Former “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard has been released from J Records.

After a promising start as winner of the second season of “American
Idol,” Studdard seems to have fallen short of expectations and has been
dropped from J. A rep from his label has confirmed.

Studdard’s first J Record release Soulful, released in 2003, is RIAA certified platinum. His 2004 gospel follow up, I Need An Angel also fared well – reaching gold status. However sales of his 2006 project The Return have been unable to match his previous success, moving barely 235,000 copies.

Studdard has been putting in work to strengthen other aspects of his career. In November, he spent time touring alongside Robin Givens in a play called “Heaven I Need a Hug” and according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he is currently preparing to play jazz great Fats Waller in a national theatre tour of “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”