American Idol Ruben Studdard to Marry Fiancée Surata Zuri McCants
American Idol’s 'Velvet Teddy Bear' Ruben Studdard is headed to the altar to tie the knot with fiancée Surata Zuri McCants. Studdard and McCants reportedly obtained a marriage license in Alabama on Monday. Media reports peg the wedding to take place in Birmingham, Studdard’s hometown, on Saturday.

Twenty-nine year-old Studdard, who was the winner of season two of American Idol, applied for the marriage license with his fiancée in tow on Monday. The couple filed the paperwork at the Shelby County Probate Office near Birmingham, according to ExtraTV.com. An eyewitness on the scene told People.com that they “looked really happy” to be getting their license.

McCants, 30, is reportedly a flight attendant from Atlanta, Georgia. According to AccessAtlanta.com, Studdard met her at a Wal-Mart CD signing in October, 2006. Studdard’s manager, Cedric Evans, confirmed the wedding plans to Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Rodney Ho on Wednesday.

According to People Magazine, a lavish wedding ceremony will take place in Birmingham on Saturday, with 20 groomsmen, dressed in black tuxedos provided by local store Mr. Burch Formal Wear, will attend Studdard during the nuptials. The ceremony is expected to take place at the Canterbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham.

Ruben, a native of Birmingham, took home the top prize on American Idol in 2003, beating out Clay Aiken for the title. Studdard’s first post-Idol single, a cover of Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings”, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. His first album, Soulful, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart in December, 2003. Studdard received a Grammy Award nomination the same year for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Studdard’s popularity waned over the years after Idol, however, until he was eventually dropped by his record company, J Records, in 2007. The company stated low sales of his third album, The Return, had fallen “short of expectations”. Although he lost his gig with J Records, Studdard still remained under contract with 19 Recordings, which resulted in his recent featuring on the American Idol season seven grand finale and the use of his song “Celebrate Me Home” throughout the season.

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