Fantasia Barrino

Guide Note

Fantasia Barrino is an American R&B/Soul singer and actress. She won season three of American Idol, beating out Diana DeGarmo on the series finale. She released her debut album, Free Yourself, in November, 2004. Her first single off of the album was "I Believe."

Barrino most recently starred in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, as the lead role of Celie. On March 5, 2008, she announced that Oprah Winfrey had selected her to portray Celie in The Color Purple Movie Musical. It will begin production once Barrino completes her newest album, as yet untitled. It is slated to be released in late 2008, early 2009.

Fast Facts

1. Full Name: Fantasia Monique Barrino
2. Born: June 30, 1984
3. Season: Three on American Idol
4. Placed: 1st (WINNER!)
5. Audition City: Atlanta, Georgia
6. First cousin to K-Ci and JoJo of the group Jodeci
7. Has one daughter

Barrino portrayed herself in Life Is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, which aired on the Lifetime network on April 19, 2006. It was Lifetime's second highest viewed movie of all time. The movie was based on the book by the same name, which she dictated to a freelance writer. In it she revealed she was illiterate.

• 2004: Free Yourself US#2
• 2006: Fantasia US#19