KOKOnista Of The Day: Jennifer Hudson Is The Vocalist Powerhouse Teaching Everyone The Act Of Forgiveness

Jennifer Kate Hudson, also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and philanthropist is the epitome of forgiveness. 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.

Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois. She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donerson and Samuel Simpson. She was raised as a Baptist in Englewood and attended Dunbar Vocational High School, from which she graduated in 1999. She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration. 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 theatre with the help of her late maternal grandmother, Julia. 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.

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