American actress/singer Jennifer Hudson has given her first interview since tragedy struck back in October 2008. The “Spotlight” singer suffered a mammoth blow when her mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in their home late last year, with the Oscar winner’s seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, also found dead days later.

Now, the 27-year-old Dreamgirls star said she’s “in a very good place,” confessing to TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey that she’s, “Just glad to be back and be back to work again. Just doing what I love to do is like therapy.”

While Hudson did not directly reference the killings, she did perform her latest single, “If This Isn’t Love”, and said that winning the recent Grammy for Best R&B Album – presented to her by Whitney Houston – was a life-time achievement.

“As soon as she stepped out on the stage, I lost it,” Hudson said of spotting the “The Greatest Love Of All” diva. “That’s when I got emotional,” Hudson admitting she used to sing along with Houston’s records when practising for “American Idol”. Hudson is currently in the midst of planning her wedding to fiancé, David Otunga, while also working on new tracks.