Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor 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 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 followed it with the release of the hit single “When I See U”, from her second album Fantasia (2006).
Afterwards, she recorded the duet “Put You Up on Game” alongside Aretha Franklin. Barrino 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 earned acclaim for her portrayal of Celie Johnson, after replacing LaChanze in the original Broadway musical production of The Color Purple from 2007 to 2008.
She reprised the role in her film debut in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple, which has earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award.
Fantasia Age
Fantasia was born Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor June 30, 1984 to Diane and Joseph Barrino and raised in High Point, North Carolina. She began singing at the age of five. R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo are her first cousins. Her uncles, The Barrino Brothers, were a 1970s R&B band
Despite the travels, she attended Andrews High School in High Point, North Carolina. Feeling embarrassed and harassed after she was raped by a classmate, she dropped out of high school. She became pregnant at 16, and on August 8, 2001, she gave birth to a daughter with her ex-boyfriend Brandel Shouse.
Fantasia Net Worth
As of December 2023, Fantasia’s net worth is approximately $500 thousand. If you were expecting a bigger number for Fantasia’s net worth, unfortunately the singer has been very vocal about her financial struggles over the years.
In 2013 she handed the keys to her home over to a bank reportedly to prevent foreclosure, and she has filed for bankruptcy at least once.
In a June 2019 interview, Fantasia stated: “A lot of celebrities look like they have money, but in real life they don’t have much. I lost everything twice.”
Fantasia Husband
Fantasia Barrino has been married to Kendall Taylor since 2015. He is the COO of a courier service and a mentor for an offenders facility. The couple tied the knot after just three weeks of knowing each other.
Talk about a whirlwind romance! Barrino gushed about her husband when she went out on tour in 2019 and was impressed with everything he did to make it a success.
“He comes out and makes sure everything is running smoothly, makes sure I still got that big Kool-Aid smile on my face,” she said. She went on to say that she “saw the king in him and he saw the queen in me.”
Fantasia Children
Fantasia Barrino has three children: Zion, Dallas, and Keziah. Zion is her daughter from a previous relationship, who is around 21 years old.
Dallas is her son, also from a previous relationship, who was born in 2011. Keziah is her daughter with her husband Kendall Taylor, who was born in 2021.
Fantasia Parents
Her parents are Diane and Joseph Barrino, who are both African-American. They raised her in High Point, North Carolina. She belonged to a musically inclined family.
Her uncles were part of ‘The Barrino Brothers,’ who played R&B music in the 1970s. She was influenced by this family trait and started singing at the age of 5.
In 2006, her father sued her for $10 million for libel, claiming that her memoir, Fantasia: Life Is Not a Fairytale, contained false and malicious untruths about him and his family. The lawsuit was later settled out of court
Fantasia Siblings
She has two brothers: Ricco Barrino and Xavier Barrino. Ricco is also a singer and songwriter who has collaborated with artists such as T.I., Young Jeezy, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Xavier is a motorcycle enthusiast who survived a near-fatal accident in 2017 and has been recovering ever since.
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