The Winner’s Circle: American Idol 2’s Velvet Teddy Bear, Ruben Studdard

American Idol was the hottest show on television. That wasn’t just Fox puffery, it was a fact. Thanks to the blazing success of Kelly Clarkson, who has already been inducted into the Reality TV Hall of Fame, the producers of American Idol found themselves with a situation they hadn’t really expected – they had to be accountable! The winner of American Idol 2 had to meet the very high bar that Kelly Clarkson had already raised. That wasn’t going to be easy.

Clarkson was a vocal dynamo. Her voice was already stronger than 95% of the pop stars currently on the charts. She also had incredible charisma. It was almost impossible not to like the girl from Texas with the sharp wit and the shy yet confident smile. Just like that, Kelly was America’s Sweetheart. Now what would they do?

Singing ability took on far more prominence than in season one, when style seemed as important as substance. There was also the prescient need for the winner to connect with the target audience – the audience that would buy records! Simon Cowell made no secret that he was hoping the winner would be male this time. At that point, the winners of both Pop Idols were male, and Simon had more experience marketing male entertainers than female, and felt he could contribute more to the post-Idol process if a man won. (Not that he had that easy of a time with the Pop Idol winners. His feud with Will Young was quite well publicized in the United Kingdom.) Yes, Simon wanted a male winner, but he wasn’t willing to manipulate the process to make that happen. Still, the male contestants were pushed quite hard, and so-so males weren’t going to make the curve this year. Period. That was clear in the Hollywood segment of the auditions where Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul scolded them for not digging deep and delivering their best.

They shouldn’t have worried, because there were two men who seemed to be a cut above the others from the very beginning. North Carolina’s special education teacher Clay Aiken, who strolled into the audition room looking like he came off a casting for Revenge of the Nerds, and a huge bear of a man from Alabama, Ruben Studdard, adorned in a jersey and crater-sized dimples. If Simon had been told these two would be the two men battling for the crown, he might have walked off the show. Funny how things turn out!

When the Top 12 began, it quickly became the Ruben vs. Clay show. Ruben, usually wearing his trusty 205 jersey, nailed number after number, genre after genre. So did the redressed, contact-lensed, highlighted and transformed Clay. The judges generally fawned over both of them, the celebrity judges (who usually had something to promote, most never having seen the show) always left impressed with both of them. It was Gladys Knight who called Ruben the Velvet Teddy Bear, a moniker Ruben honors.

Just when the Ruben vs. Clay finale seemed as inevitable as rain in Seattle, there came a jolt. Kimberley Locke was threatening to flip the script. Kimberley nailed "New York State of Mind" when all of our hearts were trying to mend from September 11th and the battle of two quickly was suddenly, but permanently, a battle of three. Appropriately, Ruben, Clay, and Kimberley were the final three. But, Kimberley’s late momentum failed kept her from being able to eclipse the monster popularity of Aiken and Studdard.

Both men had ferociously loyal camps, the likes of which we haven’t seen since, and may never see again. To capitalize on this, American Idol 2's finale was a spectacle befitting the coronation of a king. Both men had their own "Idol single" (both to be released no matter who won), and two other songs to perform.

It was a night of fantastic performances from both men, Ruben brought chills with "A House Is Not A Home" and a vastly underrated "Imagine." He finished the night with his single, "Flying Without Wings." Twenty-four hours later, he was crowned the American Idol in a vote was statistically a dead-heat. There was much bally-hoo about the voting system, jammed lines, people dialing wrong numbers, and such – allegations that were never proved and serve only to take away from Ruben’s exceptional campaign. None of those things were his fault. Ruben was the American Idol of season two. He deserved it.

Ruben has a wide appeal that is constantly snuffed by the din of Clay Nation. Women found him cuddly and sweet, men considered him a contemporary and could vote for Ruben without feeling silly (a segment that generally has trouble relating to Clay – even Clay Nation has to admit that a huge portion of Clay’s fan base is female). Ruben was the nice boy who loved his mama and went to church, but he was also a bit more edgy. He had that smile he couldn’t wipe off his face when he sang, but was all business when hearing the judges’ critiques. Ruben was the Everyman, plucked from humble beginnings and given a shot at stardom.

As of this writing, Ruben now has a double platinum album, Soulful, and two top ten singles under his belt. He’s also a Grammy nominee for his performance of "Superstar" from Soulful. His gospel album, I Need An Angel, shows an artistic growth in Ruben’s voice, presentation, and overall presence. This should serve him well, as he has already begun work on his next commercial effort. Ruben was the equal of Kelly’s charisma, and his own vocal styling – soft, smooth, engaging and warm – harken to soul men of yesterday. The Velvet Teddy Bear has one foot in the past, one in the present. Just like an Idol should.

Sting7 has been a respected published writer for 16 years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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