“I was the number one New Edition fan and in middle school I switched over to Boyz II Men. My father bought a lot of records, and that’s how I heard John Coltrane and Miles Davis. I became a big jazz fan.” — Ruben Studdard, from his official bio.
How much is Ruben Studdard worth?
| Net Worth: | $3 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Singer |
| Date of Birth: | September 12, 1978 (age 43) |
| Country: | Germany-born American |
| Height: | 1.91 m |
About Ruben Studdard
Christopher Ruben Studdard, an American singer and actor who was born on September 12, 1978, is thought to have a net worth of $3 million. Ruben Studdard was born in Germany on a U.S. Army installation, and his father served in the military. Ruben’s parents did, however, relocate to Birmingham, Alabama when he was just nine months old.
Real name: Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard. Born: Sept. 12, 1978 on a U.S. Army base in Frankfurt, Germany. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama; currently lives in Alabama.
He began singing in the Rising Star Baptist Church choir when he was a three-year-old preschooler. He began singing in church services, banquets, and community events at the age of seven. Ruben learned to sing the songs of Donny Hathaway, Luther Vandross, and the O’Jays from his mother who was a fan.
Ruben played offensive lineman for the football team in high school and alternated between singing and athletics. He eventually took singing more seriously and joined a group of men named Eternal Harmony that participated in numerous talent shows in the Birmingham area. He later transferred to Alabama A&M University and declared a music major there. He left school after his second year in order to pursue a career in music.
Personal
On June 28, 2008, Ruben wed Surata McCants in a secret ceremony. His attorney revealed that the pair was divorcing in November 2011. He published “June 28th (I’m Single).” a song about the split, in January 2012.
According to E!, Ruben sued his godfather and business mentor Ronald Edwards in March 2005, claiming that Edwards had stolen $90,000 from his checking account and racked up $156,000 in charges on his credit cards. According to Today, a judge gave Ruben $1.5 million in punitive damages and $500,000 for personal losses in June 2006.
On “American Idol,”
Ruben traveled for emotional support and to audition for “American Idol” in Nashville after a friend requested him to go with her.
She didn’t advance past the first round of auditions, but Ruben did, and he continued to advance throughout the show’s rounds. The Velvet Teddy Bear was given to him once he eventually made it through every elimination and became a household name. And he was named the “American Idol.” season two champion on May 21, 2003. Clay Aiken, with whom Ruben had made close friends over their five months together on the competition, finished as the runner-up.
one of the the most notable losers
Ruben Studdard, who is 6’3″ and weighs 462 pounds, joins the cast of The Biggest Loser for its sixteenth season on NBC. He lost 119 pounds before being removed in week 8, bringing his final weight down to 343 pounds. The lead single from Studdard’s next album, “Meant to Be” was also performed during the show’s finale, with piano accompaniment provided by David Foster, the song’s co-writer and producer.
Unconditional Love
Unconditional Love, Studdard’s sixth studio album, was put together by David Foster. It’s what “the album that everybody expected from me when I won American Idol.” according to Studdard. It made its debut at No. 46 on the Billboard 200 and No. 7 on the R&B Albums chart of Billboard. He released a cover of “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 2017 and had an appearance on Patti LaBelle‘s holiday album as a guest. Ruben Sings Luther, a tribute album by Studdard, who has long been compared to Luther Vandross, was published in 2018. Ruben Studdard’s net worth is projected to be $3 million as of 2023.
After ‘Idol’
Ruben’s recording career greatly benefited from his success on “American Idol” When it was published in June 2003, his first single, “Flying Without Wings,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts. His debut album, Soulful, was made available in December 2003. During its first week in shops, it sold over 400,000 copies, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. His succeeding R&B and gospel albums didn’t even come close to being as successful, therefore this ended up being the pinnacle of his career. He has expanded into acting as well as remaining busy as a recording artist. He is most recognized for playing significant roles in the musicals “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Heaven I Need a Hug.”
‘Love Is’
Ruben Studdard is likely the second least popular former “American Idol” winner, trailing only Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks. Ruben, who took home the prize for the second season of the competition in 2003, is a talented singer, but his career has thus far been hampered by a number of issues, including bad song selection, occasionally uninteresting singing, and a perceived lack of charm and personality. And while Ruben’s fourth album, Love Is, which was released in the United States on May 19, 2009, isn’t as subpar as his last one, The Return, from 2007, he still falls short of realizing his full potential as a top-tier R&B-pop vocalist.
Many R&B enthusiasts believed Ruben could develop into the next Teddy Pendergrass or Luther Vandross in the beginning of his professional career. On “Amrerican Idol,” Ruben even acquired the moniker “the Velvet Teddy Bear” in honor of Pendergrass, whose nickname is Teddy Bear. Ruben, though, hasn’t exactly demonstrated that he belongs in the same category as those luminaries over the last six years. Love Is, a collection of ballads and love songs, is a modest move in that direction.
The 12 songs on the album, including its lead hit, “Together,” which was created by the Stargate pair, are remakes in half. “Together” was previously recorded in the last couple of years by two singers: Ne-Yo and Lee Carr, in contrast to the most of the remakes here, which are newer songs. So it feels strange to release it as a single rather than a brand-new song. Particularly considering that Ruben’s rendition isn’t much superior to the other two. The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road,” Al Green‘s “For the Good Times,” and an intriguing reworking of the rock band Extreme’s song More Than Words by country singer Ruben Studdard are among the other remakes. Simply simply, none of the remakes are essential. However, the source material is actually extremely strong. The song “A Song For Her,” which was motivated by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, is inspirational and spiritual. Ruben co-wrote “Footprints in the Sand,” for his wife. The six new songs on the album are all among its finest; it is on these songs that Ruben sounds most vivacious, energizing, and authentically American Idol.
“The Return”
Ruben Studdard, the 2003 “American Idol” singing competition champion, has had a successful and wealthy career, but while appearing to be more talented than many current R&B singers, he has yet to release a 5-star R&B album. Nevertheless, despite his talent, the album’s The Return title, which is uninspired and a little boring, is representative of his most recent release.
Ruben Studdard, the Season 2 winner of “American Idol” may have been the winner who most consistently fell short of his potential.
Ruben appeared to be one of the most gifted contenders ever at the time of his victory on the competition. His golden voice and bulky build brought to mind a young Luther Vandross (coincidentally, Vandross had a stroke a month before Studdard was crowned American Idol).
And Ruben has since gone on to have great success as a musician, selling over a million copies of his first LP Soulful from 2003 and half a million copies of his second LP, the gospel album I Need An Angel from 2004.
Nevertheless, despite his popularity, Ruben has always seemed to lack something to many R&B aficionados. He hasn’t just fallen short of expectations as Luther Vandross’ replacement; he has also yet to release the timeless R&B album that many were hoping for. The Return is also not an exception.
Rich, pop-like mid-tempo R&B tunes that are abundant on the album seem to be intended to appeal to a broad audience and obtain as much public approval as possible.
The album’s major problem is how weakly Ruben’s vocals are performed. Most of the time, his normally potent voice lacks power and is practically identical to the vocals that accompany elevator music in terms of sound.
Dull is the only adjective that truly captures The Return. This fact is best illustrated by the album’s opening track, “The Return (of the Velvet Teddy Bear),” which has plain lyrics, a simple chorus, and a cheap-sounding artificial beat.
On later tracks, things do improve, but not dramatically. The following track on the album, and first single, was created by the Underdogs. One of the few songs with excellent lyrics, “Change Me,” is otherwise generic. The following track, “Beautiful,” is a strong ballad with unoriginal lyrics.
The album definitely targets older, mainstream music (i.e., pop) lovers, yet it’s interesting how many of the tracks have hip-hop names like “Get U Loose,” “To Da Crib,” and “Blow Ya Mind.”
Don’t be misled by the album’s 14 songs’ catchy, mid-tempo Quiet Storm-style tunes; they are mostly good for late-night mood-setting music.
Ruben’s rendition of Luther Vandross’ “If Only For One Night.” is the album’s standout track. Ruben reminds everyone why he initially won “American Idol” on this particular song.
The only song on the album that matches Luther’s own music flawlessly is his interpretation of the song.
