Fantasia was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina, to Joseph & Diane Barrino. In her autobiography, Life Is Not a Fairytale, Fantasia explains that a family rumor suggests her father's family was of Cuban and Trinidadian descent, explaining the surname Barrino (a rare surname for African Americans in North Carolina).

The Barrino Family traveled and performed in the Carolinas and Read more...

Fantasia made an immediate impression on American Idol with her stylized, gospel influenced sound, and her explosive stage presence. Her audition version of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" made her an early favorite in the competition. Her standout performance during the course of the show was a heartfelt staging, begun seated, of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime" that left her in tears from "feeling Read more...

In June 2004, Fantasia released her debut single, "I Believe", which later debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. This number-one debut made Fantasia the first artist in history to achieve this with a first single. On the sales chart, the single spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one, giving it the longest consecutive stay on top of that chart for an American Idol contestant. The Read more...