Ruben Studdard Biography

Ruben Studdard was born Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard in 1978 in Frankfurt, Germany, while his father was serving as a member of the U.S. Army. Upon returning to the United States, the Studdards settled in Birmingham, Alabama, where Ruben grew up and began singing in the local church choir at the age of three. A football scholarship brought him to Alabama A&M University, where he majored in music and set his sights on a career in the industry.

Following graduation, Ruben began singing whenever the opportunity came his way, and recorded a number of demos before auditioning for American Idol in 2003. His performances on the show earned him the nickname “velvet teddy bear” from none other than Gladys Knight, and Studdard went on to win the competition. Shortly after, he released “Flying Without Wings,” his single debut, and watched the song rise to the top of the charts, reaching the number two spot. When Ruben’s debut album, Soulful, came next, the advance orders alone exceeded one million, bringing the album to the number one spot upon its release.

Since that time, Ruben Studdard has released an additional four albums, to critical acclaim and commercial success: I Need An Angel (2004), The Return (2006), Love Is (2009), and Letters from Birmingham (2012.) The albums have spawned the singles: “Superstar,” “Sorry 2004,” “What If,” “I Need an Angel,” “Change Me,” “Make Ya Feel Beautiful,” “Celebrate Me Home,” “Together,” “Don’t Make ‘Em Like U No More,” and “June 28^th (I’m Single).” In addition to his music, Ruben Studdard has also toured alongside Clay Aiken in the Timeless Tour, and toured with the comedy-drama Heaven I Need a Hug and the musical Ain’t Misbehavin’. He has also appeared on television in the shows All of Us, 8 Simple Rules, One on One, and Life on a Stick. Studdard has been recognized for his achievements with nominations from the American Music Awards, BET Awards, Grammy Awards, and Soul Train Awards, and garnered an Image Award in 2004 for Outstanding New Artist.

In addition to his continued work in music, Ruben has created the Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts. He also recently teamed up with Be Sickle Smart, as a nationwide spokesman for the educational program that seeks to increase awareness of sickle-cell disease.