Gladys Knight nicknamed this Season 2 winner "The Velvet Teddy Bear" for his smooth crooning
While 
Ruben may be the Velvet Teddy Bear, Locke's voice is warm ..... Rotund, ever-
smiling Ruben Studdard, a crooner whom Gladys Knight dubbed "America's... [DOC] [TLE] TOP 50 AMERICAN IDOL PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIME [PAR] It's true, Anthony was pretty inconsistent during his Idol run, but towards the end, 
.... His gritty timbre didn't overshadow Jim Croce's smoother tone on the original, 
but ...