Ruben Studdard Biography

Fast Facts

• Was a member of Alabama-based gospel group God's Gift
• Nicknamed the Velvet Teddy Bear by Gladys Knight, who served as a guest judge on American Idol
• Alabama governor Bob Riley designated March 11, 2003, Ruben Studdard Day
• Winner for Season 2 of American Idol (2003); runner-up was Clay Aiken
• Launched his own label, Real Music Records, at the close of 2003
• Had a cameo in the 2004 movie Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
• Played Fats Waller in a 2008 revival tour of Ain't Misbehaving, opposite fellow AI alum Frenchie Davis
• His cover of "Celebrate Me Home" was used as the exit song for AI season 7