American Idol resumes its annual search for a new singing star next week—or, not a moment too soon.
J Records has confirmed the departures of former Idol champs Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard from the label that signed them after their respective wins on the hit Fox show.
"Taylor is going to record on his own for the next album," J Records' Liz Morentin wrote in an email Monday. "Ruben Studdard is still signed to 19 Entertainment [the production/management company behind Idol], and is currently working on his new album, however it will not be distributed by J Records."
While other Idol artists, such as Justin Guarini, have been cut loose by their Idol labels, Hicks and Studdard are the first winners to become free agents.
In a statement, Hicks' publicity firm said the singer and his label had "mutually agreed to part ways." It noted Hicks was at work on a new album. It did not note who would release it.
A member of Studdard's management team likewise described the Velvet Teddy Bear's divorce from music mogul Clive Davis' label as mutual—and amicable.
"Ruben loves Clive and respects Clive, and I'm sure Clive feels the same way about Ruben," Johnathan Effinger said Monday.
Effinger said Studdard, 29, and J Records decided "part ways to go in a different direction" last spring. The Studdard camp seemed bemused that word of the not-recent split was now considered new, as in news.
According to Effinger, 19 Entertainment is currently shopping around Studdard. "By no means [is he] in dire straits," Effinger said.
Studdard recently returned to the States from Denmark, where he recorded some new tracks. Of the next album, Effinger said, "I'm 99 percent sure it's going to be a return to true soul."
Studdard, the season-two Idol winner, recorded and released three albums for J Records. The first, 2003's Soulful, went platinum; the second, the gospel collection 2004's I Need an Angel, went gold; the third, 2006's The Return, rated no precious metals.
Hicks, meanwhile, was one and done at J. His self-titled 2006 debut, released after his season-five Idol triumph, sold enough copies to go platinum, but never seemed to sell people on the idea that it was a hit, or that its singer was a star.
Whispers said the gray-haired leader of the "Soul Patrol" was difficult; observers never failed to point out that Chris Daughtry, who finished in fourth place behind Hicks on Idol, sold millions more copies, and spawned more radio-friendly hits, with his own 2006 album, Daughtry.
Speaking to the New Orleans Times-Picayune last March, after his own sales had slowed, Hicks sounded undeterred.
"I'm a working musician," Hicks told the paper. "I'm into longevity as a career artist. I'm just trudging along and making it happen. Slow and steady wins the race."
Reigning Idol champ Jordin Sparks might be adopting a similar mindset after her self-titled album debuted at No. 10 last November, the lowest-charting debut ever for an Idol winner. Her first-week sales of 119,000 were another Idol low. (By comparison, Hicks' maligned CD opened at No. 2, with 298,000 copies sold.)
The hunt for Sparks' successor is scheduled to begin Jan. 15, with Idol's seventh-season debut.
Given recent events, recording-artist hopefuls might be vying for no better than a second-place finish.