(CNN)Jennifer Hudson has Aretha Franklin to thank, in part, for her career.Hudson first came to fame in 2004 as a finalist on "American Idol." She auditioned for the reality singing competition with Franklin's song, "Share Your Love With Me."Fast forward to 2021 and Hudson is now a Grammy winning singer and an Academy Award winning actress whom Franklin handpicked to portray her in the biopic "Respect" prior to her death in 2018.