Look up Hudson in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Hudson may refer to:

Persons named Hudson[link]

• Hudson (surname)

Place names[link]

Argentina[link]

• Hudson, Buenos Aires Province, a town in Berazategui Partido

Canada[link]

• Hudson's Hope, British Columbia
• Hudson, Quebec

United States[link]

Communities[link]

• Hudson, Colorado, town in Weld County
• Hudson, Florida, census-designated place in Pasco County
• Hudson, Illinois, town in McLean County
• Hudson, Indiana, town in Steuben County
• Hudson, Iowa, town in Black Hawk County
• Hudson, Kansas, town in Stafford County
• Hudson, Maine, town in Penobscot County
• Hudson, Massachusetts, town in Middlesex County
• Hudson, Michigan, town in Lenawee County
• Hudson, New Hampshire, town in Hillsborough County
• Hudson, Manhattan, a neighborhood in New York City, in the borough of Manhattan
• Hudson, New York, city in Columbia County
• Hudson, North Carolina, town in Caldwell County
• Hudson, Ohio, city in Summit County
• Hudson, Pennsylvania, part of Plains Township
• Hudson, South Dakota, a town in Lincoln County
• Hudson, Texas, town in Angelina County
• Hudson, Wisconsin, town in St. Croix County
• Hudson, Wyoming, town in Fremont County

County[link]

• Hudson County, New Jersey

Townships[link]

• Hudson Township, Newton County, Arkansas
• Hudson Township, McLean County, Illinois
• Hudson Township, LaPorte County, Indiana
• Hudson Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan
• Hudson Township, Lenawee County, Michigan
• Hudson Township, Mackinac County, Michigan
• Hudson Township, Douglas County, Minnesota
• Hudson Township, Bates County, Missouri
• Hudson Township, Macon County, Missouri
• Hudson Township, Caldwell County, North Carolina
• Hudson Township, Dickey County, North Dakota
• Hudson Township, Summit County, Ohio (defunct)
• Hudson Township, Edmunds County, South Dakota

Places with similar names[link]

• Hudson Falls, New York, town in Washington County
• Hudsonville, Michigan, town in Ottawa County
• New Hudson, New York, town in Allegany County
• North Hudson, New Jersey
• North Hudson, New York, town in Essex County
• North Hudson, Wisconsin, town in St. Croix County
• Port Hudson, Louisiana

Geographical features[link]

• Hudson Bay, large saltwater body of water in northeastern Canada
• Hudson Gardens, botanical garden in Littleton, Colorado, USA
• Hudson River, river mainly in New York state, USA
  • Hudson Valley, river valley formed by the Hudson River
  • Mid-Hudson Region, collective name of towns within Hudson Valley
• Hudson Strait, strait connecting Hudson Bay to the Atlantic Ocean in Canada
• Mount Hudson, volcano in Chile
• Hudson Island, Tuvalu (Nanumanga) in the Pacific Ocean

Transport[link]

• CCGS Hudson, an offshore oceanographic and hydrographic survey vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard
• Henry Hudson Bridge, a steel arch toll bridge in New York City, USA
• Hudson Boatworks, a racing shell manufacturer in London, Ontario (1981 to present)
• Hudson Motor Car Company, an automobile manufacturer in the USA (1909–1957)
• Hudson (steam automobile), a defunct pioneer steam automobile manufacturer in the USA (1901-2)
• Lockheed Hudson, light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft in service during World War II with the RAF and US military
• NYC Hudson, a class of locomotives used by New York Central in the 1930s
• Robert Hudson Ltd, defunct British manufacturer of steam locomotives
• Royal Hudson, a type of locomotive used by Canadian Pacific Railway 1937–1960
• USRC Hudson (1893), a U.S. Revenue Service Cutter from the Battle of Cárdenas
• USS Hudson (DD-475), Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy (1943–1946)

Arts and entertainment[link]

• Hudson Brothers, American music group in the 1970s
• Hudson Hawk, 1991 film starring Bruce Willis
• Hudson River School, 19th-century American artistic genre
• Hudson Soft, a former Japanese video game publisher and developer
• Doc Hudson, a fictional character and one of the main cast of the animated Disney/Pixar film Cars
• Hudson Mohawke, an electronic music producer from Scotland
• Angus Hudson, the butler in the 70s British period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, played by Gordon Jackson

Companies[link]

• Hudson Foods Company of Rogers, Arkansas
• Hudson Group, retail company operating newspaper stands in many U.S. airports and rail stations
• Hudson Global, Inc., a global recruiting firm
• Hudson's, defunct Detroit-based department store chain
• Hudson's Bay Company, English, later Canadian, fur trading and retail company, founded 1670
• Hudson Technologies, a US manufacturer

Other[link]

• Hudson Institute, American neoconservative think tank
• Hudson Project, a powerline under construction for the power supply of New York City
• Hudson v. McMillian (503 U.S. 1) (1992), United States Supreme Court decision concerning treatment of prisoners
• Hudson (software) is the name of a continuous integration tool written in Java
• Hudson Valley (magazine), magazine covering the Hudson Valley region
• Hudson Valley Renegades, American minor league baseball team

See also[link]

• Hudson Township (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Jennifer Hudson
Hudson at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Jennifer Kate Hudson
Born	(1981-09-12) September 12, 1981 (age 30) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	R&B, soul
Occupations	Singer, actress, spokesperson
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2004–present
Labels	RCA Records (2011–present)[1] Arista
Associated acts	Ne-Yo
Website	www.jenniferhudson.com

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson.^[2] She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol, coming in seventh place. She made her film debut in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

She won a Grammy Award for her eponymous debut album, Jennifer Hudson, which was released in 2008 on Arista Records and was certified gold by the RIAA for selling over 800,000 copies in the US; sales exceeded 1 million copies worldwide. Additionally, it spawned the hit single Spotlight. Her second album, I Remember Me, was released in March 2011, and reached number two on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in its first week of release.^[3] The album was certified gold by the RIAA, for shipping over 500,000 copies in the US.^[4]

In late 2008, after Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were killed in a shooting, Hudson stepped out of the limelight for three months. Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009, and has since performed at the Super Bowl XLIII, the Grammy Awards, American Idol, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[5] Hudson has been described as a friend of President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009.^[6] She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event.^[7] Her vocal range is mezzo-soprano.^[8] Hudson has sold 1,280,000 albums and 2,237,000 tracks in the United States as of February 2012.^[9]

Early life and career[link]

Jennifer Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois.^[10] She is the third and youngest child of Darnell Donnerson (November 7, 1950 – October 24, 2008)^[11] and Samuel Simpson^[12] (died 1999).^[13] She was raised as a Baptist^[14] in Englewood^[15] and attended Dunbar Vocational High School, from which she graduated in 1999.^[16] She cites Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle as her overall biggest influences and inspiration.^[17] At the age of 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.^[18] She enrolled at Langston University but she left after a semester due to homesickness and unhappiness with the weather, and signed up at Kennedy–King College.^[19]

In January 2002, Hudson signed her first recording contract with Righteous Records, a Chicago-based independent record label. The company's president, David Johnson, and his staff put Jennifer through a full year of artist development, working five days a week on live performance, stage presence, songwriting, on-camera interviewing, charm school etiquette and physical fitness. She was released from her five-year contract with Righteous Records so that she could appear on American Idol in 2004, but Jennifer credits David Johnson with teaching her "so much" and preparing her for the successful career she is enjoying today.

[edit] American Idol (2004)

Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol, in Atlanta, commenting that she had been singing on Disney Cruise Lines (aboard the Disney Wonder) for the past few months (as one of the Muses from Hercules); and contestant judge Randy Jackson said, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you."^{[citation needed]} Hudson received the highest number of votes in the "Top 9" after her performance of Elton John's "Circle of Life" on April 6, 2004, but two weeks later was eliminated during the "Top 7" show after performing Barry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England." The bottom three consisting of three African-American females led to controversy.^[20][21] In May 2009, MTV listed Hudson as the sixth greatest American Idol and noted her exit was the most shocking of all time.^[22] In May 2010, the Los Angeles Times claimed Hudson to be the third greatest Idol contestant in the history of the show, placing behind season one winner Kelly Clarkson and season four winner Carrie Underwood.^[23]

Performances

[edit] Dreamgirls (2006-2007)

In September 2006, Hudson performed the song, "Over It," live on Fox Chicago Morning News. In the interview she stated the song would be included on her debut album, to be released in early 2007, however this was before she was signed to a record label.^[24] In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Arista Records.^[25] On The Oprah Winfrey Show, Hudson announced plans to enter the studio in March 2007.^{[citation needed]} Hudson said on The Tyra Banks Show, on February 23, 2007, that she just finished the first song for the album.^{[citation needed]} Hudson also recorded a song called, "Stand Up", which was available for preview on her fan website which was produced by Chicago natives Earl Powell and Herman Little III, who arranged the song.^{[citation needed]} The power-ballad would later become available on the deluxe edition of Hudson's self-titled album as a bonus track.

In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls, which also starred Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy. The role, originally created in a Broadway performance by Jennifer Holliday,^{[citation needed]} marked Hudson's debut screen performance. She won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses, including Raven-Symoné and Fantasia Barrino.^[26] Filming of Dreamgirls began on January 9, 2006, and the film went into limited release on December 25, 2006, and national release on January 12, 2007. Hudson has won particular praise for her show-stopping onscreen rendition of the hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the signature song of the role, which had earlier been recorded, and had already reached the status of musical standard, because of the definitive performance of Jennifer Holliday. The New York Observer described Hudson's performance of the song as "five mellifluous, molto vibrato minutes that have suddenly catapulted Ms. Hudson... into the position of front-runner for the best supporting actress Oscar".^[27] Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she, "is going to raise goose bumps across the land."^[28] Variety magazine wrote that Hudson's performance "calls to mind debuts like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Bette Midler in The Rose, with a voice like the young Aretha".^[29] Hudson's version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" debuted at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the January 13, 2007, issue.^{[citation needed]} The Dreamgirls track became Hudson's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart on February 24, 2007.^{[citation needed]} "Love You I Do" was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song and won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Hudson performing in 2007

As Effie White, Hudson has garnered 29 awards from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006. She won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and also by the Screen Actors Guild. After seeing Hudson's performance in Dreamgirls, Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired on The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[30] With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African-American celebrity, and the first African-American singer, to grace the cover of Vogue magazine.^[31] On 11 February 2007 the 60th British Academy Film Awards were held in London, but Hudson was not there to accept her award for BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. The BAFTA Award went missing and Hudson did not receive her award until April 22, 2011, when it was presented to on the Graham Norton Show. On February 25, 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. During her acceptance speech, Hudson said: "Oh, my God, I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do. I didn't think I was going to win. [...] If my grandmother was here to see me now. She was my biggest inspiration." She also concluded her speech by thanking Jennifer Holliday.^[32] Later in 2007, the Mayor of her home town Chicago, Richard M. Daley, declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day".^[33][34] She was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 18, along with 115 other individuals for 2007.^[35][36] Entertainment Weekly put her performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Sure, Beyoncé's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going'. When she sang 'You're gonna love me,' it wasn't just a lyric — it was a fact."^[37]

[edit] Winnie (2008)

In May 2008, Hudson appeared in the feature film Sex and the City as Louise, Carrie Bradshaw's assistant. Filming finished in December 2007 and the movie was released on May 30, 2008.^[38] In October 2008, Hudson had her third film appearance in The Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen, the mother figure of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning). Also starring in the film are fellow Oscar nominees Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo, as well as Alicia Keys. The film opened on October 17, 2008, and grossed over $37 million at the box office. The film won two People's Choice Awards in January 2009 in the categories, Favorite Drama Movie and Favorite Independent Movie.^{[citation needed]} The film also received nine Black Reel Awards nominations including three wins.^{[citation needed]} Hudson was nominated for her performance in the film, but lost to Queen Latifah.^{[citation needed]} The film also received eight nominations at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards, including a nomination for Hudson for her performance.^{[citation needed]} In 2009, Hudson starred as Kathy Archenault in Fragments, a film based on the novel by Roy Freirich, with Dakota Fanning and Forest Whitaker. The name of the film was changed from "Winged Creatures" to "Fragments".^{[citation needed]} It was released on DVD on August 4, 2009. In 2010, Hudson started filming an upcoming biopic film Winnie^[39] based on the South African politician Winnie Mandela^[39] starring alongside Terrence Howard and directed by Darrell J. Roodt.^[40] Andre Pieterse and Roodt and Paul L. Johnson based the film's script on Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob's biography, Winnie Mandela: A Life.^[41] The Creative Workers Union of South Africa have opposed this choice, stating they will push for a moratorium on the film if the casting is not reversed.^[42] Winnie Mandela has threatened legal action over this film, claiming she was not "consulted" about the film.^[43] Winnie was scheduled to be released in December 2011; the trailer was released in 2010.^[40]

In January 2008 Hudson returned to the studio to record new material for her debut album.^{[citation needed]} Her label was reportedly unhappy with the direction they were sending Hudson musically and decided it would be best to scrap the older songs and instead focus on new ones.^{[citation needed]} Hudson worked with Ryan Tedder and Timbaland on a number of songs. Her debut single, "Spotlight" was released on June 10, 2008 and became Hudson's first top 40 hit peaking at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom and Turkey. Her debut album, Jennifer Hudson was released on September 30, 2008 on Arista and was written by Ne-Yo, who co-produced along with Stargate. Additional contributors on the album include Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Robin Thicke, Harvey Mason, Jr., Diane Warren, Earl Powell, and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, among others.^[44] The album debuted at number two on the Billboard' 200 with 217,000 copies in the US and opened to positive reviews. As of August 2009, the album has sold 739,000 copies in the US, receiving a Gold certification for surpassing sales of 500,000. She has performed the song, "All Dressed in Love" for the Sex and the City soundtrack, which was released on May 27, 2008.^[45] Hudson performed the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The album's second single was to be released in October 2008, and was originally set to be "My Heart" before "If This Isn't Love" was chosen as the official second single.^{[citation needed]} After three of her family members were brutally murdered, the single was rescheduled for a January 2009 release.^{[citation needed]} However, in January 2009, her label decided to postpone the release of the second single once more until, choosing a February 2009 release date.^{[citation needed]} After the release of "If This Isn't Love", the single eventually peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single was announced as "Pocketbook" featuring Ludacris in April 2009, for a June 2009 release, despite speculation that the third single would be "My Heart" after it was canceled as the second single.^{[citation needed]} In May 2009, "Pocketbook" was canceled as the third single due to negative reception from fans and critics alike.^{[citation needed]} The third single was then rescheduled as "Giving Myself" and was released on June 2, 2009 to the US. Her debut album garnered Hudson three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Spotlight", Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I'm His Only Woman" with Fantasia Barrino, and Best R&B Album for Jennifer Hudson. She won the last of these and performed at the awards ceremony.^[46]

Family murders[link]

Wikinews has related news: Mother, brother of singer Jennifer Hudson found murdered, others reported missing FBI asked to assist in murder, kidnap investigation of Jennifer Hudson's relatives FBI says Jennifer Hudson's nephew found dead Arrest made in Jennifer Hudson family killings

In October 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and 29-year-old brother, Jason, were found shot to death inside the Chicago home Donnerson shared with Hudson's elder sister, Julia.^[47] An AMBER Alert was issued for 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, when Julia reported him missing.^[48][49] Chicago police arrested William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia the same day, but he was not charged with a crime.^[50] Balfour was on parole after spending nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Illinois Department of Corrections' records revealed one of Balfour's addresses to be the home where Donnerson and Jason were murdered.^[51]

Three days later the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the body found in Chicago's West Side area in a vehicle that matched the license plate and the vehicle's description given in the AMBER Alert was Julian King.^[52][53][54] Autopsy reports indicated that the death was due to "multiple gunshot wounds".^[55] A gun, belonging to Jason and missing for several months, was found in a West Side vacant lot and confirmed to be the murder weapon by Chicago police Superintendent Jody Weis on October 31, 2008. Funeral services for the three victims were held on November 3, followed by a private service at Chicago's South Side Apostolic Church of God on November 10. Hudson's family announced creation of The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims, in honor of the three victims.^[56]

Because he had not yet been officially charged with the murders, Balfour appeared without an attorney at a parole violation hearing November 10 where it was decided he violated parole and should be held in custody until a December 3 hearing before the full Illinois Prisoner Review Board.^{[57][58][59][60][61][62]} Balfour became the prime suspect on December 1 and was transferred to police custody. Balfour was officially charged with three counts of first degree murder, one count of home invasion and was denied bail.^[63] He was indicted for the murders on December 30, 2008, and pleaded not guilty in January 2009.^[64][65] In May the jury began deliberations and the judge sequestered the jury after five hours.^[66] On May 11, 2012, Balfour was convicted on all seven counts against him, which include three counts of first-degree murder, one count of home invasion, one count aggravated kidnapping, one count residential burglary, and one count possession of a stolen motor vehicle.^[67]

[edit] Jennifer Hudson (2009)

Jennifer Hudson's first public appearance after the murder of three family members, including her mother, sings "National Anthem" at Super Bowl XLIII

In February 2009, Hudson made her first public appearance since the murders when she sang the Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII.^[68][69][70] She toured the United States with Robin Thicke in 2009.^[71] In early May 2009, Hudson suffered "throat fatigue" and had to reschedule her May 16–19, 2009, tour dates.^[72] She sang "Will You Be There" at the Michael Jackson memorial service in July 2009.^[73] Hudson recorded "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)," originally by Gladys Knight & the Pips, for American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics — the official American Idol album for the third season. She is featured in a duet, "The Future Ain't What It Used to Be," on Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. She also performed the song "Easy to be Hard" on the Actors' Fund benefit recording of the musical Hair;^{[citation needed]} and she is featured on Ne-Yo's second album, Because of You, on the track, "Leaving Tonight". Hudson sang "Dancing a Catchy Rhythm" with Brooke White.^{[citation needed]} Hudson performed a Christmas special on ABC in December 2009 called Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas. During the special, she relived her childhood Christmases with musical performances filmed at her favorite locations in her native Chicago. Hudson also visited family members, friends and other childhood influences during the broadcast.^[74] On January 22, 2010, Hudson appeared on the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", performing the Beatles' "Let it Be". The telecast generated $61 million in donations as of January 26, 2010.^[75] Also, that year, Hudson recorded the song "One Shining Moment" for the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

In 2010 Hudson became the spokesperson for Weight Watchers.^[2][76] She has lost 56 pounds (25 kg) in the last year and "does not want to lose any more weight."^[77] However, on February 10, 2011, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and revealed she has now lost a total of 80 pounds.^[78] Her 2012 autobiography, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, detailed her weight loss.^[79][80][81]

[edit] I Remember Me (2011-present)

Early in the album I Remember Me's development, Ne-Yo told E! Online that Hudson was ready to get personal on her second studio album and that he might be producing the album. He said "She's gone through a lot over the last year, so she has a lot to talk about," he continues. "She's definitely gotten stronger. The things that she's gone through and for her to still be upbeat and happy, it's amazing."^[82] Hudson released her second studio album I Remember Me on March 22, 2011. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 165,000 copies in its first week of release.^[83] On January 24, 2011 Hudson premiered the album's lead single "Where You At".^[84] It was written by R.Kelly and produced by Harvey Mason, Jr.^[85] The song went for radio adds that same week.^[86] On February 3, 2011 due to radio adds the single made its debut on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 53,^{[87][clarification needed]} having so far reached a peak of number 10.^[88] The music video premiered on BET's 106 & Park and through Vevo in February 2011.^[89][90] "No One Gonna Love You" impacted on Urban adult contemporary radio in the United States in May 2011. A remix bundle titled "No One Gonna Love You-The Remixes" was released as a digital download in the US and the UK in July 2011.^[91][92][93] The song has reached number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[94] The third U.S. single will be "I Got This".^[95] The non-single track "Don't Look Down" reached number 70 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[96]

Hudson played a nun in the Farrelly brothers 2012 film The Three Stooges.^[97]

The day after the death of Whitney Houston, Hudson paid tribute to her by singing Houston's iconic "I Will Always Love You" during the 54th Grammy Awards held February 12, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.^[98]

Personal life[link]

Hudson began dating James Payton in 1999, when she was 18.^[99] They separated in late 2007. Hudson met David Otunga, a professional wrestler in the WWE and a Harvard Law graduate,^{[100][101][102]} and the couple became engaged in September 2008.^[103] In August 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child, a boy named David Daniel Otunga Jr.^[104]

Discography[link]

• Jennifer Hudson (2008)
• I Remember Me (2011)

Filmography[link]

Hudson has appeared in the following film releases:^[105]

Awards and nominations[link]

See also[link]

Wikipedia books: Jennifer Hudson

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jennifer Hudson

• Official website
• Jennifer Hudson at Allmusic
• Jennifer Hudson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jennifer Hudson at the Internet Movie Database

Bill Murray
Murray at the premiere of Get Low at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	William James Murray (1950-09-21) September 21, 1950 (age 61) Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian, writer, golfer
Years active	1973–present
Spouse	Margaret Kelly (1981–1996) Jennifer Butler (1997–2008)
Children	With Kelly: 2, With Butler: 4
Family	Brothers: John Murray, Joel Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray Nancy Murray (sister)

William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor, comedian and golfer. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack (1980), Ghostbusters (1984), and Groundhog Day (1993). Murray gained additional critical acclaim later in his career, starring in Lost in Translation (2003), that earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination, and a series of films directed by Wes Anderson, including Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Moonrise Kingdom (2012).

Early life[link]

Murray was born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, the son of Lucille (née Collins), a mail room clerk, and Edward Joseph Murray II, a lumber salesman.^[1][2] Murray's father died in 1967 from complications of diabetes when Bill was 17 years old.^[3][4] Murray, along with his eight siblings, was raised in an Irish American family.^[5] Three of his siblings are actors: John Murray, Joel Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray. A sister, Nancy, is an Adrian Dominican nun in Michigan, who has traveled the United States in a one-woman programme, portraying St. Catherine of Siena.^[6]

As a youth, Murray read children's biographies of American heroes like Kit Carson, Wild Bill Hickok and Davy Crockett.^[7] He attended St. Joseph grade school and Loyola Academy. During his teen years, he worked as a golf caddy to fund his education at the Jesuit high school.^[7][8] One of his sisters had polio and his mother suffered several miscarriages.^[7] During his teen years he was the lead singer of a rock band called the Dutch Masters and took part in high school and community theatre.

After graduating, Murray attended Regis University in Denver, Colorado, taking premedical courses. However, he quickly dropped out, returning to Illinois.^[9] In 2007, however, Regis awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.^[10]

Around 1971, police arrested Murray at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for trying to smuggle 9 pounds of marijuana which he had allegedly intended to sell.^[8][9]

Career[link]

Second City[link]

With an invitation from his older brother, Brian, Murray got his start at The Second City in Chicago, an improvisational comedy troupe, studying under Del Close.^[11] In 1974, he moved to New York City and was recruited by John Belushi^[12] as a featured player on The National Lampoon Radio Hour.

[edit] Saturday Night Live

In 1975, an Off Broadway version of a Lampoon show led to his first television role as a cast member of the ABC variety show Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell that featured animal acts and little kids with loud voices.^[11] That same season, another variety show titled NBC's Saturday Night premiered. Cosell's show lasted just one season, canceled in early 1976.

After working in Los Angeles with the "guerrilla video" commune TVTV on a number of projects, Murray rose to prominence in 1976. He joined the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live for the show's second season, following the departure of Chevy Chase.^[13]

A Rutland Weekend Television sketch Eric Idle brought for his appearance on SNL developed into the 1978 mockumentary All You Need Is Cash with Murray (alongside other SNL cast members) appearing as "Bill Murray the K", a send-up of New York radio host Murray the K, in a segment of the film that is an obvious parody of the Maysles Brothers's documentary The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit.

During the first few seasons of SNL, Murray was in a romantic relationship with fellow cast member Gilda Radner.^[14]