American Idol Update. Jennifer Hudson.

Born September 12, 1981, Jennifer Hudson grew up singing gospel on Chicago's south side. She joined the church choir at age seven. Hudson perfected her vocal talent throughout her grammar school and high school years, singing in various talent shows and musicals.

in 2002, Hudson auditioned and was chosen for the role of "Calliope", the head muse on the "Disney Wonder" line. Although Hudson loved the role, at the end of her contract, she decided not to renew. Instead, she opted to travel to Atlanta to audition for the third season of the hit show American Idol.

Though the judges saw more than 70,000 auditions, there was something about Jennifer Hudson that stood out for cool idol judge Randy Jackson. Her renditions of popular songs by such artists as Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston captivated the idol judges and fans and placed Hudson in a league of her own among her idol co-competitors. She sailed through to the semi-finals. And although she was not voted into the final round, she was brought back by Jackson as a wild card.

While a contestant on the show, Hudson was praised by such artists as music legend Sir Elton John and legendary film director Quentin Tarentino, who jokingly predicted a win for Hudson. Despite rave reviews from the guest judges, she was eliminated from the show on April 21, 2004. Hudson was the sixth finalist to be eliminated.

Her premature elimination sparked some controversy over whether the results were motivated by race or by the presence of fellow contestants with similar vocal styles. Whatever the reason for her early departure from the competition, it could not stop Hudson from catapulting to stardom. Following her departure, Hudson performed a duet with legendary musician Barry Manilow on On Air With Ryan Seacrest, and appeared in spotlight lists for such shows at Entertainment Tonight and David Letterman.

In addition to the further pursuit of a career in music, Hudson also went on to pursue a career in acting. That's right. Jennifer Hudson fans can look forward to seeing her star in the film adaptation of the Tony Award winning play "Dreamgirls". The play is being adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Hudson will star alongside such stars as grammy-winning singer/songwriter Beyonce Knowles and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Hudson was cast in the role of Effie, a role portrayed by acting/singing sensation Jennifer Holliday in the original stage production. The film is scheduled for release around December of 2006.

After the release of the film, fans can expect Hudson's debut album sometime in 2007. So for those fans who were concerned about Hudson's fate when she took her last walk on the idol stage, just know that it wasn't the last of Jennifer Hudson. For more information check out Hudson's official site at www.jenniferhudsonmusic.com.