Jennifer Hudson has admitted karaoke is “not a game” in her family.
The 40-year-old singer and actress — who shot to fame when she competed on “American Idol” back in 2004 — revealed when her family gets together they take music “seriously” and complain when the acclaimed Broadway star takes to the mic.
She said: “[My family] are like, ‘Jennifer, this isn’t fair!’ But in my family, we take music seriously … So, even with karaoke, it’s not a game.”
The Academy Award-winning actress — who starred as music legend Aretha Franklin in biopic Respect — then revealed that her go-to karaoke song is “Never Loved a Man,” as made famous by Franklin in 1967, and noted that the singer has “always” been a part of her life.
She told W Magazine: “My American Idol audition song, my introduction to the world, was “Share Your Love With Me,” by Ms. Franklin.
“I feel as though Ms. Franklin’s songs have kind of always been there, but now I feel like I have permission to sing them because of her blessing. I feel like I get to help carry on her amazing legacy. Now, Aretha Franklin’s ‘Never Loved a Man’ is my go-to karaoke song.”
The Dreamgirls actress then went on to speak about how she first met Franklin when she was chosen as a support act for a concert, where the late soul star — who died in 2018 — instructed her to stay away from covering her songs.
She said: “I first met Ms. Aretha Franklin in Merrillville, Indiana when she allowed me to open up for her concert. You know what? Aretha said, ‘Don’t sing [any] of my songs.’
“When I got to open up for her concert, she allowed me to sing my own songs, but I got to watch her perform her songs.”
