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Twenty years after they competed against each other on “American Idol,” Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard remain as close as ever. The two will kick off the final leg of their concert series, “Twenty the Tour,” on January 4. Despite the fact it’s been two decades since they began their friendship, Studdard and Aiken show no signs of slowing down. The pair recently sat down with the Star Tribune to discuss what makes their relationship work.
Studdard and Aiken first hit it off on the singing competition show in 2003. Despite taking home the win, Studdard never quite managed to hit superstar status. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t seen his fair share of success. Studdard recently released his eighth studio, “The Way I Remember It,” in October 2023. In 2014, Studdard appeared on “The Biggest Loser” where he managed to lose over 100 pounds.
Ruben Studdard And Clay Aiken Have ‘Barely Separated’ Since Appearing On ‘American Idol’
While speaking to the Star Tribune about their friendship, Aiken recalled the first time he met Studdard. “Omigod, I was intimidated. My first impression of him onstage was that’s the dude I’ve got to beat,” Aiken said of Studdard. “My first impression of him as a person is the same as it is today. He’ll talk to anybody, can talk to anybody, he is the most sociable, friendly. He walked up to me in the restaurant at the Hilton [Hotel] and we’ve been barely separated since.”
For Studdard, he knew right away that there was something special about Aiken. “I thought he was hella cool. I saw him around a bunch of ladies that had been singing. The next day I got to hear how extremely talented he was,” Studdard said. “We had this spiritual thing. When they put us in that “Idol” house, we ended up being like the brother we never had. We ate cereal together, we played video games, anything you could think of.”
As the years have passed, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken say that they have each grown as a person. Studdard notes Aiken’s ability to stand his ground now. “As far as personality, he’s become a lot more assertive. Which is something that concerned me at the beginning of our friendship,” admitted Studdard. “Because I used to not like the way he handled things.”
Aiken then chimed in, “Now he’s concerned for the other reason. He’s like, ‘Damn, be less assertive, please,'” he said.
Studdard admits that Aiken’s assertiveness shows his growth and maturity. “Yeah, but he’s definitely come into who he is as an adult,” he said. “I think we were still trying to find ourselves on that show. I think “Idol” really centered me in that vision.
Making Time To ‘Enjoy The Experience’
With his added assertiveness, Studdard believes that Aiken can sometimes take things a little too seriously. “Clay is a lot more serious in moments when I want him to enjoy the experience,” Studdard says. “A lot of times Clay is very meticulous and focused on the minor things. That is the producer in him and the person who has run his own campaign and has to be meticulous as opposed to enjoying the fact that he’s actually running for Congress.”
“You can tell Ruben would be a great politician himself,” Aiken added. “What he’s saying is I’m anal and have a temper. He’s saying it so nicely. He’s always been extra nice.”
Thanks to a special closeness to his friend, Aiken says that Studdard’s stage presence is what guided him back to the stage. “Ruben had been on the road for 20 years solid. I had stopped and taken an ill-advised detour into, should we call, “public service,” Aiken admits. “He stayed supportive during the whole time I did that. When you see Ruben perform, it just makes you happy. Not often do I see a show that makes me want to get back onstage.
With his eye on the future, Aiken says that you won’t see him in a political race any time soon. “I’m enjoying performing so much that I’ll probably keep on. I’m certainly not going back to politics,” he revealed. “But I think before our 25th anniversary, there will be a Ruben & Clay project of some kind because we enjoy working together so much.”
“Twenty the Tour” will run through February 3, 2024.