Jennifer Holliday (born October 19, 1960) is an American singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Original Dreamgirl". Holliday began her career as an actress in several Broadway productions. Her signature and breakout role as "Effie White" as well in the original Broadway musical Dreamgirls in 1981, led to numerous accolades including a recording contract with Geffen Records. Her debut single "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", released on the Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album (1981), became an number-one R&B hit and earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1982.
She released her first album Feel My Soul on Geffen Records in 1983, to moderate success. The album's lead single, "I Am Love", peaked at number two on the US R&B chart. Her follow-up album, Say You Love Me (1985), produced a single titled "No Frills Love" which topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The album also featured a rendition of "Come Sunday" which earned a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance in 1986. She was subsequently dropped from Geffen after the release of third album Get Close to My Love (1987) as the label deemed her unmarketable due to her weight gain. She released her fourth album I'm on Your Side on Arista Records in 1991. After releasing her fifth album On & On (1994) on Intersound Records, she focused on her acting career.
In 1997, she landed the recurring of Lisa Knowles in the American legal drama television series Ally McBeal. By the early 2000s, she began appearing in several Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals including Chicago, Downhearted Blues: The Life and Music of Bessie Smith, and Black Nativity. She released her sixth album The Song Is You on Shanachie Records in January 2014, her first full-length album in twenty years. In 2016, she joined the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, portraying the role of Shug Avery.
Holliday received numerous honors throughout her career. She won 2 Grammy Awards out of 4 nominations, a Tony Award, a Theatre World Award, and Drama Desk Award.
Early life Jennifer Yvette Holliday was born on October 19, 1960, in Houston, Texas, to Jennie Eaton (née Thomas), a schoolteacher, and Omie Holliday, a minister.
Career 1979–1982: Career beginnings and Broadway While performing in her church choir, Holliday caught the attention of American dancer Jamie Patterson.'The Best of Jennifer Holliday' A Trip through Time (page 24). Billboard. Retrieved on July 10, 2026 At seventeen years old, she relocated to New York. In June 1980, Holliday landed her first theatre role in the Broadway production of Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.Jennifer Holliday Broadway Credits. ibdb. Retrieved on July 8, 2026 She toured with the production until October 1980. In 1980, Holliday replaced American singer Nell Carter as Effie White in theatre workshop titled Project 9, later retitled Dreamgirls. During the production of Dreamgirls, Holliday worked with the director Michael Bennett on the development of the character. In December 1981, Dreamgirls debuted to positive reviews. Her performance was widely acclaimed, particularly in her signature rendition of the musical number that ends Act I, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". She earned a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical at the 36th Tony Awards in June 1982.Jennifer Holliday Tony Awards Wins & Nominations. Tony Awards. Retrieved on July 8, 2026 In the same year, Geffen Records released Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album which included a recorded version of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" for which Holliday earned a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards in 1983.Jennifer Holliday Grammy Award Wins & Nominations. Grammy. Retrieved on July 8, 2026 The song was released as a single in 1982, which peaked at number twenty-two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop of the US Hot Soul Singles chart.Jennifer Holliday Billboard Chart History. Billboard. Retrieved on July 8, 2026
1983–1995: Recording career In October 1983, she released her debut album Feel My Soul on Geffen Records. Feel My Soul peaked at number thirty-one on the Billboard 200 and number six on the US Black LPs chart. The album's lead single, "I Am Love", peaked at number forty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the US Hot Black Singles chart. The album earned a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in 1984. In early 1985, she starred as American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in George Faison's production of Sing Mahalia, Sing!.Jackson pens, produces new tune for Holliday (page 58). Jet. Retrieved on July 8, 2026Sing Mahalia, Sing! Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved on July 8, 2026 In August 1985, she released her second album Say You Love Me, which peaked at number thirty-four on the US Top Black Albums chart. The album spawned two top-thirty R&B singles "Hard Time for Lovers" and "No Frills Love", the latter of which peaked atop of the US Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart. The album also featured a rendition of "Come Sunday" for which she won a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance in 1986.
Her third album, Get Close to My Love, was released in August 1987. Despite positive reviews from music critics, the album was commercial failure. Shortly after, she was dropped by Geffen Records after being deemed unmarketable due to her weight.Original "Dreamgirls" star makes return to music. The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved on July 9, 2026 In November 1987, she briefly joined the touring stage production of The Gospel Truth.STAGE REVIEW : Too Little of Holliday in ‘The Gospel Truth’. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on July 9, 2026 In mid-1988, she starred as Aretha Franklin in the touring stage play musical Harlem Suite.'HARLEM' A KNOCKOUT. Washington Post. Retrieved on July 11, 2026
In July 1991, Holliday released her fourth studio album I'm on Your Side on Arista Records. The album's lead single and title-track, "I'm on Your Side"; a cover version of Angela Bofill, peaked at number ten on the US Hot R&B Singles chart. The album's follow-up single "Love Stories" peaked at number twenty-nine on the US Hot R&B Singles chart. Her recording career came to a halt after the release of her gospel album On & On on Intersound Records in 1994. Later that year, she reprised her role as Effie White in the Theater of the Stars production of Dreamgirls.Recurring Dream: Jennifer Holliday Will Play Effie Again in Dreamgirls. Playbill. Retrieved on July 11, 2026 In 1995, she joined the cast of the Broadway revival of Grease as Teen Angel.
1996–2003: Resurgence In 1996, Geffen Records released a greatest hit compilation album titled The Best of Jennifer Holliday, which anthologized her recordings with the record label. The album also included a remixed version of "No Frills Love" which topped the US Dance Club Play chart. In 1997, she ventured into on-screen acting and began appearing as Lisa Knowles, a recurring role in the American legal comedy-drama television series Ally McBeal. She also began making guest appearances in other television series including Touched by an Angel and Hang Time. In 1999, Holliday released a single titled "A Woman's Got the Power", which appeared on the compilation album Breaking Through, released in a collaboration between Universal Records and Lifetime.New Jennifer Holliday tune featured on Universal-Lifetime Dance Compilation (page 64). Ebony. Retrieved on July 10, 2026 "A Woman's Got the Power" peaked at number seven on the US Dance Club Play chart. The following year, she released a cover version of Cissy Houston's "Think It Over" on Jellybean Recordings, which became her third number-one song on the Dance Club Play chart.The Dance Trax Hot Plate (page 30). Billboard. Retrieved on July 11, 2026
In January 2001, she starred as American blues singer Bessie Smith in an Off-Broadway stage production of Downhearted Blues - The Life and Music of Bessie Smith.Jennifer Holliday Stars as Bessie Smith Off-Broadway, Jan. 12-28. Playbill. Retrieved on July 11, 2026 She received her first film role as Sadie in the American drama film The Rising Place, released in February 2001.The Rising Place. imdb. Retrieved on July 10, 2026 She recorded a song "You've Got to Rise Up" and served as music supervisor for the film's soundtrack.The Rising Place (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack). AllMusic. Retrieved on July 11, 2026 The following year, Holliday returned to doing stage productions where she again reprised her role of Effie White in the Theater of the Stars 2002 production of Dreamgirls, and later appeared in the Langston Hughes's gospel musical Black Nativity.
2007–2019: Return to Broadway Following the release of film Dreamgirls in 2006, Holliday announced that she felt snubbed by not being invited to appear in the film, despite original musical cast member Loretta Devine making a cameo appearance.Nader, Juli (November 21, 2006). "Exclusive: Jennifer Holliday Says She Created Role in Dreamgirls and Doesn’t Want to Be Forgotten ". Blackprwire.com, Retrieved on November 27, 2006. However on June 26, 2007, Holliday made a surprise appearance at the BET Awards, performing alongside Jennifer Hudson in a duet performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". In April 2011, Holliday released a collaborative album with Rev. Raphael G. Warnock titled Goodness and Mercy, on her own Euphonic Records label. She reunited with her original Dreamgirls cast members Sheryl Lee Ralph and Loretta Devine during the 21st Annual Divas Simply Singing! benefit concert in October 2011.Original Dreamgirls Divas Reunite. BET. Retrieved on July 11, 2026 In July 2012, she reprised her role of Effie White at the St. Louis Muny production of Dreamgirls.Jennifer Holliday to Star as Effie White in Dreamgirls for the ‘Last’ Time at St. Louis' Muny Broadway.com, Retrieved January 14, 2017 In 2014, she released her sixth album The Song Is You.
In October 2016, Holliday returned to Broadway in the revival of The Color Purple, portraying the role Shug Avery until January 2017. In May 2019, she released a single titled "Baby, Tonite".Baby, Tonite - Single by Jennifer Holliday on Apple Music. Apple Music. Retrieved on July 11, 2026
2020–present: Recent activities In February 2022, she released another single titled "So in Love".So in Love - Single by Jennifer Holliday on Apple Music. Apple Music. Retrieved on July 11, 2026 Later that year, Holliday competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Miss Teddy" of Team Cuddly. She was unmasked on April 13 alongside Duane Chapman as "Armadillo" of Team Good. In February 2025, she released a live album titled Love Songs: Live at the Catalina Jazz Club.Love Songs: Live at the Catalina Jazz Club - Album by Jennifer Holliday on Apple Music. Apple Music. Retrieved on July 11, 2026
Personal life Holliday was married twice. Her first husband was a musician named Billy Meadows, whom she married in 1991 after two months of dating. The marriage was short-lived and after nine months, they divorced. Holliday remarked, "The marriage ran out of steam. We just didn't know each other well enough." She married evangelist Andre Woods, on March 21, 1993, at his church in Detroit. After a marriage that was plagued by infidelity and marred by financial abuse from Woods, Holliday divorced him in 1994.
Holliday attended Texas Southern University. She later received a honoris causa Doctor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2000.
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