Ruben Studdard

American singer Ruben Studdard first broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s as the winner of the second season of American Idol and was able to navigate the choppy waters of the music industry, releasing R&B and gospel records as well as making a splash on theater stage. His post-Idol coronation single “Flying Without Wings” soared to number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2003 and Studdard capitalized on its success with “Sorry 2004” and its parent album Soulful. After releasing the gospel album I Need an Angel in 2004, Studdard settled into a career as an R&B crooner in the vein of his idol Luther Vandross — he cut an album-length tribute to the singer in 2018 — steadily touring and releasing the occasional new studio album, like 2023’s The Way I Remember It.