She has also credited Mariah Carey as being one of her musical "heroes." 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. She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration. She was raised as a Baptist in Englewood and attended Dunbar Vocational High School, from which she graduated in 1999. She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donerson and Samuel Simpson. Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. 2.7 2017–present: Sandy Wexler, The Voice, Cats, Respect and new music.2.6 2015–2016: The Color Purple, Hairspray Live, and Sing.2.4 2010–12: Weight Watchers and I Remember Me.2.3 2008–09: Jennifer Hudson album and films.2.2 2006–07: Dreamgirls and breakthrough.
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. In 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event. 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. She resumed public appearances the following year with a high-profile performance at Super Bowl XLIII as well as other mainstream events. Hudson was the subject of significant media attention in 2008 when her mother, brother, and nephew were killed in a shooting. Hudson's other acting roles include the films Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019) and Respect (2021), the television shows Smash (2012), Empire (2015) and Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple. 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. 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. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest African-American to win in a competitive acting category. Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Throughout her career, Hudson has received various accolades for both her music and acting, including an Academy Award, two Grammy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Please refrain from reporting false rumors or speculation so that the family can mourn in peace.Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer and actress. “The bereaved are deep in their sorrow at the sudden sadness. “Kim suddenly left us on January 5,” the late performer’s agency, Landscape Entertainment, said in a statement translated by the publication Korea JoongAng Daily. On January 5, the Korean film world mourned the death of a young star in Kim Mi-soo, who passed away at age 29. My heart’s broke for my family, but we all just really wanted to thank you for walking with us through so much for so long.” He continued: “The Lord used in such a might way out on the road for so many years … I believe even though COVID may have taken his last breath, Jesus was right there to catch him. My brother Jay went to be with Jesus just a couple hours ago due to complications due to COVID-19 on top of everything else that he already had going on.” “You have walked with him through a huge fight, and I’m so sorry to bring this news but I’m also excited to celebrate where he is right now.
“Thank you so much for all your prayers for my brother,” Mike said in a statement on January 2, after Jay was hospitalized with the virus a few days prior.