Look up Sophia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A Russian icon depicting Sophia, the Holy Wisdom.

A depiction of Saint Sophia the Martyr with her three martyred daughters Faith, Hope and Charity.

Personification of wisdom (in Greek, "Σοφία" or "Sophia") at the Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey.

Sophia is a female name derived from σοφία, the Greek word for "Wisdom." Sophie is from the French form. Sophia has been a popular name throughout the western world. The name was used to represent the personification of wisdom and is also the name of an early Christian martyr.

Name variants[link]

• Chofa (Spanish)
• Fia (Swedish)
• Fifi (Spanish), (French)
• Safana (Arabic), (Persian), (Turkish)
• Sofana (Flemish),(Greek),(Finnish)(Swedish)
• Sophia (Greek), (English), (Bulgarian), (Flemish)
• Sophie (French), (English), (German), (Dutch), (Flemish)
• Sophy (English)
• Safiye (Turkish)
• Soffia (Icelandic), (Welsh)
• Sofia (Bulgarian), (Romanian), (Catalan), (English), (Finnish), (German), (Greek), (Italian), (Norwegian), (Swedish), (Portuguese), (Spanish), (Flemish)
• Soficita (Spanish)
• Sofie (Danish), (Dutch), (German), (Norwegian), (Swedish), (Flemish)
• Sofieke (Dutch)
• Sofiia (Ukrainian), (Russian)
• Sofija (Slovene), (Croatian), (Latvian), (Lithuanian), (Serbian)
• Sofiya (Bulgarian), (Russian), (Ukrainian)
• Sofya (Turkish)
• Sohvi (Finnish), (Estonian)
• Soňa (Czech), (Slovak)
• Soña (Spanish)
• Sonia (English), (Italian), (Portuguese), (Romanian), (Spanish), (Flemish)
• Sonja (Danish), (English), (Finnish), (German), (Norwegian), (Serbian), (Slovene), (Croatian), (Swedish), (Flemish)
• Sonje (German)
• Sonya (English), (Bulgarian), (Russian), (Spanish), (Flemish)
• Szófia (Hungarian)
• Vivi (French)¹
• Zocha (Polish)
• Zofia (Polish)
• Žofia (Slovak)
• Žofie (Czech)
• Zofija (Slovene)
• Zosia, Zośka, Zosieńka (Polish)
• Zsófia (Hungarian)
• Zsófika (Hungarian)

People[link]

• Sofia Coppola (born 1971), American actress and director
• Sofia Essaïdi (born 1984), Franco-Moroccan singer
• Sofia Gubaidulina (born 1931), Russian-Tatar composer
• Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850–1891), Russian mathematician
• Sofia Milos (born 1969), Swiss actress
• Sofia Rotaru (born 1947), Ukrainian singer
• Sofia Shinas (born 1968), Canadian artist
• Sofia Vergara (born 1972), Colombian model and actress
• Sofiko Chiaureli (1937–2008), Georgian actress
• Sophia Abrahão (born 1991), Brazilian actress
• Sophia Aggelonitis, Canadian politician
• Sophia Aliberti (born 1963), Greek actress and TV presenter
• Sophia Baddeley (1745–1786), English actress
• Sophia Brahe (1556–1643), Danish astronomer
• Sophie Braslau (1892–1935), American contralto
• Sophia Bush (born 1982), American actress
• Sophia Collier (born 1956), American entrepreneur
• Sophie Dahl (born 1977), British model
• Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919–2004), Portuguese poet
• Sophia Drossopoulou, Greek computer scientist
• Sophia Dussek (1775–1831), Scottish composer
• Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British pop-dance singer
• Sophie Evans (born 1993), British actress & singer
• Sophia Forero (born 1967), American jewelry designer
• Sophia Hayden Bennett (1868–1953), American architect
• Sophia Jex-Blake (1840–1912), English physician
• Sophia Karp (1861–1904), Romanian actress
• Sophia Kokosalaki (born 1972), Greek fashion designer
• Sophia Lee (1750–1824), English novelist
• Sophie Lee (born 1968), Australian film, stage and television actress
• Sophia Leung (born 1933), Canadian politician
• Sophia Loren (born 1934), Italian actress
• Sophia Lvovna Perovskaya (1853–1881), Russian revolutionary
• Sophia McDougall (born 1979), British author
• Sophia Michahelles (born 1976), American puppeteer
• Sophie Monk (born 1979), Anglo-Australian singer and actress
• Sophia Myles (born 1980), English actress
• Sophia Peabody Hawthorne (1809–1871), American painter
• Sophie Price (born 1989), British glamour model
• Sophie Raworth (born 1968), British newsreader
• Sophia Romero, American writer
• Sophie Scholl (1921–1943), member of White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany
• Sophia D. Stoddard, American educator
• Sophie Tucker, (13 January 1886 – 9 February 1966) Russian/Ukrainian-born American singer and actress
• Sophia Vossou (born 1961), Greek singer
• Sophia Wilson (1860–?), Japanese courtesan and wife of Captain John Wilson
• Sophia Yakovlevna Parnok (1885–1933), Russian poet
• Sophia Yan (born 1986), American classical pianist
• Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (1889–1968), Polish writer

Royalty[link]

• Countess Sophia Ignatyeva (1850–1944), Russian noble
• Infanta Sofía of Spain (born 2007), Spanish princess
• Princess Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst (1729–1796), later Empress Catherine II of Russia
• Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom (1768–1840), Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg
• Princess Sophia of Gloucester (1773–1844), British princess
• Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom (1777–1848), British princess
• Sophie, Countess of Wessex (born 1965), wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
• Queen Sofía of Spain (born 1938), Queen consort of Spain
• Sofia of Bavaria Wittelsbach (1376–1425), Queen of Bohemia
• Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L'Isle and Dudley (1796–1837), daughter of William IV
• Sophia Alekseyevna (1657–1704), Russian regent
• Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666–1726), Duchess of Brunswick-Celle
• Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (1687–1757), Queen consort of Prussia
• Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1758–1794), Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1700–1770), Queen consort of Denmark-Norway
• Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714), heir to the English throne
• Sophia of Nassau (1836–1913), Queen consort of Sweden and Norway
• Sophia of Prussia (1870–1932), Queen consort of Greece
• Sophia Palaiologina (1455–1503), Grand Duchess of Moscow
• Princess Sophie of Sweden (1771–1790)

Sports[link]

• Sofia Arvidsson (born 1984), Swedish tennis player
• Sofia Bekatorou (born 1977), Greek sailor
• Sofia Konukh (born 1980), Russian water polo player
• Sofia Mulanovich (born 1983), Peruvian surfer
• Sofia Muratova (born 1929–2006), Russian gymnast
• Sofia Papadopoulou (born 1983), Greek sailor
• Sofia Sakorafa (born 1957), Greek javelin thrower
• Sofiya Bozhanova (born 1967), Bulgarian long and triple jumper

Fictional characters[link]

• Sophie, a minor character from the Doctor Who episode The Lodger
• Sophia Petrovna, a character from Petersburg
• Sofia Constantinas, from the comic Wonder Woman
• Sofia Curtis, from the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• Sofia Lamb, from the video game Bioshock 2
• Sophia Esteed, from the video game Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
• Sophia Forrester, from the animated TV series Last Exile
• Sophia Hapgood, from the video game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
• Sophia Lopez, from the TV series Nip/Tuck
• Sophia Petrillo, from the TV series The Golden Girls
• Sophie, main character of The BFG
• Sophie, main heroine of Tales of Graces
• Sophie, main character of Mamma Mia!
• Sophie Neveu, main heroine of The Da Vinci Code
• Sophie Parker, main character of Sophie (TV series)
• Sophie Newman, main character of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
• Sophie Hatter, main character of Howl's Moving Castle
• Sophie Webster, from the soap opera Coronation Street
• Sophia Western, main heroine of The History of Tom Jones
• Sophie Amundsen, main character of Sophie's World
• Sofia Dupre Winters, a character on the America soap opera The Young and the Restless
• Sophie Zawistowska, title character of the novel (as well as film and opera) Sophie's Choice
• Sophie Devereaux, grifter in TNT's Leverage

See also[link]

Sophie (disambiguation)

Internal links[link]

^1. Vivi is also a form of Vivienne/Vivian.

Eleanor McEvoy (born 22 January 1967) is one of Ireland's most accomplished contemporary singer/songwriters.^[1] McEvoy composed the song "Only A Woman's Heart", title track of A Woman's Heart, the best-selling Irish album in Irish history.^[2]

Biography[link]

McEvoy's life as a musician began at the age of four when she began playing piano. At the age of eight she took up violin. Upon finishing school she attended Trinity College, Dublin where she studied music by day and worked in pit orchestras and music clubs by night.

McEvoy graduated from Trinity with an Honors Degree in music, and spent four months busking in New York City. In 1988 she was accepted into the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra where she spent four years before leaving to concentrate on songwriting.

She built up a following in clubs in Dublin with her three piece band, Jim Tate on bass, Noel Eccles on drums, and latterly Bill Shanley on guitar.

During a solo date in July 1992, she performed a little-known, self-penned song, "Only a Woman's Heart". Mary Black, of whose band McEvoy was a member, was in the audience and invited her to add the track to an album of Irish female artists. The album was subsequently titled A Woman's Heart and the track was released as the lead single.

In the same week that A Woman's Heart was released, Tom Zutaut A & R from Geffen Records, who had previously signed Guns & Roses, Motley Crew, and Edie Brickell, offered McEvoy a worldwide recording deal after watching her perform at The Baggot Inn in Dublin.

The album went on to sell over three-quarters of a million copies in Ireland alone and was (and remains) the biggest selling Irish album of all time.^[2]

Eleanor McEvoy, the self-titled debut offering, recorded in Windmill Lane Studios, was released in February 1993, and tours in the United States, Asia, and Europe followed. Back on Irish soil, McEvoy was awarded Best New Artist, Best New Performer, and Best Songwriter Awards by the Irish entertainment and music industries.

As she began writing her second album, Tom Zutaut departed Geffen Records, so when Columbia U.S. offered her a new deal, she jumped ship and began working on a new, edgier second album, which would eventually be titled What's Following Me? The album was released in 1996 and the sound was louder and grungier that her debut. The single "Precious Little" built to a Top-10 radio hit in the United States, giving McEvoy the exposure she needed for a headline tour of the U.S. She was invited to contribute of a number of movie and TV soundtracks.

"A Glass Unkissed" was featured in ABC Television's Clueless and "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" was featured in the Pierce Brosnan film The Nephew. which was released in August 1998.

At home, the success of A Woman's Heart continued to overshadow McEvoy's solo work and fans of the mammoth hit were disappointed with the rock elements of the second album and those that might have identified with her bittersweet lyrics, sensual vocals, and loud guitars turned a blind eye to the album.

McEvoy released her third album Snapshots in 1999. Her primary goal was to make Snapshots her most song-oriented album to date. Toward that goal, McEvoy hooked up with legendary producer Rupert Hine (who worked with Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, Suzanne Vega, and Duncan Sheik) and recorded the album at Rupert’s “Chateau de la Tour de Moulin” and then in Metropolis Studios in London. The extensive use of drum loops was a complete change in style from her previous work.

The album was greeted by rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. ”... her sophisticated voice and compassionate seasoned lyrics ... make Eleanor McEvoy’s album a gem....” declared The Boston Globe,^[3] while The Sunday Times described it as “her strongest album to date, with well appointed social comment topics...McEvoy’s take on matters emotional also hits pay dirt with the likes of the excellent 'Did You Tell Him?'"^[4] However Columbia Records had been unprepared for the complete stylistic change and relations between the company and McEvoy became strained. Despite this, a sell-out, 24-date tour of the United States accompanied the release of Snapshots in the summer of 1999, followed by the "Snapshots Unplugged" tour March–April 2000, which culminated in a performance in Boulder, Colorado accompanied by the E Town Band where she duetted with Richard Thompson.

By 2000 McEvoy found herself increasingly entwined in record company red tape, Columbia had bought her first album Eleanor McEvoy from Geffen, but were refusing to release it. Neither What's Following Me? nor Snapshots had set the sales charts on fire, and McEvoy’s public perception, particularly in Ireland, was caught in a limbo state between rock and folk, with "A Woman’s Heart" and its many incarnations still lurking in the back of the minds of the record-buying public.

Increasingly McEvoy started to work on outside projects. The Bert Jansch tribute album People On The Highway – A Bert Jansch Encomium (Market Square Records catalog number MSMCD106, Koch, September 2000) saw a newly recorded version of Jansch’s song about Sandy Denny, "Where Did My Life Go?", recorded by McEvoy especially for the album. Participating artists included Al Stewart, Roy Harper, Bernard Butler, Donovan, and Ralph McTell.

As the century closed, McEvoy had had enough of major-label involvement, making the decision to take the fourth album and head down the independent road. Yola was a turning point in McEvoy’s musical direction. Released in 2001, it reflected the acoustic, jazz-influenced style she had developed on stage with Brian Connor. For McEvoy it was a new departure and one that found favour with music media. Irish Music Press described it as .... "her finest album", "a brave rejection of the predictable", "musically daring....beautifully atmospheric". International press lauded it as "a back to basics triumph", "beautifully restrained", "a classic", and "McEvoy’s best release to date". Extensive touring throughout the U.S. and the UK followed. In 2002 Yola was named "Record of the Year" by Hi-Fi+ Magazine.^[5]

March 2004 saw the release of Early Hours (Market Square MSM51SACD128, distributor RSK/BMG), produced by McEvoy and Brian Connor. The album featured McEvoy on vocals, guitar, and fiddle; Connor on piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, and keyboards; Liam Bradley on kit percussion and backing vocals; Calum McColl on guitars and backing vocals; Nicky Scott on bass; and Lindley Hamilton on trumpets. The style differed from McEvoy's previous work, taking on a jazz/blues feel for many of the songs. Early Hours continued the high-quality audio work that had been established with Yola. This album was the first to use TiMax (unique audio imaging) technology, mixed in 5.1 surround-sound onto multi-channel Super Audio CD (SACD). Early Hours was voted Best Contemporary Album 2004-2005, by Irish Music Magazine Readers Poll.^[6]

McEvoy continued to tour with Brian Connor until April 2005. She then began performing solo, accompanying herself on bass guitar, electric guitar, mandolin and violin.

Her sixth album, Out There, was recorded in The Grange Studio in Norfolk and released in early 2007. It was self-penned, self-produced and featured McEvoy all of the instruments with the exception of a guitar part on “Quote I Love You Unquote” played by Dave Rotheray (ex-Beautiful South) and the drumming of Liam Bradley (Van Morrison, Ronan Keeting) on three tracks. McEvoy toured the album extensively in Britain, Ireland, Spain and Australia throughout 2007 and early 2008. In 2007 Out There brought McEvoy her second "Record of the Year" award from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.^[5]

Love Must Be Tough (MOSCD404, released 2008), her seventh album, is a departure from previous albums, where all the songs were typically her own. Half of this album features songs by other writers. Typically these songs were written by men and sung by men, but were about women. When sung by a woman, with the minimum of alteration to the lyrics, the words tell a new story. It revels in gender juxtaposition.

Recorded with the South King Street Band, with arrangements by Peter Beckett, Love Must Be Tough opens with The Rolling Stones's "Mother’s Little Helper". The opening line, “what a drag it is getting old", sets the tone of the entire collection.

The title track, "Love Must Be Tough", written by McEvoy and U.S.-legend Johnny Rivers during a late-night songwriting session in Killarney, is a nugget of West-Coast Americana. The lead single, "Old, New, Borrowed and Blue", penned by McEvoy and long-time friend Dave Rotheray (Beautiful South/Homespun), is a twist on the jaundiced over-optimism of the standard wedding song. Another track by the duo, "The Night May Still Be Young, But I Am Not", is also on the album. In 2008 McEvoy received her third "Record of the Year" award from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.^[5]

In 2007 McEvoy was awarded "Best Traditional Act" at the 7th annual Big Buzz Awards. Awards are voted for entirely by the general public, and are designed to recognise the outstanding achievements and the amazing talent within the Irish entertainment scene.^[7]

In 2008 McEvoy toured from January to November in the UK, Australia, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Ireland, with additional one-off dates in the Far East and elsewhere in Europe, including an appearance at Glastonbury in June 2008.

On 21 November 2008, "Easy In Love" from the album Love Must Be Tough was released as a single to highlight McEvoy's recent visit to Uganda on behalf of Oxfam Ireland.

McEvoy's album Singled Out was released on 28 September 2008. The album is a compilation of singles taken from McEvoy's four award-winning, independently-released albums. Three of the albums, Yola, Out There, and Love Must Be Tough, received the coveted Album of the Year Award from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.^[5] Early Hours was voted Best Contemporary Album 2004-2005 by Irish Music Magazine Readers Poll.^[6] The album includes "Did I Hurt You" and "Isn't It a Little Late" from McEvoy's double A-side single, the world's first single to be released on SACD format.^[8] Singled Out includes one new song, "Oh Uganda", which was written by McEvoy after her visit to Northern Uganda as part of her support for the work of Oxfam Unwrapped.

I'd Rather Go Blonde, released 20 September 2010, is McEvoy's eighth album. Never one to shy away from the big issues, this album sees McEvoy tackling themes such as alienation, hypocrisy, recent Irish history and romance. As McEvoy says herself, “I always try to express myself clearly and honestly. I was the odd one, the tubby girl with glasses who had to go to violin lessons after school. The ray of sunlight was the radio with its music. The escape was learning to sing and play instruments and play with others and write and just get out there." The album has been met with glowing reviews including the five-star review in 2010 Maverick Magazine: "This absolutely stunning album, has been a real find – one of the most compelling female singer-songwriters I've heard in a long time."^[9]

Alone, McEvoy's ninth album, released 12 September 2011, is a collection of twelve stripped-down solo numbers. Says McEvoy, "“There was a time when I was stranded in a long gap between tour dates and, with time to kill, I headed for the peace of The Grange; a small studio tucked away in the Norfolk countryside." The product of those tranquil sessions is an album of incredibly haunting performances, up close, personal, and timeless. This is McEvoy in her most intimate setting, running through the journey of her writing and singing career.

Discography[link]

• Alone – Moscodisc (MOSCD409) September 2011 Produced by Mick O'Gorman, Eleanor McEvoy, recorded by Dave Williams and Ciaran Byrne; mixed by Ciaran Byrne and Mick O'Gorman; mastered by Ian Cooper.

• I'd Rather Go Blonde – Moscodisc (MOSCD408) September 2010 Produced by Mick O'Gorman, Eleanor McEvoy, and Peter Beckett; recorded by Ciaran Byrne; mixed by Ruadhri Cushnan; mastered by Ian Cooper.

• Singled Out – Moscodisc (MOSCD406) September 2009 Various Producers

• Love Must Be Tough – Moscodisc (MOSCD404) February 2008 Produced by Peter Beckett and Mick O'Gorman

• Out There – Moscodisc (MOSACD 303) September 2006 Produced by Mick O'Gorman and Eleanor McEvoy

• Early Hours – Moscodisc / Market Square (MSM1SACD128) 2004 Produced by Brian Connor & Eleanor McEvoy

• Eleanor McEvoy 'Special Edition' – Market Square (MSMCD127) 2003 {Remastered Geffen album (see below) with 4 extra tracks.} Produced by Pat Moran.

• Yola – Mosco (EMSACD1) 2001 Produced by Eleanor McEvoy and Brian Connor.

• Snapshots – Columbia Records (CK494598.2) 1999 Produced by Rupert Hine

• What's Following Me? – Columbia Records (484233.2) 1996 Produced by Eleanor McEvoy and Kevin Moloney

• Eleanor McEvoy – Geffen Records (GEFC/GEFD24606)1993 Produced by Pat Moran. No longer available replaced by Special Edition (see above)

Music in film and TV[link]

Feature films[link]

• McEvoy sang Bill Whelan's song "The Seabird" in Some Mother's Son starring Helen Mirren, director Terry George written by Jim Sheridan and Terry George.

• The song "I Hear You Breathing In" features in How To Cheat In The Leaving Certificate starring Mick Lally and Mary McEvoy.

• The song "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" features in The Nephew starring Pierce Brosnan, Donal McCann, Sinéad Cusack, and Niall Tobin.

• The song "I Hear You Breathing In" features in El vuelo del tren (director Paco Torres, 2009).

Television[link]

• The HBO series Six Feet Under featured the song "All I Have", written by Caroline Lavelle and McEvoy.

• "A Glass Unkissed" from the 1996 album What's Following Me? appeared in television network ABC’s popular series Clueless.

• American Network PBS’s documentary In Our Own Voice features "Easy To Lose Hope" from McEvoy's 1999 album Snapshots. The song, produced by Rupert Hine, is about murdered journalist Veronica Guerin.

• "All I Have" from the 1999 album Snapshots was featured on ABC’s One Life to Live, a long-running daytime-TV soap opera.

• McEvoy’s song "Only A Woman's Heart" appeared in Irish Network RTE’s popular soap Glenroe.

• "Days Roll By" from Early Hours (Moscodisc 2004) appears in Fair City, a popular soap about daily life in a Dublin city.

Super Audio and vinyl[link]

McEvoy's fourth album Yola drew favourable attention from the Hi-Fi press and market as one of the first original titles recorded specifically for SACD. With the collaboration of sound designer Mick O’Gorman, the world’s first-ever SACD single "Did I Hurt You" (Market Square MSMSACD114) was released from the same album. To this day Yola is regarded as a Hi-Fi industry standard and is used by high-end audio companies to test speakers.

Releasing on compact disc, SACD, and vinyl, McEvoy's albums have won many audio awards. Early Hours was the first to use TiMax (unique audio imaging) technology, mixed in 5.1 surround-sound onto multi-channel SACD. McEvoy's album Love Must Be Tough was named Album of the Year by Hi-Fi Plus, the prestigious UK publication, and was released on vinyl in August 2008 by Diverse Vinyl in the UK.

Other projects[link]

OXFAM

In October 2008 at the invitation of Oxfam Ireland, McEvoy visited Uganda. Travelling throughout the Kitgum region of Northern Uganda, she experienced first hand the benefits of Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped, an initiative that sends meaningful presents like clean drinking water, school books and vegetable gardens to developing countries throughout Africa. This visit provided the inspiration for a new song "Oh Uganda".

Midge Ure

Midge Ure’s top-twenty album Breathe features McEvoy on three tracks, "Fallen Angel", "Fields of Fire" and "Lay My Body Down". McEvoy contributed the Gaelic lyrics on "Fallen Angel". The album was produced by Richard Feldman.

RTÉ Concert Orchestra

In 2005, the RTE Concert Orchestra commissioned arrangements for 16 of McEvoy’s compositions to be performed at a concert in August 2005 at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The 60-piece orchestra was conducted by David Brophy and featured, in addition McEvoy herself, other leading Irish arrangers, Johnny Tate, David Brophy, Brian Byrne, and Fergus O’Carroll.

The sell-out performance formed part of the annual BEO Festival, hosted by the National Concert Hall and sponsored by the ESB.

The songs, with their new arrangements, were drawn from McEvoy’s first five albums, incorporating music from Yola and Early Hours, along with many others, including "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" (from Pierce Brosnan’s The Nephew), "Famine" (from The Gathering the Commemoration of the Irish Famine), and of course her contribution to the canon of Irish music standards, "Only a Woman’s Heart".

Homespun and Dave Rotheray

In January 2006, McEvoy supported the band Homespun on a British tour in support of their second album, Effortless Cool. During this tour she also began writing with Dave Rotheray.

Three Rotheray/McEvoy compositions appear on McEvoy's albums: "Quote I Love You Unquote" on Out There and "The Night May Still Be Young But I Am Not" and "Old New Borrowed and Blue" on 2008 album Love Must Be Tough.

Homespun's third album, Short Stories From East Yorkshire, features two Rotheray/McEvoy compositions which are also produced by Dave Rotheray and Eleanor McEvoy; "Lover’s Chapel" and "The Driver". "The Driver" was sung by well-known Irish singer Mary Coughlan.

The Brewster Brothers

John and Rick Brewster are founding members and major songwriters of the legendary Angels, one of Australia’s most successful rock bands. After three decades, The Angels remain one of Australia’s most loved and respected bands. A few years ago Rick and John started a new breakaway project, performing acoustically as The Brewster Brothers.

Performing at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in Australia 2007, the band were joined on stage by Anne Kirkpatrick and McEvoy (violin) for standout spontaneous renditions of several of their songs. The concert was recorded by the ABC Australia. The show was broadcast on ABC Radio National on 18 May and then again on Sunday 20 May. Due to demand from ABC Australia listeners Brewster Brothers in Concert Live at the Port Fairy Folk Festival was released shortly afterwards.

Paul Brady at Vicar Street

In October 2001 Paul Brady took over Vicar Street (one of the most popular music venues in Dublin) for twenty three nights to revisit his entire career. It was a bold move and a great success. Over the course of the month more than 16,000 people saw the shows.

As well as a chance to revisit past material Paul availed of the opportunity to invite many of the artists he has worked or written with over the last thirty years to come and play. Among them were Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Sinéad O'Connor, Curtis Stigers, Maura O'Connell, Mary Black, Ronan Keating, Brian Kennedy, Gavin Friday, Tim O'Brien, Arty McGlynn, The Hothouse Flowers. and many more.

McEvoy joined him for Thursday 12 October. Highlights of the night were Paul and McEvoy singing a duet on “You and I” an antiracism song of Paul’s and Paul’s rendition of McEvoy’s song “Last Seen October 9th”.

The Great Irish Famine Event - The National Concert Hall'

McEvoy was commissioned by the Irish Government to write a piece about The Irish Famine for a concert held in the National Concert Hall in Dublin in 1997. The song was “Famine 1848”. It is an orchestral piece with vocal part sung by McEvoy.

The event entitled “The Great Irish Famine Event” was held to commemorate the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1852.

The song Famine also features on a limited edition version of the album What's Following Me? (Columbia Records).

“Eleanor McEvoy Presents”, Wexford Arts Centre

“ELEANOR McEVOY PRESENTS” was a project which was instigated fo the reopening of the Wexford Arts Centre in October 2006.

For four weeks during the Wexford Festival Opera McEvoy featured some of her favourite performers of contemporary music.

The first show on Friday 27 October featured McEvoy herself. During the show she played a traditional set along with some local Wexford musicians: well-known Wexford Uilleann Piper Brendan Wickham, Pat Gough on accordion, and Niall Shorthall on Bazouki.

The shows on the following Fridays featured various different artists much admired by her over the years. These included Andy Irvine, Luka Bloom, Caroline Moreau, and Oleg Ponomarev.

The Wexford Arts Centre places an emphasis on contemporary and emerging Irish and international art and a range of plays, concerts, film and lectures. The Centre is also resident in a preserved heritage site, built in 1760s, as a market place and assembly halls.

The Ballad of Ronnie Drew (2008)

"The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" was a song written by Bono, Edge, (U2) Simon Carmody and Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead). It was initially written to include Ronnie Drew, but as his health declined it was altered to be sung by the Irish music fraternity in his honour.

It was performed by a number of famous Irish musicians. With popular Irish band Kila as the backing band, other contributors included members of U2, The Dubliners, Christy Moore, Chris de Burgh, Sinéad O’Connor, The Chieftains, Mundy, Andrea Corr, Moya Brennan, Paul Brady, Christy Dignam, Duke Special, Ronan Keating, Gavin Friday, Bob Geldof, Glen Hansard, McEvoy, and Shane MacGowan.

The single was released on 19 February 2008 and entered the Irish Single Charts at #2. At the request of Ronnie, all proceeds went to the Irish Cancer Society.

Award winning director John Carney (director of the film Once) directed the video for "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew". It was filmed over two days at Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios in January 2008.

Tuesday’s Child

Tuesday’s Child was spearheaded by Belfast woman Orla Sheehan. It consisted of a CD featuring tracks from a total of 31 performers including Snow Patrol, Westlife, Ronan Keating, Duke Special, and McEvoy. Each artist donated a track for the Tuesday’s Child self-titled double album which was first launched in Belfast on 8 November 2007 and in Dublin on 7 March 2008.

Proceeds of the album went towards helping children in need in 12 countries including: Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Grenada, Israel, Moldova, Palestine, and Zimbabwe.

IMRO'

McEvoy is on the board of the Irish Music Rights Organisation. IMRO is a national organisation that administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland on behalf of its members – songwriters, composers and music publishers – and on behalf of the members of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it. IMRO’s function is to collect and distribute royalties arising from the public performance of copyright works. IMRO is a not-for-profit organisation.

Banana Boat featuring Eleanor McEvoy

McEvoy and renowned Polish a cappella group Banana Boat collaborated to re-record McEvoy's song "Little Look" from her album Out There. A music video was also made of the song. The debut went straight to the play list of famed Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego (Polskie Radio Three).^[10] The video went on to be named Video of the Week by the Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America).^[11] In 2009 the recording was awarded "Collaboration of the Year with an Artist from Outside Poland" in the 2009 Polish Friends of Music Awards.^[12]

Duets by George Hooks

In December 2009 McEvoy teamed up with Irish broadcaster and rugby pundit, George Hook, to perform on Hook's charity album Duets. They sang McEvoy's song "Is This Love" which McEvoy co-wrote with Paul Brady. Proceeds of the album went to Irish charity Comber.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Eleanor McEvoy Official Website
• Eleanor McEvoy on MySpace
• Eleanor McEvoy Facebook Fan Page
• Moscodisc

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]