ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MOVE COMES ON THE HEELS OF HER SHOWSTOPPING TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE OF PRINCE’S “PURPLE RAIN” AT THE BET AWARDS
Jennifer Hudson has been signed to an exclusive contract with Epic Records, it was announced today by Epic Chairman and CEO LA Reid, following up Ms. Hudson’s historic showstopping tribute performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain” at the 16th annual BET Awards.
Collaborating as executive producers on Ms. Hudson’s upcoming Epic Records debut will be LA Reid and Clive Davis, Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment. This will mark the first time that LA Reid and Clive Davis have collaborated in nearly a quarter-century, since they worked together on Whitney Houston’s all-time best-selling The Bodyguard soundtrack album of 1992. At that time, Mr. Davis was President of Arista Records, and Mr. Reid headed LaFace Records and was a go-to producer with partner Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds.
“Jennifer Hudson is the defining voice of this generation,” said Mr. Reid. “Her award-winning presence on records, in film, and on stage establishes her as one of the premiere artists to emerge in this century. I’m enjoying collaborating with my friend and mentor Clive Davis on Jennifer’s first Epic album and excited for her fans to hear what we’re up to…all will be revealed soon!”
“I signed Jennifer in 2007 believing her to be the strongest candidate as the next generation’s Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston,” said Mr. Davis.
“She has become that, as LA and I excitingly reunite to capture Jennifer at her all time best.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this new chapter with two of the most prolific musical legends of this generation,” said Ms. Hudson. “There is no doubt that this is just the beginning of a very special collaboration and I know that the result will be something unforgettable. I am looking forward to the creative process and sharing new music very soon!”
Multi-platinum global superstar Jennifer Hudson, whose tribute at the 54th annual Grammy Awards® in 2012 toWhitney Houston (the day after her death) was an iconic, heartbreaking, musical event, gave the BET Awards ceremony its climactic moment with “Purple Rain,” singing in front of an orchestra led by Stevie Wonder on keyboards and Tori Kelly. Adding to the occasion, Ms. Hudson was wearing the same memorable white hooded tunic that Prince wore the last time he was at the awards spectacular.
See the performance HERE.
ABOUT JENNIFER HUDSON:
Grammy® and Academy Award winner and best-selling author Jennifer Hudson is an extraordinary talent. Having released three albums in Billboard’s top 10, Hudson’s most recent album, “JHUD,” and her sophomore album, “I Remember Me” were both RIAA Gold certified. Her 2008 debut self-titled record was RIAA Platinum certified and won Hudson her first Grammy Award for Best R & B Album. In 2013, she was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her indelible success in the music industry. Hudson won an Academy Award for her role in “Dreamgirls,” an adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Her breakout film performance also garnered a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA and an NAACP Image Award. Additional film credits include “Sex and the City,” “Secret Life of Bees,” “Winnie Mandela,” “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete,” “Black Nativity,” and HBO’s “Confirmation,” among others. In 2012, Hudson released her New York Times best-selling memoir, “I Got This: How I Changed My Ways, Found Myself and Lost Everything that Weighed Me Down”.
She also co-founded of the Julian D. King Gift Foundation alongside her sister as a catalyst for change in children’s health, education and welfare.