Jennifer Hudson Perfects Singing During Funerals  12/21/06

Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson was so desperate to find an audience when she was younger she regularly performed at funerals.

The 25-year-old former American Idol contestant loved singing and jumped at the chance to perform whenever an opportunity was available.

She explains, "I've done a lot of weddings and talent shows, but I became the funeral singer.

"My family has the Hudson Funeral Home and I would go and sing for the different funerals, so the people started to think I was an employee of the funeral home.

"The people would be like, 'That's the funeral singer!' And I'm like, 'No, it's just that everyone keeps dying that I know and I'm just singing at their funeral!'"