Ruben Studdard Details Extreme Highs And Lows Since Winning 'American Idol' (VIDEO)

WATCH: 'American Idol' Winner's Extreme Highs And Lows

When Birmingham native Ruben Studdard became the winner of "American Idol" in 2003, it was clear he was in for a wild ride. Between the sometimes fickle nature of the music industry and the unpredictable journey of looking for love, Studdard experienced a wide range of highs and lows over the last 10 years -- something he talked candidly about when he appeared on a recent episode of "Oprah: Where Are They Now?"

In the above video from the episode, Studdard gets personal and opens up about his 2008 marriage to Surata Zuri McCants. "We met, actually, at an autograph signing I had at Walmart," Studdard says. "We became instant friends and dated, got engaged, got married."

A few years after marrying, however, Studdard says that "differences of opinion" led the couple to reconsider the relationship. "We decided to move on and got divorced," says the now-single singer. "Everything is cool now. That's all I have to say about that!"

Professionally, Studdard has also seen his fair share of ups and downs. Since winning "American Idol," Studdard has released five solo albums. His first one, "Soulful," sound nearly two million copies. His last album, "Letters From Birmingham," sold fewer than 20,000 copies.

"Sometimes you have a number-one album and sometimes nobody wants to buy the album," Ruben says simply. "To you, it may be the best music in the world, but to the world, it may be not what they want to hear."

What people may have wanted to hear from him, Ruben presumes, is classic soul music. "What ended up happening is that my label kind of tried to make me… hip hop," Ruben explains. "Give the people what they want. [That's] pretty much it."

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.

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"American Idol" Season 12

"American Idol" Season 12

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