Ruben Studdard

As a youth growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Studdard was torn between football and singing, his two loves. He entered Alabama A&M but left to pursue a music career. He promised his mother he would return to college in five years if he had not made significant strides in music. He has yet to return to school.

Studdard appears frequently on television and has performed on Broadway, including a show with Clay Aiken, his Idol runner-up. He began singing with Just a Few Cats as lead singer even before he gained national attention for "American Idol." He has toured extensively for nearly two decades and has sold more than two million albums.

He is a performer who believes in giving back to others who love music and founded the Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts, which focuses on the need for music education in schools.