ruben studdard change me on american idol

Aiken beat Studdard to the top of the charts, and shortly afterward, it was announced that the proposed joint release of their debut albums would be delayed, with each album released separately instead. Like many horse races, this one ended in a photo finish, with Studdard beating Aiken by a few thousand votes in May 2003.Ĭrowned the latest American Idol, Studdard kicked off his solo career with his first single, the triple-platinum 'Flying Without Wings,' which was released concurrently with Aiken's 'This Is the Night,' a clever release scheme designed to keep the competition alive. By that point, the competition had turned into a horse race between Studdard and Clay Aiken.

The nickname stuck and Studdard's popularity grew. Partway through the competition, guest judge Gladys Knight christened him a 'velvet teddy bear,' a nod to his smooth, Luther Vandross-styled voice, warm stage presence, and imposing six-foot bearing. Where most of his competitors were hopeful pop stars hungry to win the competition, Studdard was quiet and laid-back, impressing audiences and judges alike with his large voice and easy confidence. Studdard made a big impression from the start. During 2002, Studdard joined one of the group's backup singers at an audition for the second season of American Idol, making the first round of cuts at his local audition, then winning himself a slot on the national television program. He then launched his professional career as a singer for Just a Few Cats, a Birmingham-based jazz and soul band. Abandoning a promising career in football that would lead to an athletic scholarship at Alabama A&M University, he decided to switch his major and study voice at the school, eventually graduating with a degree in 2000. He sang at his parents' Baptist church as a child, but it wasn't until college that he seriously pursued music. The son of two teachers, Studdard was born in Frankfurt, Germany on Septemand raised in Birmingham, Alabama.

American singer Ruben Studdard broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s as the winner of the second season of American Idol, later pursuing a solo career focused on classic R&B and gospel music.

Ruben studdard change me on american idol