THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

225-Jennifer Holliday-And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.

1982-Number 32 single.

Best Bit-At 2.27. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ is one of the songs written by Tom Eyen (1940-1991) who wrote the lyrics, and Henry Krieger, who wrote the music for the 1981 Broadway musical ‘Dreamgirls.’ Tom Eyen was a prolific writer and director of plays, having already produced dozens in the 1960’s, and 1970’s, including his first encounter with Henry Krieger in 1975, for the musical version of ‘The Dirtiest Show in Town,’ called ‘The Dirtiest Musical in Town.’ In 1981 Eyen again joined forces with Krieger, and also the musical director Michael Bennett (1943-1987) to write the book, and the lyrics for ‘Dreamgirls.’

‘Dreamgirls’ tells the story of a fictitious African/American girl group called ‘The Dreamettes,’ and deals with their rise to fame in the early 1960’s, and all of their subsequent struggles along the way. Many critics have pointed out the glaring similarity to that of the real life story of ‘Diana Ross and the Supremes, (see also best songs 1001-900-519-411-365-212-183-148 and 28) but Eyen strongly denies this, probably in order to avoid lawsuits from the Supremes, and the Motown corporation. Instead Eyes states that ‘The Dreamettes’ are based on many girl groups of the era such as the Shirelles, the Chiffons, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Eyes has also stated that many of the male characters are based on artists such as Stevie Wonder and Little Richard, and others. In 2006 ‘Dreamgirls was made into a film starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, (see also best songs 800 and 23) and Eddie Murphy among it’s star cast.

‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ became the highlight of the Broadway Musical ‘Dreamgirls’ when performed by Jennifer Holliday at the end of Act 1, between 1981-1983. Holliday was portraying the character of Effie White a singer with the girl group who had now had their name shortened to ‘The Dreams.’ The song is about the character Effie White begging her lover Curtis Taylor Jr., who is also the bands manager not to end their professional and romantic relationship, as he will never know a greater love, the song was regularly staged to thunderous applause.

Due to the songs popularity it was released as a single by Jennifer Holliday in 1982, and reached Number 22 in America on Billboard. Holliday who was born Jennifer Yvette Holliday on October 19th, 1960 in Houston, Texas, United States, has since gone on to release seven studio Albums between 1983-2014, and 23 singles, with this song remaining her only chart hit to date. Following the success of the film in 2006, Jennifer Hudson who was making her film debut playing the part of Effie White released her version of ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ as her debut single, the song would peak at Number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hudson’s follow up single ‘Spotlight’ gave her, her only chart success to date when reaching Number 24 on Billboard, and Number 11 in the UK in 2008, co-incidentally ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ reached a peak position of Number 32 in the UK for both Holliday and Hudson. On June 26th, 2007 at the ‘7th Annual Black Entertainment Television Awards’ Jennifer Holiday, and Jennifer Hudson performed ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ a a duet for the first time together.

‘Tear down the mountains, yell, scream and shout, you can say what you want I’m not walkin’ out. Stop all the rivers, push, strike, and kill, I’m not gonna leave you,there’s no way I will.’