Jennifer Hudson knows that she and other music artists wouldn’t be where they are today without the road being paved by the legends that came before!

“The Jennifer Hudson Show” Legend Series is Jennifer’s opportunity to bow down to music’s most influential artists, presenting them with a one-of-a-kind award honoring their amazing accomplishments.

Check out all the incredible talents, including Rita Moreno, Mariah Carey, Smokey Robinson, and more, whose long-lasting and innovative careers were honored by Jennifer on the show.

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Rita Moreno, who hails from Puerto Rico, has found success on both stage and screen over the course of her seven decades in the entertainment industry. She’s the first Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award and the third person in history to earn the EGOT.

On her latest appearance on the show, Rita spoke to Jennifer about approaching Lenny Kravitz at an Oscar after-party and how astonished she was when he literally got on his knees telling her how much he loves her!

She also recalled her memorably short speech when she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in “West Side Story.” “I didn’t expect to, and I made the world’s shortest speech,” she told Jennifer. “I thought Judy Garland would win!”

She also shared her thoughts as she heard her name being called and walked to the stage. “I remember thinking, don’t run. It’s not dignified.”

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Rev Run, the frontman of seminal hip-hop group RUN DMC — named the greatest hip-hop act of all time by MTV — has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and is widely credited for bringing hip-hop into the mainstream.

During his chat with Jennifer, the icon recalled feeling competitive with LL Cool J when he first came on the scene and shared the details of the record with Michael Jackson he worked on but never finished. He also revealed how their iconic style came about.

“The streets. We would go on Jamaica Avenue in Queens and whatever was in the store, we had a couple bucks, we’d get an Adidas suit or some sneakers,” he said. “The outfits were whatever we had on in the hood. Whatever you got on, go onstage.”

R&B superstar Charlie Wilson has topped the R&B charts with 13 number one singles, earned 13 Grammy nominations, and received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“I been through a lot my whole life, but I’m still standing tall,” he proudly told Jennifer, then shared the secret behind his success and his overcoming of addiction. “You have to believe in yourself; you have to believe in a higher power.”

“You’re a walking testimony,” replied Jennifer.

Mariah Carey is the highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 75 million certified album units sold. She has won six Grammy Awards, 10 American Music Awards, and 20 Billboard Music Awards. She holds 12 Guinness World Records, including best-selling holiday song by a female artist for her ubiquitous hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

On the show, Mimi and Jennifer spoke about working with Aretha Franklin, revealed how they go overboard celebrating the holidays, and recalled becoming friends during their shared time on Season 15 of “The Voice” when Mariah appeared as a guest mentor.

“That picture of us together when we were at ‘The Voice,’” recalled Mariah. “That robe you were wearing — you ended up sending it to me as a gift, and I still have it.”

Smokey Robinson is a Grammy-winning R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive who boasts a BET Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music. He also has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one as a solo artist and one with his Motown group The Miracles.

Smokey chatted with Jennifer about growing up in Detroit and being neighbors with fellow music legends Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross! Smokey also shared praise for a current music icon, Taylor Swift.

“I love Taylor. She’s sweet; she’s a really nice person,” he said, sharing details about the time he took his Swiftie granddaughter to the Eras Tour and introduced her to Taylor backstage.

“Does your granddaughter know that you were the Taylor Swift of your time?” asked Jennifer, causing Smokey to crack up. “That’s sweet!” he said.

Singer, songwriter, and producer Babyface — aka Kenneth Brian Edmonds — has written and produced over 25 number one R&B hits over the course of his prolific career. He has not only won 13 Grammy Awards but he’s the only artist in Grammy history to be honored as Producer of the Year four times!

On the show, Babyface recalled feeling intimidated and suffering from imposter syndrome while working with Stevie Wonder.

The multi-hyphenate also performed “When Will I See You Again” on the show, in addition to an unreleased track he says is the first song he wrote about a childhood crush!

Legendary singer-songwriter Dionne Warwick has earned six Grammy Awards, has been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, and was the 2019 recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

During her appearance on the show, the prolific music artist revealed what it was like watching her documentary, “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” by herself in the Apollo Theater, where her career began.

She also recalled the time she nearly got arrested while on tour with Sam Cooke after stopping by a local restaurant in South Carolina for lunch.

“I sat down. I know I wasn’t supposed to sit down, but I did. I was told immediately ‘You can’t sit there’ by a waitress.” Her group was then directed to an area where they could stand to the side.

Dionne, who calls herself “a hoodlum” from East Orange, New Jersey, said she wouldn’t take this indignity lying down. “I told her to take the food we were gonna order and stick it up her — ” she stopped short, but you can imagine the rest.

Two or three minutes later, a police officer stopped Dionne and her group and got on their tour bus. Dionne spoke to him calmly but sternly and told him to get off the bus, and he did. She most certainly could have gotten arrested, but she knew she had to stand up for herself.

And that’s why she’s a legend!

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