Christopher Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978), best known as
Ruben Studdard, is an
American pop,
R&B, and
gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the
second season of
American Idol. He received a
Grammy Award nomination in December 2003 for
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstar."
In the years following Idol, Studdard has released four studio albums, including his most recent disc, 2009's
Love Is.
In addition to appearing on various television shows he has toured with
Robin Givens in the comedy-drama
Heaven I Need a Hug and in 2008 accepted the role of
Fats Waller in a national tour of
Ain't Misbehavin'.
[Ruben Studdard tours with Robin Givens in play, says he'll star in 'Ain't Misbehavin by Mary Colurso, AL.com, November 30, 2007, retrieved December 16, 2007]