A World of Irony

Deaths a tragic turn for Oscar winner Hudson

28 October, 2008 (04:46) | Uncategorized

(CNN) — In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections, Jennifer Hudson’s rise to fame came the old-fashioned way: through talent, hard work and a close-knit family.

Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie, “The Secret Life of Bees,” and recently released her first solo album.

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At a time when the singer is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album, Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy.

Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home. The body of the singer’s missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV on Monday morning.

Julian’s stepfather, William Balfour, was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case, a police spokesperson told CNN. He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge, the spokesperson said.

Balfour’s mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings, but said he had nothing to do with the crime.

No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders.

The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer, who first earned national notice for her performances on "American Idol" in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006’s "Dreamgirls."

Hudson’s singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child. She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago’s Dunbar Vocational High School, where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room. (She’s in good company; Dunbar’s alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers.)

"People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice," she told Reuters in 2006. "They would say, ‘She sounds like she’s grown.’ "

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After finishing school, she performed in the musical "Big River" at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line.

In 2003, she auditioned for "American Idol" in Atlanta, Georgia, and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of "Easy to be Hard," the "Hair" ballad popularized by Three Dog Night.

"Idol" proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson. After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists, she started slowly, at times almost being voted off, but eventually her song choices — including Elton John’s "Circle of Life" and Whitney Houston’s "I Have Nothing" — made her one of the favorites. Sir Elton himself believed she was the "best of the lot."

In the end, Hudson didn’t even come close to making "Idol’s" final two, being voted off midway in the show’s run. However, her performances had established her as a talent to watch, and in May 2005 — several months after finishing the traditional post-"Idol" group tour — she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie, the tragic soul of "Dreamgirls."

In the musical, which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes, Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group’s leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group’s manager for the more statuesque singer Deena. The role features the musical’s showstopping song, "And I Am Telling You I’m

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