In addition to its presence in the musical, "And I Am Telling You I 'm Not Going '' is also notable as the debut single of two women who portrayed Effie. Jennifer Holliday originated the role on Broadway in 1981 and won a Tony Award for her performance as well as the Grammy for Best R&B Performance, Female for its re-release in 1982 for which it became a number - one R&B hit for Holliday. Jennifer Hudson portrayed Effie in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls, winning an Oscar for the role. Hudson 's version became a Top 20 R&B single, and a number - one dance hit.
who sang and i am telling you originally
Jennifer Holliday