North Dakota
Once 'American Idol' rivals, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken to share Fargo Theatre stage
FARGO — In its 21 seasons,
“American Idol”
has lived up to its name, producing stars like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia Barrino and more.
Still, no year could match the down-to-the-wire competition of the second season in 2003, which saw
Ruben Studdard
squeak out a victory over
Clay Aiken.
That finale episode is still the single most-watched in the show’s history, attracting 38.1 million viewers, the biggest audiences for a regularly scheduled, live, non-sporting event in the 21st Century.
The singers hit the road last year celebrating the 20th anniversary of the show that made them household names. They’ll bring the tour to the Fargo Theatre on Thursday night, Jan. 4.
The concert includes songs the singers performed on “American Idol,” like “Superstar,” “Open Arms” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” as well as a medley inspired by “Idol” mentors, like Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson and Olivia Newton-John.
“There are songs we sang on ‘Idol’ and songs from ‘Idol’ that inspired us,” Studdard explains from his home in Alabama. “We want to give people that Ruben and Clay experience.”
While Studdrad has performed regularly over the last 20 years, Aiken spent much of the last decade unsuccessfully running for Congress in his home state of North Carolina. The tour marks Aiken’s return to the road for the first time since 2012.
“The only thing that’s changed in 20 years is that we’re older and now we have families,” Studdard says. “We just enjoy getting to do a job we love.”
Both singers were 24 when they were on “American Idol.” While Studdard studied music in college and had decided to focus on a career as a singer, he was not prepared for what an experience like “American Idol” could mean.
“I was really excited about the prospects, but didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t watch the first season. Every week was a new experience and opportunity,” he says.
A big part of that experience was performing before judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. By the second season, Cowell’s sometimes sharp criticism was almost as well known as the performances, but Studdard felt his opinions were in line.
“Listen, Simon was par for the course,” the singer says. “I was a music major and his critiques weren’t any different from voice teachers I had in school. You need that. The music industry is a lot tougher than Simon is on ‘Idol’ because they go over everything to make sure they’re getting a return on investment.”
While the judging created some tension in the episodes, Studdard says there was little drama behind the scenes. The performers lived together in a mansion and got along, making for a cohesive environment.
“The way we were in that house was all like a family because 75% of us were from the South,” he says. “It was hard to foster a spirit of competition until we were on the stage and even then it wasn’t really a competition with each other.”
In a November interview in The Washington Post about the tour, Aiken said the camaraderie was genuine among that season’s contestants.
“I think one of the reasons we became not only friends with each other, but friends with everyone in our group, is because we had no idea what we were getting into,” Aiken said. “In subsequent seasons, I happen to know for a fact … the winner and runner-up had not spoken since their season ended. And we were both like, ‘What?’”
In that interview, Aiken also revealed that a staffer on that season of the show was his first boyfriend.
Studdard emerged victorious in the final episode, winning by 134,000 votes out of 24 million votes, a relatively slim margin that prompted some outrage from Aiken fans. Claymates, as they are known, may have felt vindicated when the singer’s first single, “This is the Night,” topped Studdard’s “Flying Without Wings” on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the best-selling single of 2003. Studdard didn’t mind. He released his full-length debut, “Soulful,” later that year and his version of “Superstar” was nominated for a Grammy. That honor put him in competition with his idol, Luther Vandross, who won the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance award for “Dance with My Father.”
“It was an adjustment going from obscurity to everyone knowing who you were,” Studdard says about the attention he received following his “Idol” win.
The singer has kept busy recording and touring and in 2018 released a very personal album, a tribute to Vandross who died in 2005. He’s been able to feature a couple of those songs in his tour with Aiken.
“He was my mother’s favorite artist so I grew up around his music and I became a fan. To have people compare me to him is a blessing,” Studdard says, adding that he’s excited to see the new documentary on Vandross.
What: Ruben Studard & Clay Aiken
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4
Where: Fargo Theatre
Info: Tickets from $49.50 to $69.50
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.
Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.
Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.
Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.
New ballot measure guide to be mailed to North Dakota voters ahead of election
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