Jennifer Hudson has songs.
Jennifer Kate Hudson ( born September 12 , 1981 ) is an American singer , actress and spokesperson . Her debut album Jennifer Hudson , released in 2008 , debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA , with sales exceeding a million copies worldwide . She also became the principal singer of The Color Purple musical album , which earned her the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program ( shared with the cast of The Color Purple ) . Jennifer Hudson (album) . Three singles were released ; the `` Spotlight reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs and in the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart .