Celebrity Galore

Jennifer Hudson will make her return to the spotlight

since her mother, brother and nephew were killed in Chicago in October according to media reports on Thursday.

The former “American Idol” contestant and Oscar-winning “Dreamgirls” actress will sing the U.S. national anthem on the pop culture’s grandest stage – the NFL football Super Bowl.

Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the National Football League, has confirmed that Hudson would sing at the game in Tampa, Florida, Feb. 1. The game is usually the most watched U.S. television broadcast of the year.

Hudson’s Super Bowl performance will come five days before she is due to sing in Los Angeles at the 2009 the MusiCares Person of the Year gala, an event leading up to the 51st annual Grammy Awards on Feb 8. Hudson is nominated for four awards at the Grammies.

In October, Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew were shot to death in her hometown of Chicago. Authorities have charged Hudson’s estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, with murder in the slaying of her family members.

Hudson, 27, competed in the reality talent show “American Idol” in 2004. She was eliminated midway through the competition but revived her career with a critically acclaimed performance in the 2006 musical “Dreamgirls,” which earned her an Academy Award as best supporting actress. Last year, she co-starred in the movie “The Secret Life of Bees.”

Source [ Chinaview ]