Jennifer Hudson tour hits the road with Robin Thicke

Jennifer Hudson’s first official tour will be a co-headlining affair. The Grammy and Academy Award winner will launch a six-week tour this spring with fellow R&B artist Robin Thicke.

The Robin Thicke – Jennifer Hudson Tour will hit both coasts of the United States, launching with a March 31 concert at Palace Theater in Albany, NY. Ticket sales for the opening show begin tomorrow, February 18.

Nearly 20 concerts are booked through a May 8 performance at Verizon Theatre in Houston, TX. Other tour stops include an April 5 concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, an April 10 show at WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, an April 25 event at Arie Crown in Hudson’s native Chicago, IL, and a May 2 stand at Nokia Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles, CA.

“I am so grateful,” Hudson said in a statement. “My first Grammy and my first tour, it doesn’t get any better than this!”

The former American Idol contestant is touring behind her eponymous September 2008 debut, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was RIAA-certified Gold just two months after its release. The effort earned Hudson a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, as well as NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding New Artist, Outstanding Album and Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration for her duet with Idol winner Fantasia on the track “I’m His Only Woman.”

Hudson’s recent successes follow the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew in October 2008. The singer spent several months out of the public eye before making a triumphant and widely acclaimed return singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIII.

Thicke, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and producer, is touring behind his fourth studio album “Something Else.” The album hit stores in September 2008 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with a matching position on the R&B charts. He started promoting his album on the road during the fall 2008 Love-Soul Tour with Mary J. Blige.

Jennifer Hudson & Robin Thicke itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)