1978 – Singer Dubbed the “Velvet ” by soul singer and described as “honey-voiced ” in Jet, this bear-like singer-with-a-dream was crowned the Fox Network ’s “American Idol ” by viewers across the nation in May of 2003. Wooing audiences and Idol judges with his gentle, satiny renditions of “Ribbon in the Sky, ” “A House Is Not a Home, ” “Imagine, ” and his signature “Hying without Wings, ” the six-foot-four, 300-plus-pound emerged as king from among 70,000 other American dreamers who auditioned for the popular television talent show. Because he jumped so quickly from amateur singer to professional recording artist, music-industry insiders are not yet convinced that Studdard ’s talent and star quality are enduring. “Studdard doesn ’t have the range of most soul singers, ” Gemma Tarlach, music critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wrote in April of 2004. “And as a songwriter he ’s an unknown quantity, without a single credit to his name. But what the 25-year old does have is an easy, earnest charm, which goes a long way when too many performers treat fans with surly indifference. ” Born Christopher Ruben Studdard on July 14, 1978, in Frankfurt am Main, West, Studdard —known to family as Chris —grew up in Birmingham,. His parents, Kevin and Emily, were both teachers, secondary and elementary, respectively. His father also owned the Kevin Studdard & Sons Body Shop. ![]() According to Studdard and his family, he began singing as early as memories begin —when he was about three years old. In a 2004 interview with CBS ’s The Early Show, Studdard described his mother as a strong encourager of his professional singing goals. “Mom did a lot, ” Studdard said. “She really was active in my career, you know, with making sure that I got to places I needed to be, like choir concerts and musicals and plays. ” “I kind of took his lead with things, ” Mrs. Studdard explained. “If he said that he wanted to be in something and I knew that it was legit, I would take him and just be there for him and with him. ” Studdard ’s grandmother, Hattie Williams, also supported Studdard ’s pursuit of a singing career. “He always said he had a dream, ” Williams told The At a Glance Born Christopher Ruben Studdard in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, July 14, 1976, Education: Attended Alabama A&M University, 1999-2002. Career: Amateur musician, mid-1990s-2003; customer service representative, 2002; J Records, recording artist, 2003 –. May 31, 2018 - Ruben Studdard is mourning the passing of his older brother, 44-year-old Kevin Studdard. The cause of death has not been revealed. “He loved to sing, and he said one day his dream will come true. Studdard trained his voice with the school ’s music teacher and landed a place in several school performances during his four years at Huffman High School. He also performed in his church choir and participated in the gospel group ’s Gift. He also joined with friends to form the jazz and soul group Just a Few Cats. After high school, Studdard began attending Alabama A&M University on a football scholarship.
They both grew up in, both were church going and spiritually grounded, and both seemed to harbor only the best wishes for the other. Reporting on how Aiken and Studdard were coping with the hype prior to the final Idol showdown, Neiustueek ’s Marc Peyser and Sean M. Smith observed, “Despite all the insanity, Aiken and Studdard appear to have kept their egos in check and their friendship intact. They still have a prayer circle before every show, and they still goof off backstage. ” On May 21, 2003, Studdard was crowned American Idol before nearly 40 million voters, about 600,000 more than those who tuned in for the 2003 Academy Awards program. According to Nielsen Media Research, roughly 27 million American Idol viewers had judged the sing-off between Aiken and Studdard the evening before, casting about 260 million phone votes. Studdard won by a mere 134,400 votes.
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