Jennifer Hudson 's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way . `` After finishing school , she performed in the musical `` Big River '' at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line . She was born in New York City, and grew up there with her parents. Singer beat out more than 800 other women for role in `` Dreamgirls '' Hudson 's first national recognition came on `` American Idol ''
Jennifer Hudson 's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way . She was born in New York City, and grew up there with her parents. Singer beat out more than 800 other women for role in `` Dreamgirls '' Hudson 's first national recognition came on `` American Idol ''