Why Singer Jennifer Hudson Should Celebrate
Oscar and Grammy Award Winning Performer Takes on Her Greatest Role
Aug 12, 2009
Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson first appeared on the national stage when she competed on the third season of “American Idol.” The year was 2004. Jennifer didn’t win the grand prize. In fact, she placed seventh in the competition, but for the talented vocalist “American Idol” was only the beginning.
Three days ago Jennifer Hudson celebrated another beginning. It was her biggest life first; she became a mother.
Her journey has been some ride.
Early Life for Singer Jennifer Hudson
On September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois, Samuel Simpson and Darnell Hudson gave birth to third their and youngest child, Jennifer Kate Hudson. A natural extrovert with an inviting personality, like many soul singers, Jennifer’s early public singing debut took place in church. She wasn’t even in the third grade when she became aware of the influence her powerful God-given voice had on listeners.
In early 2002 the Oscar Award winner signed on to work with Disney Cruises. The experience was mixed, leaving room for Jennifer to continue to aim high. Until the next job came along, Jennifer spent her time drawing, writing and honing her craft.
Her attitude around the “American Idol” loss was revealing. As reported on AskMen, Jennifer made it clear that being voted off the popular television show was not a kiss of death. Instead, she saw her appearance as an opportunity to introduce herself to the world. She stated, “I had just sort of settled in to the pressure, and was feeling confident, when I got the wind knocked out of me. I knew, though, that my career would just be beginning at that point -- I had been seen.”
Dreamlike Successes for Jennifer Hudson
Just a year later Jennifer Hudson was starring in the movie version of the hit stage play Dreamgirls. She brought Effie White, a conflicted singer in a popular all-female group, to life. Because of Effie’s inner struggles, the role called for acting depth. Inexperience and lack of prior professional training did not hinder Hudson.
She stepped into the role and portrayed Effie’s brassiness and insecurity convincingly. The role placed her alongside actors and actresses like Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine and Anika Nona Rose. Jennifer’s performance earned her an Oscar Award.
Jennifer Hudson was on a roll. The public adored her. She was a risk taker who didn’t talk herself out of having what she wanted. In September 2007 she signed on to act in the movie adaptation to the hit television series “Sex and the City” alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon.
As if she had been born to perform, less than six months later, Jennifer was filming for The Secret Life of Bees. Based on the bestselling book authored by Sue Monk Kidd, the movie placed Hudson alongside another cast of accomplished entertainers including Alicia Keyes, Queen Latifah, Sophie, Okonedo, Nate Parker, Shannon Morris, Nicky Buggs, Paul Bettany and Dakota Fleming who played the role of the movie’s main character, Lily Owens.
The Call for Deep Inner Strength and New Beginnings
Jennifer Hudson’s inner strength and confidence had helped her to push through many doors. In the approaching months she would need to call upon her inner resolve like never before.
October 24, 2008 unfolded with tragedy for the Hudson family. By late afternoon, Jennifer’s mother and brother had been shot and killed, and her sister’s son was missing. Three days later the body of the seven year old boy named Julian King was found in a parked vehicle. William Balfour, Jennifer Hudson’s sister’s estranged husband, was arrested but not charged with the crimes.
From some place deep within, Jennifer Hudson found the strength to move forward. Undoubtedly her faith in God and the fact that she and her sister were experiencing the same tragedy together was a source of strength. She was not walking this path alone. She also had more goodness coming into her life.
At 27 years old, Jennifer Hudson took on her greatest role and became a mother. She and her fiancé, David Otunga, were blessed with a baby boy named David Daniel Otunga, Jr. on August 10, 2009. It was a special occasion that put Jennifer in the perfect place to experience some of life’s greatest challenges, lessons and rewards, all the excitement that comes with being “Mom”.
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