Jennifer Holliday, And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 47th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we highlight “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” performed by Jennifer Holliday.

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 47^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2024), we dive into “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”,  the one-hit wonder by Jennifer Holliday.

“And I am tellin’ you I’m not going / You’re the best man I’ll ever know / There’s no way I can ever go.” When you think of Jennifer Holliday, one song, and one song only comes to mind:  “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”.  Holliday, playing Effie White, performed the big demanding ballad in the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls.  The Henry Krieger (music) and Tom Eyen (lyrics) penned song is the crown jewel from Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album. “And I Am Telling You” is Holliday’s sole top 40 hit.  It peaked at no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Deservedly, Holliday won her first Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female at the 25^th Annual GRAMMY Awards.  Take one listen to her dynamic, expressive performance on “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” and there is no way that she could’ve been denied! She beat out iconic singers performing epic singles including Deniece Williams (“It’s Gonna Take a Miracle”), Diana Ross (“Muscles”), and Patrice Rushen (“Forget Me Nots”). Notably, she was also nominated for Best New Artist, though lost to Men At Work.

If you’ve seen Holliday perform “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” you can tell she infuses every ounce of herself.  Her performance is gritty and soulful and exhibits top-notch musicianship.  A ‘big’ song, few vocalists can bring the punch needed to successfully deliver this Broadway classic. Holliday makes us believe every word.  “Darlin’, there’s no way / No, no, no, no way / I’m livin’ without you,” she sings, spiritedly, confirming her love for “the best man I’ll ever know.” In the bridge, she remains unshakable, dramatically asserting, “Tear down the mountains / Yell, scream, and shout / You can say what you want / I’m not walking out.” Word.  The chorus, of course, is the crème de la crème.  Still, the outro seals the deal: “Love me / Love me / Love me / Love me / You’re gonna love me.” Besides winning a Grammy for her once-in-a-lifetime performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”, Holliday won the Tony for Actress (Musical).  Effie White and “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” would also benefit Jennifer Hudson in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.  Holliday may be a ‘one-hit wonder,’ but who wouldn’t kill for this juggernaut to be their sole pop hit?

Various Artists // Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album // Universal Music Enterprises // 1982

Jennifer Holliday, And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 47 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Antoni Shkraba, KoolShooters, Pavel Danilyuk, Photo By: Kaboompics.com, RDNE Stock project from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]