Idol: Then and Now

Last Edited: Wednesday, 27 Feb 2008, 11:00 PM CST
Created: Wednesday, 27 Feb 2008, 11:00 PM CST

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By Adam Ghassemi


It's a show that's captivated audiences for years. Taking reality television to the next level, American Idol has left us witness some make fools out of themselves on national TV, while watching others become rising stars.

One of those is Alabama's own, Ruben Studdard, who grew up singing gospel. Studdard comes from Birmingham, a city that's become an American Idol factory.

We wanted to know since winning season two of Idol back in 2003, where is Ruben now? We spoke with him by satellite from his home in Birmingham.

"I've never moved, but I am working on my 4th album now and I just recorded my first single on that album with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis," Studdard said. That may be the case, but late last year reports started surfacing that Studdard had been dropped from his recording label with J Records due to poor sales. Studdard says it's a decision he made and the media was late and wrong in reporting it. "A lot of times the media blows a lot of things out of proportion. I haven't been with J Records since, I think, April of 2007 and you know for it to be put in the press in December that I got dropped was really a drop to me, but you know that's cool," Studdard said.

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