Fantasia's Life
The Fantasia Story
 Bio - Summary Born on June 30, 1984, in High Point, North Carolina, Fantasia Barrino was raised in a tightly knit, religious family. Through church, she began to sing and discovered she loved it, taking advantage of any chance she had to perform. Though Fantasia never received any formal training, her voice matured as she did, and few days would pass without an hour or two of practice. Fantasia the young mom  In her late adolescence, Fantasia gave birth to a daughter, Zion. With only odd jobs available, the young mother struggled to make ends meet. Her grandmother gave her work at a daycare facility but instead of pay, the elder offered prayers that one day, things would be better for the young, small family. Fantasia does american idol season three  As Barrino followed the hype of seasons one and two of American Idol, she decided that if another season were to be filmed, she would try out at the nearest audition center. In 2004, this opportunity came and Fantasia auditioned in Atlanta, with only one real past performance under her belt -- a few months earlier she sang at an uncle's community event. Barrino wins american idol 3  As the three-month long journey drew to a close, Fantasia picked up steam and, despite nearly getting eliminated twice, made it to the finals against another young star, 16-year-old Diana DeGarmo. Thanks to her strong performances, including her own version of "I Believe," Fantasia was heavily favored to win the contest and, as most had predicted, she took home the prize during the season finale in late May 2004. A total of 65 million people voted, and she won by a margin of 1.3 million. Fantasia releases free yourself Crying and singing her way off stage, Fantasia had beat out 70,000 contestants and won a $1 million contract with Clive Davis' J Records. With "I Believe" as a launching pad and first release, Fantasia worked quickly to develop Free Yourself, a 13-track album released in November 2004. Fantasia works with missy elliott  Impressively, the album comes with some major-league support, including production by hip-hop stars Jermaine Dupri and Missy Elliott, and some writing help from another popular Idol personality, Tamyra Gray. Comments Whenever another season of American Idol debuts, our first instinct is to dismiss the whole process. Many of the winners and runners-up seem to fit the mold of a typical bubblegum pop star, with no unique personality or skill to call their own. Once we looked closer, however, we realized that this is not the case for all the contestants. Fantasia Barrino is perhaps the most special of all, with a personal story of struggle and triumph to match her incredible voice. Refreshingly, Fantasia is genuine; proof of this came during her very first minute as a star when, following the announcement that she was the winner of American Idol, she burst into tears and then laughed, proclaiming, "I broke my shoe!" This type of honesty is a boon for Fantasia's managers, who know they can bank on her being, well, Fantasia, for some time. And this may very well be all Ms. Barrino needs to succeed. Why we like her With originality, style and pizzazz, Fantasia Barrino stands out among her fellow young pop stars. Her emotional and powerful voice won over American Idol fans and is now wooing the rest of the country as well. American Idol 3's winner, Fantasia churned out great performance after great performance and beat out thousands of other contestants to win FOX's coveted music title. With a $1 million contract, she released Free Yourself, an album that highlighted her raspy, Macy Gray-like voice. This pop star, not yet of legal drinking age in most states, seems poised to achieve the type of success that previous AI winners have yet to achieve. "My lips are big, but my talent is bigger." - Fantasia Barrino This type of honesty is a boon for Fantasia's managers, who know they can bank on her being, well, Fantasia, for some time. And this may very well be all Ms. Barrino needs to succeed. Why we like her With originality, style and pizzazz, Fantasia Barrino stands out among her fellow young pop stars. Her emotional and powerful voice won over American Idol fans and is now wooing the rest of the country as well. American Idol 3's winner, Fantasia churned out great performance after great performance and beat out thousands of other contestants to win FOX's coveted music title. With a $1 million contract, she released Free Yourself, an album that highlighted her raspy, Macy Gray-like voice. This pop star, not yet of legal drinking age in most states, seems poised to achieve the type of success that previous AI winners have yet to achieve. "My lips are big, but my talent is bigger." - Fantasia Barrino |
Personality & Talent Don't be fooled; Fantasia may be a young woman who has had the highs and lows of fame and fortune fall on her lap, but she will not be disillusioned by it all. A mother since late adolescence, she has her daughter to keep her grounded and the maturity to handle the rigors of being in the public eye.However much "adult" Fantasia may be, it was the fact that she wears her emotions on her sleeve that really touched American Idol viewers. Her passion for music, love of performing and dedication to her art form shines through in every song she sings. Winning American Idol is all about who is the most talented, both vocally and as a performer/entertainer. Fantasia boasts a powerful voice, which at times sounds as raspy as Macy Gray's and at others, as pure as Patti LaBelle's. Though a singer first and dancer second, Barrino still has a couple of 1-2 steps that add to her performances as well. Overall, this music rookie often looks like a veteran when she's onstage, whether on American Idol or in concerts across America. Sexiness With a mouth like Julia Roberts' and lips only equal to Angelina Jolie's, it's obvious Fantasia's smile is her most endearing quality. In fact, her mouth is so big it makes us wonder why she doesn't swallow the microphone when singing. Accomplishments & Fame Beating out other young singers from around the country on one of TV's most highly-rated shows is no small feat, but it does not guarantee a long and fruitful career. It does guarantee a $1 million recording contract, which Fantasia has taken full advantage of, releasing the album Free Yourself in November 2004.With established producers and songwriters lending a hand, Fantasia's album has more to offer than just the hit single "I Believe," which was performed on American Idol. If she can use this album and her success on the "American Idols Live" tour as a springboard, the future will be as dazzling as her smile. Natural Beauty Look at the pictures of Fantasia inside Free Yourself's CD jacket and you'll see that she was born with more than just a great voice. Her bright eyes, big smile and dimples clue you in to her young age, but her slender body makes you realize that she's all grown up, especially when she prowls around onstage. Personal Style Basic fashionable styles highlight what tickles Fantasia's fancy when it comes to clothes. On American Idol, she wore form-fitting dresses tied behind her neck with a plunging neckline. She's also worn revealing, one-strap blouses, fur jackets with tight pants, and an array of leather jacket-with-jeans combos. Never too subtle, never too outlandish, Fantasia seems to get it right most of the time. Fantasia's Book "Life Is Not A Fairy Tale" by Fantasia Fantasia tells of her astonishing rise from hopeless high school dropout to American Idol fans superstar in the inspirational New York Times bestseller "Life Is Not a Fairy Tale."In one moment, with one tearful performance of "Summertime," the then nineteen-year-old Fantasia captured the hearts -- and the votes -- of millions of American Idol fans. Her powerful voice and independent style made her an overnight national sensation. But life wasn't always sensational for Fantasia. At the age of seventeen, despite the promise of her extraordinary voice, Fantasia was in danger of becoming just another sad statistic: an uneducated, unmarried teenage mother living in the projects. But Fantasia had been raised by two strong, influential women: Both her grandmother and mother are preachers, and she was raised with an unshakable faith. In Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, Fantasia speaks -- with a spirit as strong as her voice -- about what it takes to believe in the power of one's self. She turns all that she's learned into uplifting life lessons, including: • Recognize your gift • You made your bed, now lie in it • Give props where props are due • Like mother, like daughter • It ain't about the bling Fantasia keeps it real with her sassy, self-confident style and down-to-earth advice, making readers laugh and cry with her. Life Is Not a Fairy Tale is more than just a celebrity success story. It's a book of revelations that will inspire all readers to reach for their greatest potential.
Film The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale
Fantasia Barrino was a teenage dropout who had no money, no education and no chance at a real future. At 16, Fantasia found herself in an abusive relationship that left her pregnant and lost. But she refused to give up on her dreams. This is the true story of how this inspiring young single mom used her incredible voice to become an American Idol, as well as a 4x Grammy®-nominated, multi-platinum selling recording artist. Not only will Fantasia play herself in this New Lifetime Original Movie with an all-star cast, but she'll sing too. Acclaimed Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-winning choreographer, director and actress Debbie Allen directs this inspiring tale.
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