Date of Birth: October 19, 1960 (62)
Birth Place: Houston, TX, USA
From her early days as a girl singing solos with the choir at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Houston,TX to her years on the Broadway stage and beyond, the inimitable voice of Jennifer Holliday has riveted the hearts of audiences from around the world. She is a Broadway Legend in every sense of the term: her iconic portrayal of Effie “Melody” White in the 1981 smash hit Dreamgirls will forever be a template for delivering gut-wrenching, timeless performances, evidenced in Ms. Holliday garnering a Grammy® Award for her performance of the show- stopping torch ballad “And I am Telling You, I’m Not Going” and a coveted Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Effie.
Her second album, “Say You Love Me,” won her a second GRAMMY® for her rendition of Duke Ellington’s classic, “Come Sunday.” From 1985 to 1992, she had five Top 10 singles on the R&B and Dance Charts and her star continued to shine brightly with collaborations and appearances with other megastars: Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, David Foster, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson, Maurice White and Foreigner, with whom she performed on a special version of “I Want To Know What Love Is.”
In 2014, Ms. Holliday released her first album in two decades. “This Song Is You” stirred long-time fans and garnered a new generation of enthusiastic listeners landing Ms. Holliday back in the Top 20 R&B charts with rave reviews.
Standout television appearances include David E. Kelley’s Ally McBeal, American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2016, Ms. Holliday returned to the stage starring alongside Cynthia Erivo in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple as sultry singer Shug Avery. She is a long-standing, dedicated supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.
[1980]Below the Belt performer
[2001]The Rising Place Sadie
[2010]Change in the Wind Hattie McDaniel
[2022]The Road to Galena Florrie
Ally McBeal Lisa Knowles
Jennifer Holliday, Dreamgirls
Jennifer Holliday, Dreamgirls
Jennifer Holliday , Dreamgirls
Jennifer Yvette Holliday, Your Arms Too Short to Box With God
Jennifer Holliday has appeared on Broadway in 6 shows.
Jennifer Holliday has not appeared in the West End
Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Dreamgirls , Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Dreamgirls Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Dreamgirls and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Your Arms Too Short to Box With God .
Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Dreamgirls Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Dreamgirlsand Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Dreamgirls.
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