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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2006 > December > 15
Friday, December 15, 2006
12/15: More on Hudson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The buzz on Jennifer Hudson is deafening right now. We know the story now. She was rejected by Clive Davis and everybody else after she left “Idol” in 2004. The Wall Street Journal wrote a story yesterday about her but since it’s subcription only, I’ll summarize the story. It noted that she was able to book regular gigs singing at gay nightclubs, backed by prerecorded music. The gay community, Hudson told the paper, is “where I got the majority of my fans from ‘Idol.’ ”
She also got session work, including guest vocalist on a song with Meat Loaf (yes, the Meat Loaf who sang with Kat McPhee on the finale this year.) She was one of 800 who auditioned for “Dreamgirls,” besting Fantasia. Her lawyer got a video of her screen test to agents at WIlliam Morris, who signed her. Davis saw the screen test and was blown away. “It seems like everyone in Hollywood has seen the screen test,” Hudson joked.
BMG signed her at a much higher price than if they had done so in 2004. It says they are likely spending more than $1 million to sign, record and promote her. The label offers generally generous royalties of 16% to 17% to contestants, the story says, and spends lavishly on production. The producer of “Idol,” 19 Entertainment, has become more generous than it used to be, sharing more revenue from the tours and allows contestants to work with other managers. Her Morris agents said she turned down other film offers to focus on her singing career in 2007, with Davis personally overseeing the recording of her debut CD.
