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Biography
Chicago native Jennifer Hudson first came to the attention of the world as a talented, sassy finalist in the third season of American Idol. Her big voice and excellent phrasing won for her a sizeable audience among the Idol faithful, while her bit of attitude toward the often irrelevant criticism by judge Simon Cowell provided entertaining drama to the show. She was eliminated midway through the season, but clearly had the talent to go further.
Hudson's post-Idol career was quiet for a couple years until she was surprisingly cast in the role of Effie in the movie version of Dreamgirls, co-starring with such heavyweights as Beyonce, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy. The bigger surprise was her knockout performance, both as a singer and as an actress. While Murphy's nuanced performance was superb, it was Hudson who stole the show, winning a Supporting Actress Oscar in the process.
Hudson began working on her debut album, but first appeared in and sang the lead song from the movie version of Sex and the City.
Hudson's self titled debut is slated for a late September 2008 release. The first single, "Spotlight," written by Ne-Yo, hit radio in June of 2008 and became a modest hit.
By Chris Rizik
