Ruben Studdard

I've been blessed because there are a lot of great singers out there that didn't make it past their first album.

I have a greater goal - to empower young people through music education.

Because I gave myself - I left school after the second semester of my junior year to pursue a career in music. and I gave myself five years to make it and I made it in three.

I don't want to be a one-hit wonder.

I went to public school, and it shaped me as a musician.

When one person does something that works, everyone else wants to do it. So it didn't surprise me at all to see people come with different versions of 'American Idol' and a lot of them are exactly the same but with different twists.

Simon is cool. You know, it's different if you ever see him around his mom. He acts totally different.

Dairy products are not good for a singer.

I feel as if I've been able to do so many things I never expected to do.

You know, Simon he's an artist representative, but Randy and Paula actually were in the industry as artists so they had, you know, the information that they offered to us from their aspect.

And I just pray that god gives me longevity in the music industry.

The only thing about my life that's really changed is the fact that a lot of people know me now. I'm still the same person.