Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984), or simply Fantasia, is a multiple Grammy Award-nominated R&B/soul singer and award-winning Broadway actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the television series American Idol in 2004. Her first album, Free Yourself, was certified double platinum and received four Grammy nominations. Her second album, Fantasia, was certified gold, received three Grammy nominations and featured the 8-week #1 Billboard Hot R&B hit "When I See U." On April 10, 2007, Fantasia made her stage debut as Celie in the Broadway musical, The Color Purple.

Fantasia Monique Barrino, or simply Fantasia (born June 30, 1984 in High Point, North Carolina), is an African-American rhythm and blues singer, who came to fame as the winner of the third season of the television series American Idol. In September 2005, Fantasia published her memoir (which she dictated to a freelance writer), Life is Not a Fairy Tale. In it she revealed that she is functionally illiterate. She discussed this in an interview on 20/20, saying she hadn’t been able to read contra