Fantasia

Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), 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. 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. Her accolades include two Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy Award, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and three American Music Awards.Barrino’s debut album Free Yourself (2004), went on to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered three Grammy Award nominations. She released of 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. 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.

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