When I announced that Platinum-selling recording artist/American Idol winner Ruben Studdard was going to be my guest on Conversations LIVE it was immediately seen as one of my biggest interviews of the year.
I was extremely excited about the opportunity to talk with Ruben on the air. I had followed his career since the American Idol win, and I was convinced that his was a life full of experiences and lessons that my listeners and me could all learn from.
I was not disappointed.
He was in the middle of a whirlwind schedule of performances and promotion for his fifth studio album LETTERS FROM BIRMINGHAM, and the single JUNE 28TH (I'm Single) was burning up the airwaves and raising a few eyebrows as well. For me it was going to be more a discussion of the evolution he has experienced as well as the man he has become along the way.
In this conversation you will hear from the man himself as he discusses the road to stardom, what keeps him grounded and ultimately what it means for him to be a great artist.
RUBEN ON THE MUSICAL PLATFORM:
"I just wanted to sing. After you try so much, you really just want to be heard. When I finally made it on American Idol I wanted people to hear me and enjoy me. To be an inspiration is really a blessing. I most definitely can attest to what perseverance can do for you."
RUBEN ON RESPONSIBILITY AS AN ARTIST:
"My responsibility lies with my relationship with God. I wanted to make sure that I made music with integrity. The music I make is something that I could sit in a room with my grandmother and listen to with no regrets."
RUBEN ON FANS AFTER IDOL:
"It was awesome. You never really get to see or feel what is going on outside of the show. When I got home for the first time and to have people waiting on me at the airport was a shock. We as artists would be nothing without them."
RUBEN ON COMPARISONS TO LUTHER:
"It was pressure in the beginning because I never considered myself in that category. I have always put Luther on a pedastal. It was kinda heavy because it's a lot of expectation. Some expect you to produce that kind of high quality music. I now believe it's more about what you make them feel rather than my actually singing like him. That's a compliment."
RUBEN ON BEING HIMSELF:
"Your first album you don't have as much say-so as you might feel like you should. You have to go with the flow. Clive Davis helped to manuever me through my first album. The older I get and the more creative control I have I am able to do more of my own thing and have a lot more say-so. This allows me to show people who I am. I just want to be myself and sing."
"I felt in the beginning it was important to separate the two. When you listen to all the greats, though, the further they get in their career they become more transparent. That resonates with their fans. Being so private isn't as important as you think it is. It's good to keep your business to yourself, but the only way you can sing songs that really matter to people is if you've actually gone through stuff.
"I can't act like my life is perfect. It's unfair to believe that people never go through things. For me this (the single JUNE 28TH and the album LETTERS FROM BIRMINGHAM) was my way of saying I'm human. I go through stuff, and I'm able to move on."
RUBEN ON SUCCESS:
"For me now success is longevity. Alot of times people feel that every time out is not going to be just the highs. You have to sustain yourself through the highs and lows if you want to make it in this business or in any business."
Ruben told me that he wanted to take the listeners on a journey with the new album, and I believe he does just that. LETTERS FROM BIRMINGHAM is available now at your favorite outlet. You can stay in contact with Ruben on Facebook and Twitter as well as on his website www.rubenstuddard.com.
To connect with other Ruben Studdard fans "Friend" this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/velvetteddy.bearfans.
Love this cd. Ruben is my favorite R & B artist. His vocals are amazing.
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