Yep! This is one of those special songs where you remember exactly where you were when you first heard it...!!! ... That's exactly how it was for me... & to this day, it's still one of the best performances I've ever heard...!!!

When this song came out, everyone on Apollo tried to sing it lol. Jennifer Holliday did a phenomenal job with her portrayal of Effie as a teenager she was fearless. I’ve seen quiet of people sing this: Shirley Murdock, Gladys Knight, Amber Riley, Jennifer Hudson and of course Whitney Houston. Each lady brought something different vocally and emotionally to their performance for example Whitney’s performance wasn’t about a lover trying to hold onto her man, Whitney’s was about letting her man know that no matter what we are going through IM NOT WALKING OUT (this was in 1994 and Whitney was at an all time high in her career and her personal life, she had given birth, was truly in love with Bobby, had the best album and single in the world and was getting more acting offers). But for most of us who are old enough to remember when Showtime At The Apollo was very big, we knew Jennifer’s version.

Everytime I hear this I get goosebumps. She SANG that song.

I have loved this lady since I was a child, and IMO, the most beautiful power voice of all time!!! 💕

Jennifer Holidays song!!!! Period!!!!!!

When she seemed tired that was a combination of the fact that she used up a lot of air and support, and stamina to do all those long belted phrases, and the fact that she was emotionally invested in the moment as well.

As my mom says about her don't mess with JHoliday! She'll blow you out the water! I've heard Barbara Streisand say she's the only singer she wouldn't follow! That's a Big complement!

“And you, and you, and you, you’re gonna lahooooooove meeeeeee!” Sing Jennifer!👏🏾🔥👏🏾🔥👏🏾Whew! Great reaction.✨😊🌸

SUPER MOTHER GREAT VOCAL❤❤❤❤❤

Please react to her singing His Eye is on the sparrow in 1987, she is so underrated

The role of Effie was written specifically for Jennifer Holiday, she is the OG~! No one does it like her!

Jennifer Hudson did a MASTER job at this song. I didn't think anyone could do a good job let alone great job on this song as Jennifer Holiday does. Fire❤

His Eyes are on the sparrow performance is one of the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed

Jennifer is looking down from the nicest zip code of Heaven and blessing us with her passion and music that is beyond Church, Beyond, Gospel, Beyond all other mere mortal performances. She is the angel who teaches us to sing our our hurt. She is the angel who stops us from acting out our petty resentments. She's teaching us what our lives are really about in the face of hurt and rejection. We are AT OUR VERY BEST when we are hurt. We are closest to the purity of Godliness when we embrace our pain. Thank you for being our teacher, Jennifer. Your life was a blessing upon the whole Earth, all people, but especially the wounded, the hopeless, the abandoned. Thank you for showing us the one true way of the heart. How many times do the wise have to tell us: JUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART.?

Jennifer holliday is the Best singer,I love her from Mexico ❤️❤️

Jennifer is awesome,....have had most of her solo albums in the 80's and 90's, some good stuff in there.

My favorite rendition hands down!!!

You are so entertaining and adorable to watch!

My favorite You need her sang This is the Moment She blew that song out of the box Powerful!!!!

Great reaction. You just brought me back to my early 20.s I was in that audience and it was mind-blowing. It was a concert at radio city in NYC with all Arista recording artist. After that performance the crowd cheered for over 10 minutes. You have to see her live performance on the 1982 tony wards

Listen to Amber Riley's version as well! She won an Oliver Award (England"s Tony Award) for her performance a few years back and she was AMAZING!

Jennifer Holiday & Phyllis Hyman both underrated artist of all time.

This is the first time I've seen this performance. It's quite different. The tempo is slower and the mood more somber. Some lines are different. Obviously this is because the song is being sung to a dead friend and mentor, not a cheating lover. It is a song of grief here, not anger or pathos, as in the stage performance. As great a singer as Jennifer is, it is easy to forget what a great actress she is as well. I have been to funerals with women wailng at the graveside, and that isnwhat this particular performance gives me. She gave a magnificent performance of grief and determination in the face of death. Brava!

Yeah that was before she had her weight loss surgery. Jennifer Holiday yass one of the queens of vocal growls. Come on with it. I remember seeing her and Jennifer Hudson sing this together that was legendary.

Jennifer Holliday Singing Bridge Over Troubled Waters with Luther Vandross & Paul Simon is a must see video clip, also her singing His Eye Is On The Sparrow from the same show is brilliant

Goosebumps!!!! React to Jennifer Hudson!

This women bringing 😢😿 to my eyes I'm Feeling her .

Your reaction along with Jennifer's performance made chills/goosebumps engulf my entire body. WOW!!!

for sum reason i always cry listening to this

Jennifer Holliday is a vocal master. She is a treasure. She and Dream Girls revitalize Broadway

You did it 🙂

Her performance at the Tony Awards gives more of the give and take and movement around the stage. The interactions with the other actors on stage makes for a much better performance

She does an amazing Good Morning Heartache and she sings it very soft and so different from this song it seems like an impossible feat! ❤️

PLEASE REACT TO JENNIFER HOLIDAY AND JENNICA SANCHEZ I AM TELLING YOU LIVE AT AMERICAN IDOL PLEASE THAT WAS ONE OF HER BEST PERFORMANCE OF THIS SONG...

Please react to Jessica Sanchez & Jennifer Holiday singing And I am telling you ! I swear your mind will be blown away, like REALLY !!!!!!!

She didn't give u the growl bro from the start because she wanna build the song and give you elements of surprise! You see your reaction got bigger as she got further into the performance. That what she was after here, lol. Awesome reaction! Jennifer is ignorant period🤣🤣😍❤❤❤. That earring that fell off is EPIC!

I saw this performance on its first broadcast. I cried then and I cry every time I’ve seen it since. The last 20 seconds of this song is why NO ONE should ever be compared to her. They all pale in comparison and become mute. I would not go out of my way to listen to any other performer do this song. And that’s just MY opinion.

you should listen to Jennifer Holliday - I'm On Your Side ♥

you should react to when harry mack where on the ellen show, he has been there 2 times but the second time is more recent, so i would recommend the second time

She was like 22 or 23 when she did this

I just found out that the original version is so ridiculous and funny!😂

Since you mentioned her sharing the stage with someone, you should do her and Jessica Sanchez’s version. They’re basically singing AT each other and they both killed it!

Watch it once without stopping. Then the 2nd time do the stop and start. Just a suggestion.

I felt that Hudson's version is okay. It just has no "soul"

You should react to Whitney Houston Aretha Franklin medley 1997 live classic Whitney

I love your reaction so much..can you please react to The Barret Sisters sing Jesus Loves Me at Gaither please😭😭😭One of the legendary Gospel Trio ❤️❤️🥺🥺pleasee

She's not underrated. We she blew the roof off back in the day. Even now, people try but will never own this song definitely not Jennifer Hudson or anyone else

PLEASE REACT TO TIMES CELINE DION MADES HIGH NOTES THAN ORIGINAL PLEASE...

This could have been 6 minutes shorter if he’d just let it play

Would you let the damn song play??

Doesn’t she strain her throat when she does that?

it would be a much better video without the constant interruption from the presenter

PLEASE REACT TO JENNIFER HOLIDAY AND JENNICA SANCHEZ I AM TELLING YOU LIVE AT AMERICAN IDOL PLEASE THAT WAS ONE OF HER BEST PERFORMANCE OF THIS SONG...

PLEASE REACT TO JENNIFER HOLIDAY AND JENNICA SANCHEZ I AM TELLING YOU LIVE AT AMERICAN IDOL PLEASE THAT WAS ONE OF HER BEST PERFORMANCE OF THIS SONG..