Birmingham, Ala.'s Ruben Studdard edged out North Carolina's Clay Aiken in the voting, and on Wednesday (5/22) was declared this season's winner on Fox-TV's "American Idol."

Studdard has signed a deal with Clive Davis' J Records, and a full-length album is planned for release in September. His debut single, "Flying Without Wings," will be released on June 10, and a single by Aiken, "This is the Night," is expected to hit stores a week later.

Michael Jackson [ tickets ] was hospitalized briefly for an undisclosed illness in Indianapolis on Wednesday (5/22), leading to the cancellation of his court-ordered deposition in a copyright-infringement case, the Indianapolis Star reported. Jackson's attorney told the newspaper that Jackson felt progressively weak as the day went on, and that he returned home to California after his hospitalization.

B.B. King [ tickets ] will issue a new album titled "Reflections" on June 10. It will include three songs previously recorded by Louis Armstrong, as well as songs that have been recorded by Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson and others.

Among the guest artists who appear on the album are Joe Sample (keyboards), Tim Carmon (Hammond B3, piano), Nathan East (bass), Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums) and Doyle Bramhall II (drums).

Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson [ tickets ] will perform his much-storied unreleased album "Smile"--which he scrapped more than 35 years ago--during a series of U.K. concerts that will get underway in February of 2004.

The itinerary is: Feb. 20-24 at London's Royal Festival Hall; March 2 at Bristol, England's Colston Hall; March 4 at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium; March 6 at Newcastle, England's City Hall; March 7 at Liverpool, England's Empire; and March 8 at Birmingham, England's Symphony Hall.

Bluegrass group the Del McCoury Band is scheduled to release a self-titled album on Aug. 12. It will include songs written by Richard Thompson, Don Reno, Charlie Stell, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp and the team of Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson.

Cracker, Cindy Wilson of the B-52's, Five-Eight and Tim Easton will be among the performers at this year's AthFest Music and Arts Festival in Athens, Ga., which takes place June 19-22. More details are available at the event's website.