Effie White -- Does She Have To Be "Heavy?" — Page 6

I found that interview. Here's what she says:

From adiacats:
Have you ever strained your voice from singing "(And) I Am Telling You"?

Jennifer responds:
Fortunately, I have never ever strained my voice from signing that song. It has been good luck for me from the first day that I sang it.

Anyway, yeah, I agree that Effies shouldn't be expected to do that 8 times a week. Nobody wants to hear a "pretty" version of the song, they want to hear the gritty, gospel version.

I'm surprised Holliday hasn't resumed a recording career. She always says she "hopes" to start recording again. I know atleast some small dance label would snatch her right up. The club audience loves her. "A Woman's Got the Power" was the sh!t. I wish she'd do a whole album like that.

Interview

She probably couldn't get signed to a major label, but I find it hard to believe a small independent label wouldn't sign her. Maybe she's picky, I don't know. I just think she'd do extremely well with a full out dance/club album. She has great remixes, the gay community loves her, she already does a lot of pride events. It just seems like a good fit to me.

I know this topic has been explained so much that it is nauseating, but what you do you think of the casting of Jennifer Hudson in the role of Effie, Margo?

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Oh, trust me, this is not about her not wanting to. You have a complete misconception about her position (or lack thereof) in the entertainment industry these days. She's a nobody. She would crawl across the desert for a record deal -- any record deal -- at this point and she's grateful whenever a producer is willing to use her on a dance track. But, as far as major labels, I doubt anyone will ever take another chance on her.

Holliday released three albums for Geffen in the 80s -- all of which bombed (though she did get her second Grammy for a recording of Ellington's "Come Sunday" -- Best Inspirational Performance) and she was then dropped by that label. A few years later, Clive Davis signed her to his Arista label and despite a huge marketing push -- aided in part by her having lost 150+ pounds -- that album also flopped and she was dropped by Davis shortly afterwards. A few years later (mid 90s) she released a very good gospel album on a small independent label -- not sure how sales were, but given the limited market for gospel, they were probably modest at best.

That's it as far as albums are concerned. It's been repeatedly shown that her fire and brimstone gospel sound simply doesn't translate into record sales. Between her voice, her sales history and the fact that she's in her mid 40s now, the odds of her ever getting another major label deal is close to nil. Her only options are gospel and dance music. She's had a good deal of success on the dance charts over the years, including a few number one hits. It would seem that having her scream over loud propulsive beats is her main niche in the music industry at this point.

I'd also guess that her legendary obnoxious diva behavior over the years has something to do with her lack of success. Man, I could tell you stories. Her ego and big mouth has led to her being fired from dozens of gigs and shows over the years and I'm sure that that has played a part in why no major label has gone near her in 15 years.

This is why most of her gigs for the past many many years have involved her singing "And I Am Telling You" at rich gay men's birthday parties and gay weddings -- I'm not kidding. That's how she earns a living these days (and has for years). She's burned every bridge in the recording industry and on Broadway (though the Weisslers will hire her for small parts occasionally). So she's a singer for hire and flies around the country singing her one hit.

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Updated On: 3/21/06 at 10:55 AM

"lets face it, she must not want to."

No. As I explained AT LENGTH, I know for a fact that she's DESPERATE for a ANY kind of music deal. The woman is living hand-to-mouth and can barely keep a roof over her head at this point (her bankruptcy several years ago left her homeless -- her house was repossessed and she's been struggling financially ever since). She wouldn't turn down anyone at this point and would be grateful to record absolutely anything. There's just no interest.

Dance music is about singles -- not album deals for artists with very few exceptions. Every few years, someone taps her to go scream on a track, but, it's a producer driven market -- not a singer driven one. She's had some success, but she's burned bridges so people don't want to work with her. Trust me, I know enough about her and her situation to say with a great deal of certainty, her not being signed by a dance label or anyone else has NOTHING to do with her "not wanting to." She's in desperate financial straights and wouldn't turn down anything at this point. The fact is no one wants to work with her.

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Updated On: 3/21/06 at 12:10 PM

I don't know. Possibly. With all the press that will surround every single aspect of the show and its history, perhaps she'll get tapped by the national media to tell her story at some point -- after all she IS Effie, only she never had a comeback. If the rumors are true that the Dreamgirls Tony clip will be included on the DVD (and Breglio will finally loosen his iron-grip on it being shown anywhere) then I can see there being renewed interest in Holliday and what's she's up to these days. We'll see if she can parlay that into some work for herself -- and not just more birthday parties and gay weddings.

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Exactly Margo. AIATYING is Jennifer Holliday's, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout Willis!?"

I love her voice, and I thoroughly enjoy hearing her sing (especially Gospel). But you just know that most people whisper an "Awww shucks!" to their spirit if they find out she's not singing THE song at an appearance. Porn without the money shot.

I think Holliday would have been a lot more successful had she made Gospel her focus (and of course ditched the divatude along the way) post-Dreamgirls. She didn't fit into the super marketable popstar mold that Gospel-rooted Whitney would a few years later. Although it was chock full o' modern elements, Dreamgirls was essentially a period piece. And just as the musical explores, the kind of gut-wrenching soul singing that was Effie's forte was falling out of vogue (or being PUSHED out of vogue). Jennifer and her big Baptist voice were a hit at a time when long standing Gospel-tinged divas like Reefuh, Patti, and even Tina, who had paid their dues decades ago found themselves forced to reinvent. Sure, Jennifer's songs had that early '80s synthpop sound, but frankly they were not so great songs to begin with. "New Attitude", "Freeway of Love" they certainly were not. And what would those songs and their singers have meant to us were we not able to fondly look back on "You Are My Friend", "Lady Marmalade", "Respect", or "Natural Woman"? They were out to make a quick buck riding this Dreamgirls wave with no real regard of the black American female singer's past, or Miss Jennifer Holliday's future.

With Gospel there isn't that "secular" commercial pressure, the need to reinvent or what have you. My mother is STILL listening to Shirley Caesar, and if Mahalia Jackson, and James Cleveland were still living, she'd still be buying their albums. Jennifer should have been right there to pick up the mic when Marion Williams passed. If you ask me, she should be touring the country making the kind of glorious live Gospel recordings that Marion made, thunderous growl and all.

Margo, please tell us more about the Mahalia play Jennifer did.

The play she did off-broadway was amazing -- a tribute to Bessie Smith called "Downhearted Blues". It was amazing -- if only for the fact that you got to see Jennifer in her element again (and apart from Dreamgirls).

She performed one song form it on Rosie, and was quite a site to see.

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Sorry, if you can't handle being told that you're wrong by someone who knows more -- a lot more -- than you do on this topic, but that's just the way it goes, dearest. If you honestly think that woman is going around turning down record deals or ANY gainful employment, you're out of your mind. When's the last time you saw her on a stage, in a movie, on a tv show (Ally McBeal was cancelled 6 years ago) or heard her on the radio with a song OTHER than "I'm Not Going?" Exactly. But you're apparently in your own little world, so believe what you want. If it makes you feel better to think that she's such a big star these days that she goes around turning down (imaginary) record deals and tv offers and Broadway shows, then go ahead and believe it. The facts are something else and, you don't have to listen to anything I say -- just ask people in the industry about her and see what they say and whether they would ever work with her (if they've even heard of her or remember her at this point).

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Updated On: 3/21/06 at 04:37 PM

"Why would Jennifer Holliday want to make a career out of singing dance music?? I mean lets face it, its the bottom of the barrel in the music biz and quite frankly is a step backwards in relation to what she has already accomplished."

I wouldn't call it bottom of the barrel, exactly. Cher and Kylie made huge comebacks in this genre.

"A few years later (mid 90s) she released a very good gospel album on a small independent label -- not sure how sales were, but given the limited market for gospel, they were probably modest at best."

I have that album, and I love it. And no, it don't think it was a big success.

"I'd also guess that her legendary obnoxious diva behavior over the years has something to do with her lack of success."

Wha?? Really? I had no idea. I can see her making a sort of comeback with her singing career, but she would have to have a LOT of support and promotion. And if she's a b, I can see why people wouldn't want to work with her. Such a shame. Is she still difficult, I wonder?

"I think Holliday would have been a lot more successful had she made Gospel her focus (and of course ditched the divatude along the way) post-Dreamgirls."

I disagree. The gospel and Christian music industires are very judgemental, and they would've shunned her had she done anything remotely gay-related(pride events, gay magazine interviews, etc.) She would've had to "pick sides" in that situation.

I think it's so sad that she can only pay the bills by singing at gay weddings and birthday parties. A part of me suspects she may not be that ambitious. She should have an official website at the very least to let fans know of her performances and other things going on in her life. Especially with the movie coming out, people might start googling Jennifer Holliday, and it would benefit her to have an up to date site.

"I disagree. The gospel and Christian music industires are very judgemental, and they would've shunned her had she done anything remotely gay-related(pride events, gay magazine interviews, etc.) She would've had to 'pick sides' in that situation."

Well okay, if she "pick(ed) sides" as you say, I think she could have been a very successful Gospel singer. BTW, have you seen the YouTube clip where she's singing Bridge Over Troubled Water with Paul Simon and Luther Vandross? Wow.
But I dunno Kevs, I think the Christian music industry and its public are a little more "forgiving" of gays than you may think. Well, at least they are pretty damned good at turning a blind eye. Two words: James Cleveland. If the King of Gospel was (allegedly) in the life, well... and let's not even go into the thousands of gay black men who are leading choirs across this great land of ours. And it's not just the "Ministers of Music" but there are tons of gay men who grew up in the church and continue to praise the Lord each and every Sunday just as gay as they wanna be. :)
Getting back... the more I think about it, it sounds like Jennifer Holliday just wasn't "made" for a long-lasting career on top, you know what I mean? Regardless of genre, she was very unhappy for a long period of time, so we hear she was difficult, she wasn't easy to categorize. Not the best ingredients for fame.

Kevs you're right, this is another subject, so on a final note :) ...
Don't get me wrong, I know all about the Donnie McClurkins, the Kirk Franklins, and I see what you're saying. But how much of that is just scaredy cat celebs who have issues with their sexuality who either want to out themselves before being outed, or protect the idea of their heterosexuality (i.e., Help! I'm addicted to STRAIGHT, you got that, STRAIGHT porn! on the next Oprah). I don't see this as solely pressure from higher-ups, just singers being crushed under the weight of their own demons (closets?).

I'm trying to make the point that black American Christianity in general (therefore the music industry born out of it) is FULL of inconsistencies, open secrets, scandals etc. Sure, some hypocrite haters would make snide remarks, but I don't believe for one second that Jennifer Holliday's Gospel career would be ruined for being gay friendly. Patti LaBelle wouldn't have a friend in Jesus if that were the case.