Fantasia Barrino

Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer. She rose to prominence in 2004 for her performance of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime" during the third season of American Idol, and eventually became that season's winner. Following her victory, Barrino became the second woman to have their first single debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill, when her debut single "I Believe", launched atop the chart. Her debut album Free Yourself (2004), went on to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered her three nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2006, Barrino released her second album Fantasia, that featured the single "When I See U", which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight weeks. Her third studio album Back to Me (2010), spawned the hit single "Bittersweet", which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Barrino's fourth album Side Effects of You (2013), debuted at number-two on the Billboard 200, and included the song "Lose to Win". She released her New York Times Best-Selling autobiography Life Is Not a Fairy Tale (2005), which was adapted into the 2006 television film which she starred in. She has also starred in the Broadway musicals The Color Purple (2007–2008) and After Midnight (2013). She is set to make her feature film debut, reprising the role of Celie in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple. Early life and education Barrino was born to Diane and Joseph Barrino and raised in High Point, North Carolina. She began singing at the age of five. R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo are her first cousins. Her uncles, The Barrino Brothers, were a 1970s R&B band.