OMFG! Battle of the Jennifers – “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going"

I do not like to lose my sh*# in public. Bred from two staunch lines of stoics, I find it highly distasteful to emote in front of others. The exception is football. Anything goes when it comes to the Steelers. However, I’m usually expressing aggression and anger; those emotions are seen as strengths—at least from the pater’s side of the family. But, I don’t like to cry in public. Not only do I view tears as weakness, I cry ugly. So, pride and vanity wrapped up in a pretty, curly bow! Thanks, Daddy.

And, I don’t express admiration easily. You have got to earn my praise. It’s another football thing—basically, you’ve got to smack me in the mouth and run me over before I admit that you’re worthy of attention. And, I certainly don’t loiter around to get autographs or scream my head off (unless its Heinz Stadium and I want to tell #92 that he made Flacco look like a crash test dummy for most of the game) to puff some other person’s ego.



One electrifying night in 1981, I was taken to see the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. Well, I got smacked in the mouth—and I liked it. For the first time, I wanted to hang around the theater's back door to squeal as the principals left for Sardi’s (as I imagined it), and OMG! maybe, I could get someone to sign my Playbill.

Basically, I lost my sh*#. And, a big part of it was the showstopper, “And I’m Not Telling I’m Not Going.” The very next day, I made my mother buy me the cast recording. Jennifer Holliday was the Queen. Let me explain about black folk. Once we have decided that your version of a song is THE VERSION, that’s it. Nobody can sing that song until you die. Beyonce should not have belted “At Last” at that inaugural ball because Etta James is alive and well and that standard is hers all alone—she’s territorially peed all over it. So, Beyonce and her reedy voice needed to sit down.



As for “And I’m Not Telling…,” forget it. Whitney Houston sang it live in concert, and barely got away with it. The crowd gave her a pass, but they weren’t happy. I hadn’t heard the Jennifer Hudson version; I don’t watch Idol and I haven’t seen the movie version of Dreamgirls. The link below changed that. With its “battle” headline, I had to watch this video posted from a recent concert in Atlanta, GA. And, I likey! Jennifer Hudson is worthy to attempt this song. I have to say her pipes did it better justice than Whitney’s did. But, Jennifer Holliday is STILL THE QUEEN. Hudson should get her props, but Ms. Holliday still owns this song.

I don’t think it’s just my opinion either. The best thing about this video is the other queen to be heard. The one squealing in the background, “OMG! OMG!! OMG!!! OMG!!!! OMG!!!!!”

Losing our sh*# together, we crown Holliday as the one and only ruler of this song.

Watch:
Battle of the Jennifers

If you don't believe, watch Holliday's performance at the Tonys.