Hudson 'nearly quit music after murders'

Jennifer Hudson nearly quit her career in the music industry after members of her family were murdered last October, it has emerged.

Fellow American Idol contestant Fantasia Barrino has revealed that Hudson was tempted to stop performing, despite her song 'Spotlight' reaching number one in the US.

"What happened to her was such a tragic thing. I remember her telling me that she didn't even feel like singing. (She had) a hot song and a fresh video but none of that really mattered," Barrino told Essence magazine.

Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason were shot dead in their family home in Chicago. The body of Hudson's seven-year-old nephew Julian King was later found in an abandoned car.

"I know she can't forget about what happened, but a lot of people were praying for her and it worked. She's up now; she's up. She's moving. I'm just happy she's back on the mic," Barrino continued.

Hudson later claimed that returning to music had been like "therapy".

"When you're in a room full of people who love you, all that energy in the room comes to you. The feeling just takes over. Music is who I am," she said.