Jennifer Holliday Biography

Jennifer Holliday Yvette is an American singer and actress. She gained recognition when in the Broadway musical Your Arm’s Too Short to Box with God. However, she is best known for her debut single, the Dreamgirls number.

Holliday attended Texas Southern University. She earned a Doctor of Music Degree from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 2000. In 2001 she was the presenter of the tap dance show 21 Below at the Town Hall in New York City. Holliday also appeared in the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ show at the St. James Theatre in 2002.

As well as “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, wherefore she secured a Grammy in 1983. She also won a 1982 Tony Award for Dreamgirls. Her performance led to her star-making performance in Dreamgirls, an adaptation of The Supremes’ saga. In 2001, she sang “America The Beautiful” on the first WWE pay-per-view to be held after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

In the Broadway musical production of “Your Arms Too Short To Box With God”, her performance earned her a Drama Desk nomination. Jennifer Performed in the touring company of “Sing, Mahalia, Sing” in 1986, as the late, great Mahalia Jackson.

Holliday landed her first big role on Broadway in 1979 at the age of 19, the same day she auditioned for the Broadway production of ‘Your Arms Too Short to Box with God’. Holliday’s performance earned her a Drama Desk nomination. She began acting at 21, she was given the role for which she became best known for. The role of Effie Melody White in the Dreamgirls.

Jennifer Holliday Age

Jennifer Holliday was born on 19th October 1960 in Houston, Texas, in the United States. She celebrates her birthday on October 19 every year.

Jennifer Holliday Family

Holliday was born to father, Omie Lee Holliday and mother, Jennie Eaton as Jennifer Yvette Holliday. She is the sister of John Eaton and Charlotte Weaver. 

Jennifer Holliday Husband

Holliday has been married twice. In March 1991, two months after she met pionist Billy Meadows in a nightclub where she was singing. The two got married afterward. “He had a great sense of humor and he made me laugh all the time,” Holliday says. “I had been feeling bad for so long, I wanted to laugh.” The relationship lasted for a few months hence they divorced 9 months later. She explained to Meadows: “We just didn’t know each other well enough.”Her second marriage was to Rev. Andre Woods who was a minister in Detroit. Jet magazine covered the marriage in their April 19, 1993 issue.

Though Woods was a charismatic Detroit preacher, Holliday subsequently said that even so, he was a player who also ran through her money. Unfortunately, the relationship lasted for a few months. Holliday and Andre divorced, just four months after her Jennifer’s mother died of cancer. As of late February 2011, Holliday was residing in Atlanta.

Jennifer Holliday Body Measurements

• Height: Not Available
• Weight: Weighed 300 pounds but lost 124lbs
• Shoe Size: Not Available
• Body Shape: Not Available
• Hair Colour: Dark brown
• Birth Sign: Libra

Jennifer Holliday Net Worth

The award-winning singer and actress, Holliday, has an estimated net worth of $10 million which he has earned through her successful career as a singer and actress.

Jennifer Holliday ‘And I Am Telling You’

The song is a burn song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, accompanied with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. within the circumstance of the music “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” is sung by the character Effie White. Holliday with the girl team The Dreams, to her executive, Curtis Taylor Jr., whose love affair and professional relationship with Effie is coming to and end.

The lines to “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, frequently thought to be the show’s signature tune. It recounts Effie’s love for Curtis, both firmly commited and resistant. She declines to let Curtis forget her behind, and bravely announces to him, “I’m staying and you … you’re gonna love me.”

Jennifer Holliday Songs

• I Am Changing
• And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going
• Dreamgirls
• Just Let Me Wait
• Just For A While
• Shine A Light
• I Am Love
• Dreams Never Die
• Hard Times For Lovers
• No Frills Love
• Hard Times For Lovers
• Heart On The Line
• Read It In My Eyes
• I’m On Your Side

Jennifer Holliday ‘I Am Changing’

This is a song coming from the second act of the prolonged Broadway musical Dreamgirls. It was written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen. ‘I Am Changing’ was portrayed by the character Effie White, initially performed on Broadway by Jennifer Holliday.

Jennifer Holliday Weight Loss

But the good times came at a cost. Holliday, who weighed more than 300 pounds when she played Effie, struggled with depression and health issues. In the 1990s, Holliday lost a substantial amount of weight and talked about her health struggles with depression during promotional interviews.

Initially, weight loss was attained strictly by diet. On her 30th birthday, she tried to kill herself with an overdose of sleeping pills. For 15 years she struggled to find work. Eventually, in an effort to avoid regaining the weight, So Holliday had an experimental surgery called gastric bypass. She lost 124 lbs.

After the initial weight loss, she released an LP and video titled I’m On Your Side. At first, Holliday was hurt and angered. Unlike some of her Broadway castmates, she was not offered a cameo in the film. She was a star again, once more in demand for live performances. Today at age 57 she is slimmer, healthier and happier and she can still put on a show.

Jennifer Holliday Talks Depression Battle and Weight Issues

On suffering from depression

When I was suffering from depression, people weren’t talking about depression, it had a stigma. Nobody asked me about it. No one ever said, ‘Do you want to talk to somebody? I knew I was terribly sad, but I didn’t know why.

On her weight struggles

I had thought I was really ugly. I had just been let go by my record company since they labeled me as too ugly and not wanting. They were like, ‘We can’t make a music video of you. That’s the reason for my problems. My record company dropped me, I can’t get a boyfriend — that’s the reason! I’m too big.

On her new body

I didn’t fall for that trick, I like the way I looked and I have stayed that way. But i was not going to trust everybody else since they fibbed when I was overweight!

On fighting multiple sclerosis

For quite some time, they believed I had lupus, then they beleived I had something else. Lastly, when I could not walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusively discoveredi had Multiple Sclerosis. The process was painful. Sore joints and muscular pains took away my ability to walk and function.

One day in 2007, I felt an overwhelmingly sharp pain, as if someone had taken a knife to my eye. I ended up going completely blind in my left eye. However, I had to go to the New York Eye Infirmary, and I told my neurologist. Fortunately, there are a lot of blind singers. There was no discoloration in the eye, so I’m not concerned about seeing out of it as long as I can sing.’

On her comeback

It was a very long, hard journey, but now, I do think that I’m ready to come back. And maybe these opportunities will be better than what I thought I missed. But I’ve grabbed it. And I’m not going to let it go.

Jennifer Holliday TV Shows and Movies

• Classic Gospel (TV Show)
• Apollo Live (TV Show)
• The View (TV Show)
• Steve Harvey (TV Show)
• American Idol (TV Show)
• Lift Every Voice (TV Show)
• Bobby Jones Gospel (TV Show)
• Great Performances (TV Show)
• In Performance at the White House (TV Show)
• Saturday Night Live (TV Show)
• Soul Train (TV Show)
• Ally McBeal (TV Show)
• Hang Time (TV Show)
• Ally (TV Show)
• Touched by an Angel (TV Show)
• The Love Boat (TV Show)
• The Rising Place (Movie)
• CNN Presents (TV Show)
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Show)
• The View (TV Show)
• Tavis Smiley (TV Show)
• Lift Every Voice (TV Show)
• The Wendy Williams Show (TV Show)
• The Mo’Nique Show (TV Show)
• Sunday Morning (TV Show)
• The Rosie O’Donnell Show (TV Show)
• Unsung (TV Show)

Frequently Asked Questions About Jennifer Holliday

Who is Jennifer Holliday?

Holliday is one of America’s best-known and loved actress and singer.

How old is Jennifer Holliday?

Holliday is 59 years old as of 2019. She was born in 1960

How tall is Jennifer Holliday?

Information not available.

Is Jennifer Holliday married?

Holliday was first married to her lovely husband pionist Billy Meadows but divorced a few months later. She then got married to Rev. Andre Woods of which they divorced just four months after her Jennifer’s mother died.

How much is Jennifer Holliday worth?

She is an accomplished singer and actress with an estimated net worth of $10 million.

How much does Jennifer Holliday make?

Information not available.

Where does Jennifer Holliday live?

Holliday lives in Atlanta.

Is Jennifer Holliday dead or alive?

Holliday is still alive and in good health.

Where is Jennifer Holliday now?

Holliday is a singer and actress in the United States.

What happened to Jennifer Holliday?

Holliday who weighed more than 300 pounds, struggled with depression and health issues. She was diagnosed with multiple scleosis.

 Jennifer Holliday Twitter

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