Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and philanthropist. Throughout her music and acting careers, Hudson has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including; an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Grammy Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.[1]

This article is about the singer. For her self-titled album, see Jennifer Hudson (album).

Jennifer Hudson
Hudson at the 2018 BRIT Awards
Born
Jennifer Kate Hudson

(1981-09-12) September 12, 1981
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education
Alma materLangston University
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
Years active2004–present
Partner(s)
Children1
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2006–present
Labels
Associated actsNe-Yo
Websitejenniferhudson.com

Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Following these successes, Hudson was signed to Arista Records and released her self-titled debut studio album in 2008, which was certified gold in the United States, sold over a million copies worldwide, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Her subsequent studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), saw continued commercial success with the former also being certified gold in the United States. Hudson's other acting roles include, in films; Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019), television shows; Smash (2012), Empire (2015), Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple.

Hudson was the subject of significant media attention in 2008 when her mother, brother, and nephew were killed in a shooting. She resumed public appearances the following year, with a high-profile performance at Super Bowl XLIII as well as other mainstream events.[2] Hudson has been described as a friend of former President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills during his first term in May 2009.[3] She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event.[4] In 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5] Hudson has contributed as a coach on the UK and the US version of The Voice from 2017 up to 2019, becoming the first female coach to win the former.[6]

Early life

Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois.[7][8] She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donerson[9] and Samuel Simpson[10][11] She was raised as a Baptist[12] in Englewood[13] and attended Dunbar Vocational High School, from which she graduated in 1999.[14] She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration.[15] She has also credited Mariah Carey as being one of her musical "heroes." [16] At age 7 she got her start in performing by singing with the church choir and doing community theater with the help of her late maternal grandmother, Julia.[17] She enrolled at Langston University but she left after a semester due to homesickness and unhappiness with the weather, and registered at Kennedy–King College.[18]

In January 2002, Hudson signed her first recording contract with Righteous Records, a Chicago-based independent record label.[19] She was released from her five-year contract with Righteous Records so that she could appear on American Idol in 2004.

Career

2004–05: American Idol

Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol in Atlanta. After commenting that she had been singing on Disney Cruise Lines (aboard the Disney Wonder) for the past few months as one of the Muses from Hercules, judge Randy Jackson told her, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you."[20] Hudson received the highest number of votes in the "Top 9" after her performance of Elton John's "Circle of Life" on April 6, 2004, but two weeks later, she was eliminated during the "Top 7" show after performing Barry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England." The bottom three consisting of three African-American women was the subject of controversy.[21][22] In May 2009, MTV listed Hudson as the sixth greatest contestant in American Idol history and noted her exit was the most shocking of all time.[23] In May 2010, the Los Angeles Times claimed Hudson to be the third greatest Idol contestant in the history of the show, placing behind season one winner Kelly Clarkson and season four winner Carrie Underwood respectively.[24]

Performances

2006–07: Dreamgirls and breakthrough

In one of her first appearances on a record, Hudson is featured in a duet, "The Future Ain't What It Used to Be", on Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. 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; however, this was before she was signed to a record label.[25] In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Arista Records.[26] Hudson also recorded a song she co-wrote with Bill Grainer and Earl Powell called "Stand Up", which was available for preview on her fan website. The track was produced by Chicago natives Powell and Herman Little III, who also arranged the song.[27] The power-ballad would later become available on the deluxe edition of Hudson's self-titled album as a bonus track.

In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, which also starred Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy. The role marked Hudson's debut screen performance. She won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses, including Fantasia Barrino.[28] 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".[29] Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she, "is going to raise goose bumps across the land."[30] Variety magazine 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".[31] "Love You I Do" was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song and won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

As Effie White, Hudson has garnered 29 awards from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006. She won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and also by the Screen Actors Guild. After seeing Hudson's performance in Dreamgirls, Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[32] With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African-American celebrity and the first African-American singer to grace the cover of Vogue magazine.[33] On February 11, 2007, the 60th British Academy Film Awards were held in London, but Hudson was not there to accept her BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The BAFTA Award went missing and Hudson did not receive her award until April 22, 2011, when it was presented to her on the Graham Norton Show. On February 25, 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. During her acceptance speech, Hudson said: "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.[34] Later in 2007, the mayor of her home town, Chicago, Richard M. Daley, declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day".[35][36] She was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 18, along with 115 other individuals for 2007.[37][38] Entertainment Weekly put her performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Sure, Beyoncé's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going'. When she sang 'You're gonna love me,' it wasn't just a lyric — it was a fact."[39]

2008–09: Jennifer Hudson album and films
Hudson performing in 2007

In May 2008, Hudson appeared in the feature film Sex and the City as Louise, Carrie Bradshaw's assistant. Filming finished in December 2007 and the movie was released on May 30, 2008.[40] In October 2008, Hudson made her third film appearance in The Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen, the mother figure of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning). Also starring in the film are fellow Oscar nominees Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo, as well as Alicia Keys. The film opened on October 17, 2008, and grossed over $37 million at the box office. The film won two People's Choice Awards in January 2009 in the categories, Favorite Drama Movie and Favorite Independent Movie. The film also received nine Black Reel Awards nominations including three wins. Hudson was nominated for her performance in the film, but lost to Queen Latifah. The film also received eight nominations at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards, including a nomination for Hudson for her performance. In 2009, Hudson starred as Kathy Archenault in Fragments, a film based on the novel by Roy Freirich, with Dakota Fanning and Forest Whitaker. It was released on DVD on August 4, 2009. In 2010, Hudson started filming the biopic film Winnie Mandela[41] based on the South African politician Winnie Mandela[41] starring alongside Terrence Howard and directed by Darrell J. Roodt.[42] Andre Pieterse and Roodt and Paul L. Johnson based the film's script on Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob's biography, Winnie Mandela: A Life.[43] The Creative Workers Union of South Africa have opposed this choice, stating they will push for a moratorium on the film if the casting is not reversed.[44] Winnie Mandela has threatened legal action over this film, claiming she was not "consulted" about the film.[45] Winnie Mandela was originally scheduled to be released in December 2011; the trailer was released in 2010.[42] Image Entertainment released the film on September 6, 2013.[46][47]

In January 2008, Hudson returned to the studio to record new songs for her debut studio album. Her label was reportedly unhappy with the direction they were sending Hudson musically and decided it would be best to scrap the older songs and instead focus on new ones. Hudson worked with Ryan Tedder and Timbaland on a number of songs. Her debut single, "Spotlight" was released on June 10, 2008, and became Hudson's first top 40 hit peaking at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom and Turkey. Her debut studio album, Jennifer Hudson, was released on September 30, 2008, on Arista and was written by Ne-Yo, who co-produced along with Stargate. Additional contributors on the album include Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Robin Thicke, Harvey Mason, Jr., Diane Warren, Earl Powell, and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, among others.[48] The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 217,000 copies in the US and opened to positive reviews. As of August 2009, the album has sold 739,000 copies in the US, receiving a Gold certification for surpassing sales of 500,000. She has performed the song, "All Dressed in Love" for the Sex and the City soundtrack, which was released on May 27, 2008.[49] Hudson performed the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The album's second single was to be released in October 2008, and was originally set to be "My Heart" before "If This Isn't Love" was chosen as the official second single. After three of her family members were brutally murdered, the single was rescheduled for a January 2009 release. However, in January 2009, her label decided to postpone the release of the second single once more until, choosing a February 2009 release date. After the release of "If This Isn't Love", the single eventually peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single was "Pocketbook" featuring Ludacris in April 2009, for a June 2009 release, despite speculation that the third single would be "My Heart" after it was canceled as the second single. In May 2009, "Pocketbook" was canceled as the third single due to negative reception from fans and critics alike. The third single was then rescheduled as "Giving Myself" and was released on June 2, 2009, to the US. Her debut album garnered Hudson three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Spotlight", Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I'm His Only Woman" with Fantasia Barrino, and Best R&B Album for Jennifer Hudson. She won the last of these and performed at the awards ceremony.[50]

Jennifer Hudson's first public appearance after the murder of three family members, including her mother, sings the "National Anthem" at Super Bowl XLIII

In February 2009, Hudson made her first public appearance since the murders when she sang the Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII.[51][52][53] She toured the United States with Robin Thicke in 2009.[54] In early May 2009, Hudson suffered "throat fatigue" and had to reschedule her May 16–19, 2009, tour dates.[55] She sang "Will You Be There" at the Michael Jackson memorial service in July 2009.[56] Hudson recorded "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 third season. She is featured on Ne-Yo's second album, Because of You, on the track, "Leaving Tonight". Hudson performed a Christmas special in December 2009 called Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas. During the special, she relived her childhood Christmases with musical performances filmed at her favorite locations in her native Chicago. Hudson also visited family members, friends and other childhood influences during the broadcast.[57] On January 22, 2010, Hudson appeared on the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", performing the Beatles' "Let it Be". The telecast generated $61 million in donations as of January 26, 2010.[58] Also, that year, Hudson recorded the song "One Shining Moment" for the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

2010–12: Weight Watchers and I Remember Me
Hudson at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011

In 2010, Hudson became the spokesperson for Weight Watchers.[59][60] That year, she had lost 56 pounds (25 kg) and "[did] not want to lose any more weight."[61] However, on February 10, 2011, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and revealed she had lost a total of 80 pounds.[62] Her 2012 autobiography, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, detailed her weight loss.[63][64][65]

Early in the album I Remember Me's development, Ne-Yo told E! Online that Hudson was ready to get personal on her second studio album and that he might be producing the album. He said "She's gone through a lot over the last year, so she has a lot to talk about," he continues. "She's definitely gotten stronger. The things that she's gone through and for her to still be upbeat and happy, it's amazing."[66] Hudson released her second studio album I Remember Me on March 22, 2011. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 165,000 copies in its first week of release.[67] On January 24, 2011 Hudson premiered the album's lead single "Where You At".[68] It was written by R. Kelly and produced by Harvey Mason, Jr.[69] The song went for radio adds that same week.[70] On February 3, 2011 due to radio adds the single made its debut on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 53,[71] having so far reached a peak of number 10.[72] The music video premiered on BET's 106 & Park and through Vevo in February 2011.[73][74] "No One Gonna Love You" impacted on Urban adult contemporary radio in the United States in May 2011. A remix bundle titled "No One Gonna Love You-The Remixes" was released as a digital download in the US and the UK in July 2011.[75][76][77] The song has reached number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[78] The third US single will be "I Got This".[79] The non-single track "Don't Look Down" reached number 70 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[80]

2013–2014: The JHUD Era
Hudson at the Commander in Chief's Ball at the Washington Convention Center in 2013

Hudson played a nun in the Farrelly brothers film The Three Stooges (2012).[81] The day after the death of Whitney Houston, Hudson paid tribute to her by singing Houston's "I Will Always Love You" during the 54th Grammy Awards held on February 12, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.[82] Hudson guest-starred for a multi-episode arc on the second season of Smash.[83] She sang "America the Beautiful" with the Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus at Super Bowl XLVII.[84] Hudson sang at the 85th Academy Awards in a tribute to musical films.[85] She performed "Same Love" with Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.[86]

On September 21, 2013, a new single from Hudson's forthcoming third studio album was released via her website. The 70s stylized uptempo ballad, titled "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)", features T.I. with production by Pharrell, she performed this song alongside Chaka Khan, Evelyn Champagne King, and T.I. at the 2013 Soul Train Awards.[87] In October 2013, Hudson starred in the coming of age drama The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete alongside Jordin Sparks as well as the drama/musical Black Nativity. Furthermore, she appears alongside Amy Adams in the drama Lullaby. On November 13, 2013, Hudson was awarded with the 2,512th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5]

Hudson's third studio album, JHUD, was released on September 23, 2014. Hudson described the album as more "upbeat" than her previous material. She worked with Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, RedOne, and R. Kelly among others. RedOne said about the material: "It's not dance dance, but it's soulful dance. It's very '70s kinda style".[88] Hudson stated: "What we're doing feels so right that I never want to go home (from the studio). My sister and my manager will be sleeping on the couch while we work until 4 or 5am".[89]

Hudson confirmed that a song on the album will be "It's Your World" and features R. Kelly, in an interview with Jonathan Ross on The Jonathan Ross Show. The track went on to be nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards. On June 20, she released the music video for "Walk it Out" featuring Timbaland, which is the first single off her upcoming album. Her third album, JHUD, would include "different expressions of [Hudson] as an artist, a girl, [and] a music lover".[90]

2015–2016: The Color Purple, Hairspray Live, and Sing

At the 87th Academy Awards, Hudson performed her song (originally from NBC's Smash) "I Can't Let Go" by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman as a tribute to the individuals Hollywood lost in the previous year.[91]

Later in 2015, Hudson guest-starred as Michelle White, a minor semi-recurring character in the first season of Empire. She sang three songs on the show, "Remember the Music," "Whatever Makes You Happy," and "For My God."

Hudson helped welcome Pope Francis on his first visit to the United States by singing her rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."[92]

In fall 2015, Hudson made her Broadway debut as Shug Avery in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, alongside Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks. New York Times critic Ben Brantley hailed her performance saying, "Ms. Hudson radiates a lush, supple stage presence that is echoed by her velvet voice."[93] Hudson later picked up her second career Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album (2017) for her work on The Color Purple."[94]

In June 2016, Hudson performed Prince's "Purple Rain," on the BET Awards, which she had previously sung onstage with the cast of The Color Purple,[95] the day Prince died. She wore an outfit similar to one Prince had worn, and audiences were mesmerized by her explosive performance.[96]

On June 28, 2016, Hudson signed with Epic Records. L.A. Reid and Clive Davis are joining forces for the first time since Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack 25 years ago. "Jennifer Hudson is the defining voice of this generation," said Reid. "Her award-winning presence on records, in film and on stage establishes her as one of the premiere artists to emerge in this century." Davis says: "I signed Jennifer in 2007 believing her to be the strongest candidate as the next generation's Aretha Franklin and Whitney. She has become that, as LA and I excitingly reunite to capture Jennifer at her all-time best."[97]

Meanwhile, Hudson picked up a few minor film roles, including in Spike Lee's musical Chi-Raq, and HBO's Confirmation, alongside Kerry Washington.

In December 2016, Hudson played scene-stealer Motormouth Maybelle in NBC's Hairspray Live!. Her version of the Civil Rights-themed ballad "I Know Where I've Been," blew audiences away, garnering Emmy buzz from fans and critics alike.[98] During the credit sequence, Hudson duets with costar Ariana Grande on Shaiman and Wittman's "Come So Far."

Hudson lent her voice to the younger version of the character Nana Noodleman in the Illumination Entertainment film, Sing, which was released December 21, 2016. In the film, she sang The Beatles' classic, "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight," which was the recurring musical theme of the film. On the deluxe soundtrack, Hudson sings with Tori Kelly on a duet version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."[99]

2017–present: Sandy Wexler, The Voice, Respect, Cats and new music

Hudson starred as singer Courtney Clarke alongside Adam Sandler in the Netflix film Sandy Wexler, which premiered in April 2017.[100] In early 2017, Hudson debuted in The Voice franchise as a coach on the sixth season of The Voice UK.[101] She won the season with her act Mo Adeniran and became the first female coach to win the show. On May 10, 2017, it was announced that following her success on the British version, Hudson had joined the American version of The Voice as a coach for its thirteenth season.[102]

Hudson released "Remember Me" on March 3, 2017. On December 12, 2017 she released another new song, "Burden Down". The same day, Hudson performed "Remember Me" live for the first time on the semi-final result night of The Voice. Later, a music video for the single was also released.[103]

Hudson performing at the 2018 Global Teacher Prize ceremony.

Hudson returned for her second series as a coach to The Voice UK; her second series premiered on January 6, 2018, and concluded on April 7, where Hudson's finalist Belle Voci finished third. On January 27, 2018, Clive Davis disclosed that Hudson had been handpicked by Aretha Franklin to portray her in an eventual biopic with a prospective release date in 2021.[104] The film, titled Respect, was directed by Liesl Tommy.[105][106]

Jennifer Hudson performed with the D.C. Choir at the March for Our Lives anti-gun violence rally in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2018.[107][108] Hudson returned as a coach for the fifteenth season of the American version of The Voice after taking a one-season hiatus.[109] Her final act, Kennedy Holmes, finished in fourth place overall. On September 21, 2018, the Daily Express announced that Hudson would return for The Voice UK's eighth series.[110] In September 2019, it was announced that Hudson would not return for the ninth series, citing work commitments in the United States; she was replaced by Meghan Trainor.[111] In 2018, Hudson was cast as the Cats character Grizabella in the film adaptation, which was released in 2019.[112]

In March 2020, Hudson collaborated with Bono, Will.i.am, and Yoshiki to create "#SING4LIFE", a song written and compiled remotely by the four musicians to lift spirits during the COVID-19 crisis.[113]

Personal life

Hudson began dating James Payton in 1999, when she was 18.[114] They separated in late 2007. Hudson met David Otunga, a professional wrestler in the WWE and a Harvard Law graduate,[115][116][117] and the couple became engaged in September 2008.[118] In August 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child, her son David Daniel Otunga, Jr.[119] In November 2017, Hudson and Otunga had split.[120][121]

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother Darnell Donerson and 29-year-old brother Jason were found shot to death inside the Chicago home Donerson shared with Hudson's older sister, Julia.[122] An AMBER Alert was issued for her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, when Julia reported him missing.[123][124] Three days later the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed a body found on Chicago's West Side was the nephew; an autopsy indicated he had died from "multiple gunshot wounds".[125][126][127][128] Police charged William Balfour, Julia's estranged 27-year-old husband, with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.[129] Convicted on all seven counts against him,[130] in July 2012, he was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole (to be served consecutively), followed by an additional 120 years for his other convictions.[131][132]

Hudson's family created The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims, in honor of the three victims.[133] Hudson and her sister created the Julian D. King Gift Foundation in honor of her nephew. It provides Christmas presents and school supplies to families in need in the Chicago area.[134]

As of 2011, Hudson resides in Burr Ridge, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago.[135]

Discography
Main article: Jennifer Hudson discography

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Dreamgirls Effie White
2008 Sex and the City Louise
The Secret Life of Bees Rosaleen Daise
2009 Fragments – Winged Creatures Kathy Archenault
2011 Winnie Mandela Winnie Mandela
2012 The Three Stooges Sister Rosemary
2013 The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete Gloria
Black Nativity Naima Cobbs
2014 Lullaby Nurse Carrie
2015 Chi-Raq Irene
2016 Sing Young Nana Noodleman (voice)
2017 Sandy Wexler Courtney Clarke
2018 Monster Mrs. Harmon
2019 Cats Grizabella
2021 Respect Aretha Franklin Post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2004 American Idol Contestant Season 3; 7th place
2011 The X Factor Herself UK series 8; Guest Judge (Judges Houses Assistant)
2012 Smash Veronica Moore 3 episodes
2013 Call Me Crazy: A Five Film Maggie Television film, segment: "Maggie"
2015 Empire Michelle White 3 episodes
2016 Beat Bugs Blackbird sings the eponymous song of episode 21b
Confirmation Angela Wright Television film
Inside Amy Schumer Herself Episode: "Brave"
Hairspray Live! Motormouth Maybelle Television special
2017–2019 The Voice UK Herself/Coach Seasons: 6-8
The Voice U.S. Herself/Coach Seasons: 13, 15
2017 Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Herself Series 14 Show 1 "End of the Show Show" – guest performer
2019 Live in Front of a Studio Audience Herself Episode: "Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons" – guest performer
2020 Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special Herself Performer

Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson

References
  1. "Jennifer Hudson: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  2. "J-Hud to sing Friday on Oprah's show". Access Hollywood. February 24, 2009.
  3. "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. May 27, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Toomey, Alyssa (November 13, 2013). "Jennifer Hudson Honored With Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame—Take a Look!". E! Online. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  6. "Jennifer Hudson Joins U.K. Version of 'The Voice' as Coach". Variety.com. September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  7. "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly (1276). September 13, 2013. p. 28.
  8. "Person: Jennifer Hudson: Biography". Allmovie. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  9. "Social Security Death Index". Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com. July 15, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  10. Hoekstra, Dave (December 16, 2006). "Living the dream". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  11. "Yahoo Biography". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  12. The Associated Press (February 20, 2007). "For Oscar nominee Jennifer Hudson, all roads lead back to church: 'I don't do clubs'". International Herald Tribute. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  13. "Jennifer Hudson 1981–". Biography Today. 17 (1): 50. 2007. ISSN 1058-2347.
  14. "Chicago fetes hometowner Jennifer Hudson". China Daily. March 6, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  15. World Entertainment News Network (February 7, 2008). "Dreamgirls Star Hudson Dreams Of Houston Duet". Female First. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  16. "Mariah Carey Is Here and the Coaches are Losing Their Minds - The Voice 2018 (Digital Exclusive)". YouTube.
  17. Biography Today, p. 50.
  18. Biography Today, p. 51.
  19. Colander, Pat. "TRUE CRIME: Academy-Award winner Jennifer Hudson was Cinderella, until she wasn't". Nwitimes.com. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  20. Hudson, Jennifer (2012). I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down. Penguin. ISBN 9781101565780.
  21. "'Idol' Jennifer Hudson Says She Was Robbed". MTV. April 23, 2004. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  22. Silverman, Stephen M. (November 8, 2008). "Jennifer Hudson Moves to 'Better Place'". People. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  23. May 21, 2009, The 10 Greatest 'American Idol' Contestants Of All Time: Latest champ Kris Allen didn't make our list, but you might be surprised by who did. James Montgomery, MTV.
  24. Shirley Halperin (May 31, 2010). "The ultimate 'American Idol' power ranking: 120 contestants on, Kelly Clarkson still reigns supreme". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  25. "Jennifer Hudson sings 'Over It'". YouTube. September 7, 2005. Retrieved July 9, 2006.
  26. "Jennifer Hudson signs with Clive Davis". MSNBC. November 21, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  27. "Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  28. Susan Wloszczyna (November 16, 2005). "'Idol' finalist Hudson lands lead in 'Dreamgirls' film". USA Today. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  29. Sara Vilkomerson (December 3, 2006). "Dreamgirls Wakes Up". The New York Observer. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  30. "Hudson steals 'Dreamgirls,' flirts with Oscar". Reuters. December 11, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  31. Michael Pollan (December 22, 2006). "The Best of 2006: Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You"". Culturekitchen.com. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  32. Ruben V. Nepales (January 17, 2007). "Golden Globe winners have ties, memories of RP". Global Nation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  33. WENN (February 13, 2007). "Hudson Makes History with 'Vogue' Cover". Hollywood. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  34. "'Dreamgirl' Jennifer Hudson Wins Oscar". News Max. February 26, 2007. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  35. "In brief: Chicago celebrates Jennifer Hudson Day". The Guardian. London. March 7, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  36. "City honours actress with own day". BBC News. March 7, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  37. "Film Academy Invites 115 New Members". ABC7. Associated Press. June 19, 2007. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  38. Leslie Unger (June 18, 2007). "Academy Invites 115 to Become Members". Oscars. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  39. Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84.
  40. Leslie Simmons (September 11, 2007). "Hudson moves to 'Sex and the City' movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  41. "Winnie – Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard". Myweku.com. November 18, 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  42. "Jennifer Hudson Interview on Winnie, Weight Loss, New Album, More". The Daily Beast. archive.is. February 20, 2011. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  43. Fleming, Michael (November 17, 2009). "Jennifer Hudson to star in 'Winnie'". Variety.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  44. "South African actors 'want Hudson out of Mandela film'". ABC. December 7, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  45. Berger, Sebastien (January 26, 2010). "Winnie Mandela threatens legal action over film". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  46. Josh Grossberg. "Jennifer Hudson's Winnie Mandela Trailer Hits the Web—Watch!". Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  47. "Winnie Mandela @ ComingSoon.net". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  48. Jonathan Cohen (May 19, 2008). "Debut Jennifer Hudson Album Due In September". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  49. Wilson Morales (May 7, 2008). "Sex and the City: The Movie". Black Film. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  50. John Bracchitta (January 19, 2009). "Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson to perform at Grammy Awards". Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  51. "Jennifer Hudson Wasn't Singing". inmusic.ca. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  52. "Hudson's Emotional Return". Yahoo! Music. February 1, 2009. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
  53. "Jennifer Hudson to Sing National Anthem at Super Bowl". People.com. January 14, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  54. "Hudson performs for first time since Oct slayings". Apnews.myway.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  55. "Jennifer Hudson Takes Throat Forced Break From Tour, Postpones Final Dates". Singersroom.com. May 5, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  56. Powers, Ann; Martens, Todd (July 7, 2009). "Michael Jackson memorial: Jennifer Hudson sings 'Will You Be There'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  57. Joyce Eng (October 7, 2009). "Jennifer Hudson Locks in Christmas Special". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  58. "Hope For Haiti's Total Now At $61 Million – And Counting". Multichannel News. January 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011.
  59. Michelle Tan (April 1, 2010). "Jennifer Hudson Is the New Face–and Body!–of Weight Watchers". People. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  60. "Jennifer Hudson: New face of Weight Watchers". CNN. April 1, 2010. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010.
  61. "Jennifer Hudson Instyle Confession – Size 16 to 6 and Lost 56 Pounds". National Ledger. August 4, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  62. "Jennifer Hudson's Incredible Weight Loss". Oprah.com. February 10, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  63. Swerdlick, David (December 21, 2011). "I Got This: Jennifer Hudson's Latest Book". Theroot.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  64. Arceneaux, Michael (June 7, 2011). "Jennifer Hudson Lands Book Deal". BET. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  65. I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, Jennifer Hudson. New York: Dutton (2012) ISBN 978-0525952770
  66. "Who Wants a Whitney & Jennifer Hudson Duet?". E! Online. September 18, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  67. Brian Mansfield (March 30, 2011). "Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson debut in The Billboard 200's two top spots". USA Today. Content.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  68. Review Archived March 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  69. "Snippet". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  70. "Top Hip-Hop and R&B Songs & Singles Charts". Billboard.com (in French). Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  71. "Top Hip-Hop and R&B Songs & Singles Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  72. Hudson's chart history at Billboard.com
  73. "FIRST LOOK: Jennifer Hudson's "Where You At" Video + "Ellen"". Rodonline.typepad.com. February 18, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  74. "First Look at Jennifer Hudson's "Where You At" Video". Rap-Up.com. February 17, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  75. "iTunes – Music – No One Gonna Love You (Remixes) by Jennifer Hudson". Itunes.apple.com. July 13, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  76. "No One Gonna Love You (Jason Nevins Extended Remix): Jennifer Hudson: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  77. "Jennifer Hudson confirms new single 'No One Gonna Love You' – Music News". Digital Spy. June 23, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  78. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Week of June 16, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  79. "Jennifer Hudson's Next Single Will Be... - ..::That Grape Juice // ThatGrapeJuice.net::.. -- Thirsty?". Thatgrapejuice.net. September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  80. "Jennifer Hudson Music News & Info". Billboard. July 5, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  81. McClintock, Pamela (June 1, 2011). "Jennifer Hudson Cast as a Nun in 'Three Stooges'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  82. Kia Makarechi (February 14, 2012). "Jennifer Hudson's Whitney Houston Grammy Tribute, "I Will Always Love You"". HuffPost. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  83. "Jennifer Hudson joins NBC's 'Smash'". Entertainment Weekly. June 22, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  84. "Update: Jennifer Hudson to sing with Sandy Hook chorus". Entertainment Weekly. Associated Press. January 31, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  85. Samantha Highfill (February 20, 2013). "Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and 'Les Mis' cast to sing at Oscars". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  86. "Macklemore VMA Performance: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Play 'Same Love' At Barclays". HuffPost. August 25, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  87. "Jennifer Hudson's 'I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)'". HuffPost. September 22, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  88. "Rap-Up TV: RedOne Talks Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Jennifer Hudson". Rap-Up.com. May 27, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  89. "Jennifer Hudson Stuns In 'Angeleno' / Dishes On New Album - ..::That Grape Juice // ThatGrapeJuice.net::.. -- Thirsty?". Thatgrapejuice.net. August 28, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  90. Lopez, Korina (July 3, 2014). "Ready for the title of Jennifer Hudson's album? 'JHUD'". USA Today. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  91. "Oscars 2015: Jennifer Hudson Performs 'I Can't Let Go' for In Memoriam". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  92. "Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, Harry Connick Jr. & More Welcome Pope in NYC: Watch". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  93. "Review: 'The Color Purple' on Broadway, Stripped to Its Essence". Nytimes.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  94. "The Color Purple Cast Album Wins the Grammy - Playbill". Playbill.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  95. The Color Purple (April 21, 2016). "A Tribute to Prince from the cast of The Color Purple - THE COLOR PURPLE on Broadway". YouTube. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  96. "Jennifer Hudson, Sheila E., Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monée and More Honor Prince with Stunning BET Awards Tributes". People.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  97. "Jennifer Hudson Signs With Epic Records". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  98. "Watch: Jennifer Hudson dominates 'Hairspray Live!' with one powerful number". Usatoday.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  99. "Amazon.com: Sing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack / Deluxe): Various artists: MP3 Downloads". December 22, 2016. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  100. Debruge, Peter (April 15, 2017). "Film Review: Adam Sandler's 'Sandy Wexler'". Variety.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  101. Darvill, Josh (December 29, 2016). "The Voice UK 2017 coaches CONFIRMED! Sir Tom Jones is back and Jennifer Hudson joins". TellyMix. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  102. Evans, Greg (May 10, 2017). "Jennifer Hudson Boards NBC's 'The Voice' As Season 13 Coach". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  103. "Burden Down - Single by Jennifer Hudson". Itunes.apple.com. December 12, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  104. Kreps, Daniel (January 28, 2018). "Jennifer Hudson to Portray Aretha Franklin in Biopic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  105. McNary, Dave (January 10, 2019). "Liesl Tommy to Direct Aretha Franklin Biopic 'Respect'". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  106. McCollum, Brian. "Get a first look at never-before-seen photos of Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in 'Respect' biopic". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  107. CBS Miami. "Jennifer Hudson, D.C. Choir Perform At March For Our Lives". (March 24, 2018).
  108. CSPAN. "March for Our Lives Rally". (March 24, 2018).
  109. Pedersen, Erik (May 11, 2018). "'The Voice': Kelly Clarkson & Jennifer Hudson Returning As Coaches For Season 15". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  110. "Jennifer Hudson, will.i.am, Olly Murs, and Sir Tom Jones return as coaches on The Voice UK". Channel24. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  111. White, Peter (September 27, 2019). "'The Four's Meghan Trainor To Replace Jennifer Hudson As Coach On 'The Voice UK'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  112. "Jennifer Hudson Joins CATS Film Adaptation as Grizabella; Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and James Corden In Talks". Broadway World. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  113. "Bono, Will.I.Am, Jennifer Hudson & Yoshiki Collab on "Sing For Life"". Billboard. March 24, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  114. Barbara Walters' Oscar Special, 2007
  115. "David Otunga". WWE.com. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  116. "Harvard Law Grad". Abovethelaw.com. October 12, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  117. "Jennifer Hudson's new reality: She's engaged to David Otunga". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  118. "Jennifer Hudson Engaged to Boyfriend Gary Otunga". People. September 14, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  119. Ritti, Missy (August 11, 2009). "Jennifer Hudson Welcomes a Son". Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  120. Mizoguchi, Karen (November 17, 2017). "Jennifer Hudson and Fiance David Otunga Split". People.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  121. Swartz, Tracy. "Jennifer Hudson, ex appear in court in Chicago as custody battle continues". Chicagotribune.com. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  122. "Jennifer Hudson's Mom, Brother Shot to Death". KLTA News. October 24, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  123. "Mother, brother of Jennifer Hudson killed". ABC Local. October 24, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  124. Gorner, Jeremy; Heinzmann, David; Janega, James; Rozas, Angela (October 24, 2008). "Sources: Jennifer Hudson relative slain; child missing". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  125. "Body found in SUV linked to Hudson shootings". CNN. October 27, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  126. Shenoy, Rupa (October 27, 2008). "Body found in SUV, unknown if it's Hudson's nephew". Archived from the original on October 31, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2008.
  127. Tareen, Sophia (October 27, 2008). "FBI says body found is that of Hudson's nephew, 7". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2008.
  128. "Autopsy: Hudson nephew shot multiple times". CNN. October 28, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  129. Vineyard, Jennifer (December 3, 2008). "William Balfour, Suspect in Hudson Family Killings, Denied Bail". MTV. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
  130. Hussain, Rummana; Fitzpatrick, Lauren (May 11, 2012). "Jennifer Hudson 'emotional but relieved' with guilty verdicts". Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com). Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  131. CNN Staff (July 24, 2012). "Killer of Jennifer Hudson relatives gets three life sentences without parole". CNN. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  132. "Balfour Sentenced To Life In Prison In Hudson Family Slayings". NBC News. July 24, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  133. Perry, Beth (October 30, 2008). "Jennifer Hudson Announces Foundation for Murder Victim Families". People. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  134. Bried, Erin. "4th Annual Self women Doing Good Awards". Self (September 2011). Conde Nast.
  135. "Jennifer Hudson's New House: Chicago Native Buys Mansion In Burr Ridge (PHOTOS)". Huffington Post. December 1, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.