R&B singer Ruben Studdard has reportedly lost nearly 100 pounds by cutting back on his food. The ?Velvet Teddy Bear? singer previously weighed more than 400 pounds. Studdard told NBC's "Today" show that he was put on a 1,200- to 1,500-hundred-calorie diet at a weight management center at Duke University. The R&B singer, who won 2003's "American Idol" competition, beating out Clay Aiken, says he's now a vegetarian. Studdard?s new album is slated to drop Oct. 17. He says he called it "The Return" because not many people bought his inspirational album, and some thought he hadn't recorded in a while.
Idol Champ Ruben Studdard has reportedly opened up a special music camp near his home in Birmingham for kids who wish to improve their music skills. The camp will run June 4th through 8th in Dothan, Alabama at Wallace Community College. During the camp experience, amateur musicians will play in an orchestra, sing in a choral group and perform with Studdard in concert, while also learning about songwriting, music theory, and stage performance techniques. They will also be taught some rules of the music industry. The camp will hold its grand concert on Sunday, June 10th at the James A. Smith Convocation Center, with Studdard set to perform as part of the show. All proceeds will go to the Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts scholarship program. For more information, go to www.rubenstuddardfoundation.org.
Ruben Studdard's plans for a nightclub in Birmingham, Alabama may come to a stop after recent tax reports revealed more that $193,000 in back taxes.According to the state of Alabama liens have been placed on all property belonging to the American Idol winner for the unpaid taxes between 2003 and 2005 which amount to $171, 911 in federal taxes and $21,731 in state income taxes.Studdard's tax woes come after a series of rough times including being released from the label that issued both of his studio efforts and the recent halt in production of his last album "The Return" due to a settlement between SonyBMG and Louis Vuitton.Despite his woes, Studdard has pushed forward with plans to open a nightclub in the Birmingham area next year. However, with news of the unpaid taxes, developers have become concerned that the ‘Velvet Teddybear' may not be able to foot the bill – a ‘six figure investment' - for the highly anticipated club.Studdard has "got some explaining to do," John Elkington the developer behind the entertainment district where the club would be built says."He may [however] be able to proceed with his involvement in the club."In related news, Ruben Studdard is reportedly putting a new album together for release by the end of the year. A national tour is expected to follow the as-yet-untitled album.Ruben Studdard's last album "The Return" was released in October of 2006.
After giving his fans a strong debut disc, R&B singer and former American Idol season two winner Ruben Studdard has been reportedly dropped from his record label. Studdard, who has fallen victim to lackluster sales, delivered three albums to J before he was bumped off the roster. His first J Record release ‘Soulful,’ released in 2003, is RIAA certified platinum. His 2004 gospel follow up, ‘I Need An Angel’ also had a notable return buy going gold. However sales of his 2006 disc ‘The Return’ have been unable to match his previous success, selling only 71,000 copies in its first week to open at #8 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album has moved 235,000 units to date. Studdard appeared on the finale of American Idol season 6 in May 2007. He spent a few weeks touring with Robin Givens in the comedy-drama “Heaven I Need a Hug” and is preparing to take on the role of Fats Waller in a national tour of “Ain't Misbehavin'.” Theater has proven to be a popular career move for many "American Idol" standouts, most notably Fantasia, who has starred as Celie in the Broadway version of "The Color Purple." Diana DeGarmo has appeared in "Hairspray," Frenchie Davis was featured in "Rent" and Tamyra Gray won roles in both "Rent" and "Bombay Dreams."
French fashion house Louis Vuitton won a landmark lawsuit this week after Sony BMG artists Ruben Studdard, Britney Spears and Da Brat used the designers logo without authorization. According to recent reports, the fashion house won the undisclosed sum after battling the label for five years over the unauthorized use of the logo on cars, jackets and other materials featured in the music videos and album covers. The settlement, which includes several lawsuits and is estimated to be near $300,000 (US) according to MTV, was awarded after the designer was able to prove its case by featuring evidence including a Louis Vuitton branded beach ball from one of Hip Hop artist Da Brat's videos; a LV patterned dashboard in Britney Spears' "Do Somethin" video and on Ruben Studdard's jacket, which is featured on the stars 2006 album "The Return." As part of the settlement, Studdard's "The Return" album will be pulled from shelves. The label was also told that it may not import, distribute, or manufacture the album either. "We believe the terms of this agreement will provide strong protection to our brand worldwide," Nathalie Moulle-Berteaux, a spokesperson for the Parisian fashion house, said in a statement. Sony has also been instructed to use its best efforts to educate its various record labels about Louis Vuitton intellectual property so that when developing products, they will be in a position to refrain from developing and selling products bearing the Louis Vuitton intellectual property. Source: Marketwatch/ MTV News