"American Idol" champ Ruben Studdard [ tickets ] backs his debut album, "Soulful," with a headlining run on the U.S. theater circuit.

Studdard's outing gets underway in San Diego on March 3, and the singer is currently scheduled to wrap things up in New York City on April 13.

Released in December, "Soulful" debuted at the top of The Billboard 200 album chart, and has sold more than 1 million copies in the U.S., according to industry sources. The set includes the hits "Sorry 2004" and "Flying Without Wings."

Studdard--whom soul-singer Gladys Knight nicknamed the "Velvet Teddy Bear"--got his break during the second season of Fox Television's "American Idol," when he bested a pool of competitors that included Clay Aiken.

According to his website, Studdard's experience as a performer dates back to when he began singing at his church at the age of three.

"I got over stage fright early in life so I never got nervous doing the show, week after week," Studdard said in a statement. "Having a career in music is what I've always wanted to do so this is the fulfillment of my dreams!"

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