Saturday, December 1st, singer/actress/entrepreneur Jordin Sparks paid a visit to Carson's at North Riverside Mall to promote her latest fragrance, Ambition. C-Style sat down for a one-on-one with Sparks to talk about her latest venture, the success of her film 'Sparkle,' and her upcoming movie with fellow American Idol alum, Jennifer Hudson.
CS- "Tell us about Ambition. How did you become involved with doing this fragrance?"
JS- "When I was younger, my mom always had this really pretty perfume display on her vanity. I was always messing with it even when she told me not to. I've always been obsessed with fragrances, so when Preferred Fragrance came to me with an offer, I was like I would love to. I've been very hands on with everything. I didn't want it to be one of those things where they just made it and I was like, yeah, that's fine."
"Ambition, is a little more sophisticated. The other two were a little more fruity. It has a little more mature scent to it. Plus, I called it Ambition because that's where I am in my life right now. I kinda wanna do everything, take over everything!" She laughs.
CS- "Everyone knows that you starred in Sparkle along with Whitney Houston. I'm sure that experience was surreal. Tell me in a snapshot what that experience was like for you."
JS- "It came out yesterday on DVD." Sparks offers. "We filmed for about three months and the whole experience was so much fun. We did a lot of choreography and had a lot of rehearsals. For me it was my first film so I'd ask the other actors if there was anything they could help me with." She says. "But on the flip-side as soon as the performance came up I was like 'okay, I've got this!'
Growing more serious, Jordin talks about Whitney Houston. "Being in the same room with her was such an honor." She says. "I got the amazing opportunity to get to know her. To sit across from her and she'd be hugging me, or telling a joke or she'd be singing."
"We had a 4 a.m. start time and she'd come out and say, "How are my babies? Are my babies, good?" "She'd go back to her trailer and she'd have music blasting and she'd be singing and I'd think we're being serenaded by Whitney Houston!"
Sparks admits to getting chills just talking about it now. She also admits to being devastated when she heard that Houston had passed.
"I know how I felt after knowing her for only three months, so I can only imagine how her daughter (her family) felt." She reflects. "Yet, when I look back on it to say that I got the lead role in the film (Sparkle) and Whitney Houston played my mom--it can't get better than that."
CS- "I heard that you will be in an independent film starring Jennifer Hudson called 'The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister & Pete.'
JS- "It's an indie drama and I play an Afro-Latina from the Bronx. Jennifer plays the mother of the two kids that the story follows. I play one of the really good friends of her son. It follows them through their experiences during one summer in New York City. It's actually pretty gritty." She explains. "It's gonna make you feel things." She states. "It wrapped in August, so we should be seeing it out early next year."
Sparks explains that due to the shooting schedule, she and fellow American Idol alum, Jennifer Hudson, didn't get to film together.
CS- "You did the cover of People magazine in 2011 and everyone was like 'Wow! Look at Jordin Sparks!' What's been your secret to maintaining your look? What's been working for you"?
JS- "There isn't really a secret. It's just what you're eating and how much you're exercising and just balancing them together." She offers. "What helped with the change was that in 2010, I got really sick with walking pneumonia. When I finally went to the doctor he was like it's a good thing that I came in because I could have been hospitalized or worse."
Sparks says that was the turning point for her. She made the decision right then and there to make her health a priority. She remembers thinking, "I should be in the prime of my life right now. I should not be getting sick all the time."
Two years later, she explains how she maintains the changes. "If I go to the gym I know I have a little more leeway. If I don't (and I don't go to the gym every day) then I know I'll have to watch what I eat."
Jordin offers that her boyfriend (singing sensation Jason Derulo) also helps motivate her. "Jason helps drag me to the gym on the days when I don't want to go!"
CS- "What are your aspirations for 2013?"
JS- "It's crazy. It's really hard to think about 2013 because this past year has been the best year of my life. I hope 2013 can top this year because it's been so amazing!"
Sparks does reveal that she has a new album she is waiting the release of in 2013. Five years after she became the youngest winner in American Idol's history, she is definitely poised to hit her stride, and definitely full of ambition.
Pick up the Ambition set at Carson's or any Bon Ton store. You can also enter to win a gift package filled with Jordin's favorite things (value $1,000) when you like Carson's on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Carsons.
Pick up the newly released DVD of 'Sparkle' here.
Follow Jordin on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JordinSparks and on Twitter @JordinSparks.
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