Jennifer Holliday recalls 'Dreamgirls' impact on her years-long suffering

Jennifer Holliday recently revealed how the initial Dreamgirls review helped her get rid of her years-long insecurity.

The 65-year-old American singer and actress breathed life into the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls on Broadway in 1981.

Holliday spoke to PEOPLE magazine ahead of her Music Honoree award from the Boston Arts Academy Foundation (BAAF), where she reflected on her career and how Dreamgirls helped her change her perspective about her voice, as she used to believe her voice had nothing special.

She told the outlet that Dreamgirls was workshopped in Boston, where she “was able to develop more with the character of Effie [White], because in the first part of the workshop, Effie wasn’t even in the second act.”

“And then when we first got to Boston, Effie’s big song, ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,’ was in the middle of the first act.”

“But the people in Boston would not stop applauding. So they were like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to change this because we have to go on with the rest of the show,’” the God is Faithful songstress recalled.

Holliday secured her first Tony Award in the category of Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1982 for her remarkable performance as Effie, followed by the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Award at the 1983 Grammys for her rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”

It is pertinent to mention that Jennifer Holliday will receive her Music Honoree award on October 22, 2026.