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SEEKING WHITNEY When I was a kid and saw Whitney Houston, I was, like, _I want to do that. I want to be like that._ Role models teach you what to do. But you can also learn what not to do,
you know? IT'S GOSPEL In church you learn to sing with a purpose and for a higher being, other than yourself — you learn how to sing with a message, with substance. That's what
gives music the power to help people, to comfort, to change, to resonate with others. Without that connection, it's just sound. DESTINY'S CHILD Jennifer Hudson stars as Aretha
Franklin in "Respect." Quantrell D. Colbert/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures I believe in destiny. I sang Aretha Franklin's “Share Your Love With Me” for my _American Idol_
audition. To play her was a dream of mine. I met her 15 years ago, and she said, “I want Jennifer to play me.” While filming _Respect,_ I'm, like, _This is actually happening._ It
manifested! BEING FAMOUS Everyone used to say, “Jenny's got her grandmother's voice!” My grandmother Julia Kate could have been a gospel star like Mahalia Jackson, but she never
wanted to be famous, “because you have to sing when you don't feel like it!” Sometimes I feel like that. But when it's a passion and a love, even when you're tired, you push
through and go out there and perform. THAT BEFORE THIS Everything prepares you for what's next. You may not understand in the moment why you're going through something, but
it's molding you. My dream was to be a singer — I didn't know about acting or what the Oscars were. But I won an Oscar before I won a Grammy, and I did a film before I did an
album. Sometimes things pick you. MOTHER'S WISDOM I have a whole room in my house dedicated to all the sayings of my mother when I was growing up. [Hudson's mother, brother and
nephew were shot to death in 2008.] I put them on the walls as an homage to her. My own saying is “You never know how much a parent loves you until you have a child to love.” GUN VIOLENCE
People think, _Oh, [gun violence] can't happen to me._ But it can happen to anyone. I know that all too well. We have to build awareness and put a stop to it by getting out and marching
and using our platforms to make a difference.