Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson, the American Idol finalist turned Oscar winner, talked to Chicago magazine about a wide range of topics. Hudson, who turned 27 on Friday, releases her first solo album Sept. 30.
EARLY INFLUENCE
“When I was a little girl, Whitney Houston came out with ‘I Will Always Love You.’ I would sing along with the record, but I would put it in harmony and do it as a duet. She’s still one of the people I would love to sing with today.”
MEANING BEHIND THE MUSIC
“I want my music to have substance and meaning and bring real music back. A lot of music today is bubblegum and pop and mainly about a catchy melody. I sing about things that’ll make you think, things that’ll help somebody out.”
A LITTLE CUT AND PASTE
“Image is everything in this field. Who doesn’t Photoshop pictures at this point? The album cover is close to my true size. I want to be as real and natural as possible.”
LOVE THAT RED CARPET
“I guess I blew a kiss one time, and ever since then the paparazzi keep saying, ‘Jennifer, blow a kiss!’ And I love photos. It’s hard to keep me off the red carpet.”
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Personals was compiled by Mary Kate Chambers from Tribune news services and staff reports.
