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Contemporary R&B singer and actress Jennifer Hudson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 12, 1981, and made her name on the 2004 TV talent show American Idol. In 2005, she starred as Effie White in the film Dreamgirls, winning numerous awards for her performance. In 2008, she released the album Jennifer Hudson, produced by Ne-Yo and featuring contributions from Timbaland, Robin Thicke and Missy Elliott. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, while the track "Spotlight " reached No. 24. The same year, she plays a minor role in the film Sex & the City, based on the popular TV series. In October 2008, Jennifer Hudson suffered a personal tragedy when her mother, brother and nephew were murdered in Chicago. She returned to music in March 2011 with the album I Remember Me, again produced by Ne-Yo, which also reached number two on the US sales chart. A new album, JHud (No. 10), was released in 2014, with contributions from R. Kelly, Iggy Azalea and Timbaland, but Jennifer Hudson's career shifted more towards acting in the following years. In 2021, she played soul singer Aretha Franklin in the film Respect, performing Franklin classics on the soundtrack, as well as a previously unreleased song, "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)". After winning a Tony Award for the musical A Strange Loop in 2022, in between several screen appearances, she returns to the studio to record the Christmas album The Gift of Love (2024), featuring contributions from Common and South African choir The Joy.
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