Celebrity Parents 'American Idol' Alum Ruben Studdard Reveals the Connection Son Shares with Singer's Late Brother Ruben Studdard felt it was important to connect his son, born in 2020, with his late brother, who died in 2018 By Angela Andaloro Angela Andaloro Angela Andaloro is a Society & Culture Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, and LittleThings. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 7, 2023 02:26PM EST Photo: Ruben Studdard/instagram Ruben Studdard keeps his brother's memory close, with the help of his son. Appearing on The Tamron Hall Show Monday, the American Idol alum, 44, opened up about how his son Olivier's name honors the singer's late brother, Kevin, who died at 44 in 2018. "I gave my son my brother's middle name, which is also my father's middle name. I just wanted him to have a connection to his uncle because I know how much his brother wanted to meet him, if he ever showed up." "So he's here, and he can always say, 'I got my uncle's middle name,' " shared Studdard. Studdard shares his little boy, 2½, with wife Kristin Moore Studdard. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Clay Aiken a Total Hands-On Dad Studdard will embark on a tour this year with fellow Idol alum Clay Aiken. The two announced Twenty, a 20th anniversary commemorating their 2003 run on the singing competition show's sophomore season. "We're getting old, Ruben. We are about to celebrate our 20th anniversary from the year we were on Idol," Aiken, 44, said during the announcement on The View last month. "And so, Ruben and I are hitting the road together with a 20th-anniversary tour, all across the country throughout the year." He added: "We're starting out this spring, and we're gonna be celebrating the last 20 years since we did Idol, and the music we've gotten to make and the friendships we've gotten to make along the way." Studdard followed up the announcement with a promo image and some tour dates on his Instagram. "@clayaiken & I are hitting the road this Spring, twenty years after our debuts on American Idol. Join us for the first leg of Twenty | The Tour," he wrote. Aiken previously paid tribute to Studdard and their 20-year friendship earlier this month, sharing a series of throwback photos from over the years and thanking the show for giving him "one of the greatest friendships of my life." "We don't get to choose our family. Most family is predetermined by blood; some are predestined by God to come into our lives," he wrote in the caption. "I've got one brother who was born into my family and one brother who the good Lord introduced me to in 2003."