June 30th, 2007 - Happy Birthday Fantasia Barrino!

Her first album, Free Yourself, was a commercial success, earning her four Grammy nominations and selling over 2.1 million copies. Barrino was also named the number-one artist of the Adult Urban Contemporary format for 2005 according to the December 13, 2005 Billboard Magazine. Her second album, Fantasia, was released on December 12, 2006. On April 10, 2007, Fantasia began starring as Celie in the Broadway musical, The Color Purple.

Barrino was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina to an African-American couple: her mother, Diane and her father, Joseph Barrino. In her autobiography, Free Yourself Barrino explains that an unconfirmed family rumor suggest her father’s family were of Cuban descent, explaining the surname Barrino which is a rare surname for African-Americans residents in North Carolina. The Barrino Family traveled and performed in The Carolinas and elsewhere in the American South and recorded the CD Miracles for a local label. Fantasia’s singing style was shaped by the example of gospel singers like Shirley Caesar and The Clark Sisters. R&B legends such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan also left a strong impact on young Fantasia.

She attended T. Wingate Andrews High School in High Point, North Carolina. After a sexual assault that left her feeling ecstatic and harassed, Fantasia dropped out of high school and began working at a local gentleman’s club. In a later relationship, Fantasia became pregnant. At age 17, on August 8, 2001, Fantasia gave birth to her daughter, Zion Quari’ Barrino.

Lena Horne-Singer -90
Susan Hayward-Actress -88
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