Fantasia (singer)

Fantasia
Barrino in The American Idol Experience motorcade at Walt Disney World in 2009
Born
Fantasia Monique Barrino

(1984-06-30) June 30, 1984 (age 40)
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation
Singer
  • actress
Years active2004–present
Spouse
Kendall Taylor
​
(m. 2015)​
Children3
Relatives
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websitefantasiaofficial.com

Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984),[2] known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American singer and actress. 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.[3] Following her victory, Barrino became the second woman to have her first single debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill, when her debut single "I Believe", launched atop the chart.[4][5] Her accolades include two Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy Award, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award.[6] In 2024, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people.[7]

Barrino's debut album Free Yourself (2004), was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album garnered three Grammy Award nominations, including Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for her recording of "Summertime". She went on to release the hit single "When I See U", from her second album Fantasia (2006), recorded the duet "Put You Up on Game" with Aretha Franklin in 2007, and released later albums Back to Me (2010) and Side Effects of You (2013), with both peaking at number-two on the Billboard 200. Her single "Bittersweet", won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2011.

Barrino 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.[8][9] She portrayed Celie Johnson in the Broadway musical The Color Purple from 2007 to 2008, which earned her a Theatre World Award for Best Debut Performance. She reprised her role in the 2023 film adaptation, for which she earned nominations for a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actress[10][11] and won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture.

  1. ^ "Who is Fantasia Barrino? Husband and His Fortune, Here's All You Need to Know". Naija News. April 6, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (August 18, 2006). "Fantasia: An 'Idol' Dreamgirl's Hard-Knock Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Trust, Gary (January 19, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "The Number Ones: Fantasia's "I Believe"". Stereogum. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (August 18, 2006). "Fantasia: An 'Idol' Dreamgirl's Hard-Knock Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "Taraji P. Henson Blown Away By 'TIME' 2024 Most Influential People List Honoree Fantasia: 'The Sky's The Limit'". Billboard. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Parham, Marti (August 21, 2006). "Fantasia leads a star-studded cast in her TV life story". Jet. Vol. 110, no. 7. pp. 56–60.
  9. ^ Sierra, Gabrielle. "COLOR PURPLE With Fantasia Barrino Gets Extended Thru 8/9 At Kennedy Center". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  10. ^ "Fantasia Barrino sings her face off in lackluster 'The Color Purple'". EW.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks to Lead The Color Purple Movie Musical". Playbill. Retrieved May 22, 2023.