Vandross, who ultimately won. In March 2004, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist.
In November 2004, Studdard released the gospel album I Need an Angel, which sold over 96,000 copies in its first week, entered the Billboard 200 at number twenty, and topped the Gospel charts, eventually earning Gold certification from the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies. He also made a cameo in the film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, singing a cover of Earth, Wind and Fire’s Shining Star, and made guest appearances on several television series including 8 Simple Rules, Life on a Stick, One on One, All of Us, and Eve.
Breakthrough (2006–2010)
Studdard’s third album, The Return, was released in October 2006 and sold 71,000 copies in its first week to open at number eight on the Billboard 200. The lead single Change Me reached number one on Billboard’s Urban Contemporary chart, and the album also featured the single Make Ya Feel Beautiful. In December 2007, he was dropped from J Records due to disappointing sales, but remained under contract with 19 Recordings.
In 2008, Studdard took on the role of Fats Waller in a national tour revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’, headlining the production alongside fellow American Idol alumni Trenyce and Frenchie Davis. The tour received positive reviews and led to a cast recording album released by Rhino Records on January 13, 2009, which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. In May 2009, he released the album Love Is on Hickory Records, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and later joined the David Foster and Friends ten-city tour.
Breakthrough (2011–2014)
In 2011, Studdard signed with Shanachie Entertainment and released Letters from Birmingham, his fifth studio album, in March 2012. The concept album, which traces a relationship through a series of romantic letters, received mostly positive reviews and featured the Chrisette Michele duet Do It Right. The lead single June 28 (I’m Single), which referenced his marriage and subsequent divorce, reached the top twenty of Billboard’s urban charts.
Studdard joined the cast of the fifteenth season of The Biggest Loser in 2013, becoming the show’s first-ever celebrity contestant. Starting at 462 pounds, he ultimately lost a total of 119 pounds during the competition, finishing at 343 pounds. On February 4, 2014, he released his sixth studio album Unconditional Love on Verve Records, executive produced by David Foster and featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Lalah Hathaway, and Eric Benet. He supported the album with the national Born Again Tour alongside Lalah Hathaway.
Breakthrough (2015–2018)
After releasing the single Can’t Nobody Love You in 2016 and a cover of A Change Is Gonna Come in 2017, Studdard released the tribute album Ruben Sings Luther on the SEG Music label in 2018, honoring Luther Vandross. The album received strong reviews, with Variety noting that Studdard truly took wing and made the music of Vandross his own, and The Philadelphia Inquirer calling it a full-on lush-and-funky tribute. He supported the album with the Always and Forever national tour.
In December 2018, Studdard made his Broadway debut alongside Clay Aiken in Ruben and Clay’s First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show at the Imperial Theatre, with a portion of ticket sales benefitting the National Inclusion Project. He also received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Alabama A&M University at its December 2015 commencement, having earlier earned a Bachelor’s degree in vocal studies from the same institution.
Breakthrough (2019–2023)
From 2018 through 2023, Studdard performed more than 95 shows across the United States in support of Ruben Sings Luther. In 2023, he joined Clay Aiken for Twenty The Tour, a joint nationwide tour across the United States and Canada celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their American Idol debuts. He also signed a new record deal with SoNo Recording Group and worked on new material with songwriter and producer Balewa Muhammad.
On October 27, 2023, Studdard released his eighth studio album, The Way I Remember It, his first album of original music since 2014’s Unconditional Love. The ten-track album was preceded by the singles The Way I Remember It, W.I.F.E., and Masterpiece, and a music video for Masterpiece was released on November 4, 2023. In 2024, he reunited with Clay Aiken to compete as Beets on the eleventh season of The Masked Singer.
Notable Works and Milestones
Studdard’s signature works include his platinum-selling debut album Soulful, the gospel chart-topper I Need an Angel, the tribute album Ruben Sings Luther, and the 2023 return to original material, The Way I Remember It. His performance as Fats Waller in the national tour of Ain’t Misbehavin’ earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album, and his 2003 single Flying Without Wings remains one of his most recognized recordings. A two-time Grammy nominee, he is also an NAACP Image Award winner and a 2024 contestant on The Masked Singer.
Ruben Studdard Award Nominations
Ruben Studdard has earned two Grammy Award nominations during his career. In 2003, he was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of Superstar, a category ultimately won by his idol Luther Vandross. His second Grammy nomination came in 2009, when the cast recording album from the national tour revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’, in which he starred as Fats Waller, was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.
Ruben Studdard Awards Won
Ruben Studdard has been recognized with major industry honors for his work as a recording artist and performer. In March 2004, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist, acknowledging his swift rise following his American Idol victory. He also received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Alabama A&M University at its December 2015 commencement, in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the arts.
Ruben Studdard Family
Studdard was born to American parents stationed in Frankfurt, West Germany, where his father was serving in the U.S. Army. The youngest son of two teachers, he grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, in a household where gospel music, Donny Hathaway records, and Fred Hammond shaped his early love of singing. He remains connected to his Birmingham roots, founding The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts, which promotes the essential role of the arts in education for students in the Greater Birmingham Area.
Personal Life
Studdard met Surata Zuri McCants in October 2006 at a Walmart in Atlanta, and the couple married on June 28, 2008, in a short, private ceremony in Mountain Brook, Alabama. They divorced, with the process finalized in April 2012. In 2018, Studdard married real estate agent Kristen Moore, and the couple has two children. Concerned by a family history of diabetes and hypertension, he has openly discussed his health journey, including his participation in the fifteenth season of The Biggest Loser in 2013, during which he lost 119 pounds.