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Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an Academy Award winning American actress and singer. She first gained notice as one of the finalists on the third season of the FOX television series American Idol. She went on to star as Effie Melody White in the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls, for which she won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a SAG Award.
Background
Hudson was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, where she graduated in 1999.
She cites Whitney Houston as her musical/movie influence, and has also said recently that her biggest wish is to collaborate on her debut album with Houston.
She has many famous fans, including fellow American Idol Season 3 contestant, Jasmine Trias, who called Hudson to wish her success before Dreamgirls was released in the United States. After seeing Hudson's performance, American Idol judge Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show. With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African-American to grace the cover of Vogue magazine.
American Idol
Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol in Atlanta, Georgia. She was a member of the first group of semifinalists. She was not voted through to the final round, although she was brought back on the wildcard round and put through as a finalist by contest judge Randy Jackson.
Jennifer Hudson struggled to gain popularity in the early stages of the live shows, receiving the second lowest number of votes in two of the first three shows. However, after a change in song choices, she soon became a favorite to win, receiving the highest number of votes on one occasion. Among Hudson's performances on the show was her rendition of Elton John's "Circle of Life" on April 6, 2004. American Idol judge Simon Cowell commented that she "finally proved why she was among the Top 12" and referred to the performance a week later as "sensational".
On April 21, 2004, Hudson became the sixth of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show, finishing the competition in seventh place.
American Idol performances
* "Imagine" (John Lennon, 1971) (Semifinals; February 10, 2004)
* "I Believe in You and Me" (The Four Tops, 1982; Whitney Houston, 1996) (Wild card; March 9, 2004)
* "Baby I Love You" (Aretha Franklin, 1967) (Soul week; March 16, 2004) (Bottom 2)
* "No One Else on Earth" (Country; March 23, 2004)
* "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave" (Motown, Martha and the Vandellas; March 30, 2004) (Bottom 2)
* "Circle of Life" (Elton John, 1994) (Elton John songs; April 6, 2004)
* "I Have Nothing" (The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston, 1992) (Movie songs week; April 14, 2004).(Highest number of votes.)
* "Weekend in New England" (Barry Manilow, 1976) (Barry Manilow songs; April 20, 2004) (Bottom 2; voted off)
Dreamgirls
In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the prized role of Effie White, the role originally created in a legendary Broadway performance by Jennifer Holliday, for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls. Hudson won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses. Filming of Dreamgirls began on January 9, 2006, and the film went into limited release on December 25, 2006 and national release on January 12, 2007.
Hudson has won particular praise for her show-stopping onscreen rendition of the hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the signature song of the role, which had earlier been recorded, and had already reached the status of musical standard, because of the definitive performance of Jennifer Holliday. The New York Observer described Hudson's performance of the song as "five mellifluous, molto vibrato minutes that have suddenly catapulted Ms. Hudson... into the position of front-runner for the best supporting actress Oscar." Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she "is going to raise goose bumps across the land." New York Daily News proclaimed, "When she sings 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going' -- one of the most heartfelt cries of pain ever written for a musical -- Hudson inscribes her name on an Oscar." Variety wrote that Hudson's performance "calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Bette Midler in The Rose, with a voice like the young Aretha."
As Effie White, Hudson has garnered more than twenty four awards and nominations from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006.
She won a Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role, dedicating the award to Florence Ballard (upon whom her Dreamgirls character was based), as well as friends Jasmine Trias, Fantasia Barrino, and the rest of the American Idol Season 3 finalists..In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and also by the Screen Actors Guild. On February 7, 2007, Hudson was named Best Supporting Actress and Best Breakthrough Performance by the Black Reel Awards, awarded by the Foundation For The Advancement Of African-Americans In Film.
On February 25, 2007, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film. At 25 years old, Hudson became the eighth youngest winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She also became only the third African-American to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, after Hattie McDaniel for Gone with the Wind and Whoopi Goldberg for Ghost. During her acceptance speech Hudson said through tears of joy, "Oh my God, I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do. I didn't think I was going to win" "If my grandmother was here to see me now. She was my biggest inspiration." She also concluded her speech by thanking Jennifer Holliday.
Hudson's version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" debuted at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the January 13, 2007 issue. The "Dreamgirls" track has since become Hudson's first Top 10 hit, albeit not on the Hot 100, as the track registered a new peak at #7 on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart on February 24, 2007; the track also entered new peak positions on the Hot R&B/HipHop Songs and Hot R&B/HipHop Airplay charts, rising 17-16 on both surveys. Remixes of the song saw Jennifer reach the #2 position on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
Recording career
Hudson recorded her own version of the soul classic "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)", originally by Gladys Knight & the Pips, for American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics—the official American Idol album for the 3rd season. She is featured on a song called "The Future Ain't What it Used to Be" on the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and performs the song "Easy To Be Hard" on the Actor's Benefit Fund recording of the musical Hair.
In September 2006, Hudson performed the song "Over It" live on Fox Chicago Morning News. In the interview she stated the song would be included on her debut album, to be released in early 2007.On the Oprah Show, Hudson announced plans to enter the studio in March 2007. Hudson said on the Tyra Banks Show on February 23 that she just finished the first song for the album.
In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Clive Davis's label, Arista Records. Davis has guided the careers of such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Dionne Warwick.
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