BKS1 Radio Network

This Edition of LIVE In The Vocal Booth Show we rate and review along with YOU the listener Ruben Studdard's new release "Letters From Birmingham"

Here is our rating system:
5 Stars: It's blazing hot – on fire
4 Stars: It's a hot song – pump it up
3 Stars: It's alright-good song
2 Stars: Thanks for the album cut-what's next
1 Stars: I won't tell nobody about that if you don't…lets keep that a secret

Ruben Studdard | Letters From Birmingham

On today’s ever changing musical landscape, the definition of R&B fluctuates as much as the rolling hills from the steep pitches and flat meadows of Birmingham’s Red Mountains. Generation Y looks to rhythm-driven artists Ne-Yo, Trey Songz and Usher as the personification of soul while many Baby Boomers insist that only the raw, melodious sounds of soul men like Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye are the real deal. Ruben Studdard is the uniquely perfect combination of both schools of music and he brings both exciting dimensions to Letters From Birmingham (Shanachie-March 13, 2012). This alluring concept album about the ups and downs of modern romance is the project Studdard has longed to make his entire career. With it, he surely sets the standard for modern day soul troubadours and boasts stunning performances that range from an angelic falsetto on love songs like “Today” to hard-hitting dance floor grooves like “Turn You Out” that show off a raw vocal edge.

It’s been almost a decade since Fox Television’s “American Idol” television talent competition crowned Studdard its 2003 winner after he pulled 24 million votes and became a household name. In the years since, the Velvet Teddy Bear (as Gladys Knight nicknamed him for his smoothly soothing vocal style) has produced a string of gold and platinum albums, toured as Fats Waller in a national stage tour of “Ain’t Misbehavin’, appeared on various television shows, toured in the comedy drama “Heaven I Need A Hug” with Robin Givens and played a pastor in the Trace Adkins film, “Lifted.” Along the way, he’s also picked up Grammy and American Music Award nominations and turned out now classic urban radio hits like “Sorry 2004,” “Superstar,” “Make Ya Feel Beautiful” and “Change Me.” He also scored a #1 Gospel hit with “I Need An Angel.” Letters From Birmingham is Ruben’s most personal set of music yet and he’s hoping his vast fan base will enjoy and be surprised by the album’s twists and turns.

Tonight's Topic: It's Hard Out Here For a Cop

We hear about the drugs, the crime, the gangbangin' in the hood, but few of us think about the police force that is dedicated to bringing those crimes to an end. What does life as a detective entail? How connected are they to the neighborhoods they serve? Do they really care about the criminals they hunt down, or do they think most of them are destined to end up handcuffed in the back of their patrol cars. Tonight, BKS1Radio has the pleasure of interviewing Detective Sargeant Kenneth Reid of the Plainfield Police Force. This veteran is going to open up about crime in an urban neighborhood from a law enforcement's perspective. He'll go in-depth on topics such as the current state of gang violence, and expose the details about the vast cases of abuse and missing persons that are happening in our own backyards. Get your questions ready and keep an open mind. We're in for a treat...tonight, on "Live in the Vocal Booth".