Jennifer Holliday facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Holliday
Holliday in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Jennifer Yvette Holliday
Born	(1960-10-19) October 19, 1960 (age 64)
Origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul pop gospel dance jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Geffen Arista Intersound Records
Associated acts	Whitney Houston Maurice White David Foster Ashford & Simpson Tony Franklin Al Green Marvin Gaye Jennifer Hudson Patti LaBelle Marc Patrius Mallare Mervyn Warren Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Jennifer Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American singer and actress. She became famous on Broadway in musicals like Dreamgirls (1981–1983). She also starred in Your Arms Too Short to Box with God (1980–1981).

Later, Jennifer became a very successful recording artist. She is best known for her first hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." This song was from Dreamgirls and became a big R&B and pop hit. She won a Grammy Award for it in 1983. She also won a 1982 Tony Award for her amazing performance in Dreamgirls.

Career Highlights

Broadway Star

Jennifer Holliday got her first big role on Broadway in 1979 when she was 18. This was for the show Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Drama Desk Award in 1981.

Her next role made her famous. At age 21, she played Effie Melody White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Jennifer was the first person to play Effie. She stayed with the show for almost four years after it opened in December 1981. Her acting and singing were highly praised. People especially loved her powerful performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." This song is the big ending to the first part of the musical.

In 1982, Jennifer won many awards for her role in Dreamgirls. These included the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She also won a Grammy Award for the recorded version of her song. She received a Drama Desk Award and a Theatre World Award for her acting. In 1998, she was featured on an album called My Favorite Broadway Ladies.

Music Artist

Jennifer's song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" made her a star. In 1982, a pop version of the song was released. It became a huge hit, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart. It also reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

She continued to have success as a singer throughout the 1980s. Her next song, "I Am Love," was another hit in 1983. Other R&B hits included "Hard Time For Lovers" (1985) and "No Frills Love" (1985). Later hits were "I'm On Your Side" (1991) and "A Woman's Got the Power" (2000). She also sang on the number one song "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner in 1985. Many of her songs also became popular on the US Dance charts.

Gospel Music

In 1986, Jennifer Holliday performed in a special "Gospel Session" on TV. She sang "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." She also sang with other famous artists like Luther Vandross and Paul Simon. They performed songs like "Still Waters Run Deep" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Jennifer became popular at events and fundraisers for the LGBT community. She even mentioned this on her gospel album On & On. She went on special tours and performed at many pride events.

Health and Comeback

In the 1990s, Jennifer Holliday focused on her health and lost a lot of weight. She also spoke openly about her health challenges. She had surgery to help her manage her weight. After losing weight, she released an album and video called I’m On Your Side.

In 1995, she released the gospel album On & On. She continued to work on new music. In April 2011, she released a Christian CD called Goodness and Mercy. She worked with Rev. Raphael G. Warnock on this album.

In 2012, Jennifer played Effie White again in a production of Dreamgirls at the St. Louis Muny. She has said she does not plan to play the role again.

TV Appearances

Besides her singing and stage career, Jennifer Holliday has also appeared on television. She had a recurring role on the show Ally McBeal. She played Lisa Knowles, a choir director, and often sang popular songs.

She also appeared on Touched by an Angel and Hang Time. In 2001, she sang "America the Beautiful" at a big wrestling event called Unforgiven. This was the first WWE event after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On June 26, 2007, Jennifer made a surprise appearance at the BET Awards. She sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" with Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer Hudson had played Effie White in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls and won an Oscar for it. Jennifer Holliday had not been asked to be in the movie. Later, Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson sang a duet together at a concert in 2009. This performance can be seen in a popular YouTube video.

In 2022, Jennifer Holliday competed on The Masked Singer as "Miss Teddy." She was unmasked on April 13.

Personal Life

Jennifer Holliday has been married twice. Her first marriage was in March 1991 to keyboardist Billy Meadows. They divorced nine months later in December 1991.

Her second marriage was to Rev. Andre Woods in March 1993. This marriage ended in 1994.

Jennifer attended Texas Southern University. She also received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2000. She has participated in many benefit concerts and shows.

Jennifer lives with multiple sclerosis, a health condition. She has also spoken about her struggles with her mental health. She once felt very low due to her weight and losing her record deal. She has since focused on her well-being and continued her career.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Singles

Theatre Roles

Other Theatre Work

• Sing, Mahalia, Sing (1985)
• The Gospel Truth (1986)
• Harlem Suite (1988)
• Angela Lansbury: A Celebration (1996) (benefit concert)
• Downhearted Blues: The Life and Music of Bessie Smith (2001)
• Black Nativity (2002)

Film and TV Roles

Film

Television

Awards and Recognitions

Images for kids

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  Jennifer Holliday in 2007

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Holliday para niños