"American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard couldn't ask for a better way to ring in the new year: He'll be trading Alabama's chilly winter for Hawai'i's sunny skies when he performs for the first time in the Islands at a Word of Life concert on New Year's Eve.

"Oh, man, I'm just excited about coming to Hawai'i," Studdard said by phone from Birmingham, his hometown. "The concert is an added bonus."

The R&B and soul singer sounded as cool and laid-back during his interview as he appeared on "American Idol," but an enthusiasm for performing at Word of Life was evident.

Studdard, who grew up singing gospel in church, said faith "plays a very strong role" in all of his career decisions.

"You basically try to live your life with a certain level of integrity and make sure you have a decent image as it pertains to the public eye," said Studdard, 28. "I just never want to do anything that could be displeasing in God's sight, so I always try to make sure I'm on the up and up."

At "Gospel Goes Classical in a New Year's Eve Celebration," a concert Sunday at the Word of Life Christian Center (see box), Studdard will be featured in a fully orchestrated version of "I Need An Angel," the title track from his 2004 gospel CD. He will be joined by an ensemble of singers that includes Kuna Sepulveda, associate pastor of Word of Life Christian Center, and her daughter, pastor Ashley Sepulveda.

They'll be accompanied by Word of Life's music department and members of the Honolulu Symphony. Conducting the concert will be Henry Panion III, who has been a conductor and arranger for Stevie Wonder since 1992, and has worked with notable orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic and the Boston Pops.

Word of Life's connection to Panion is what brought Studdard on board for the New Year's Eve concert, Studdard said.

"They work very closely with my partner, Dr. Henry Panion, and he asked if I would come over and perform for them, and the rest is history," he said.

Since besting tens of thousands of hopefuls in the second season of Fox's wildly popular "American Idol" talent show in 2003, Studdard has released three albums — "Soulful" (2003), "I Need an Angel" (2004) and "The Return" (October) — and he received a Grammy nomination for his 2003 single, "Superstar."

"I get to do a job that I love every day and perform all over the world," Studdard said. "It's just been a blessing."

Studdard's next projects include a Christmas album and another R&B album, both slated to be released next year, he said.

In the meantime, Studdard hopes to make the most of his Hawai'i vacation.

"I'm actually looking forward to it. I remember watching 'Idol' and watching how excited the people were about Jasmine Trias over there," Studdard said with a deep chuckle.

As for what he's looking forward to the most: "It's cold here, so hopefully you'll have better temperatures there."

Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com.