Fantasia Barrino News

Another American Idol finalist has been dropped from her record label.

The fate has befallen Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Blake Lewis.

Now, Fantasia Barrino has reportedly been dropped from 19 Management. The reason for the split, according to Entertainment Weekly sources, is "creative differences."

This comes as a surprise because - given the poor climate for record sales - Fantasia's albums have done fairly well. Her debut, Free Yourself, sold almost twp million copies, and the follow-up, 2006's Fantasia, went gold and garnered three Grammy nominations.

We'll have plenty to say about the impending showdown between David Cook and David Archuleta in the days leading up to next week's final.

For now, though, let's go back to last night - and the performance of Fantasia Barrino on the show. Wow!

The former American Idol champion scared the heck out of Simon Cowell by sporting red hair as she sang the song "Bore Me." Check out the rendition NOW.

What did you think of Fantasia's performance, as well as her new look?

There's not much to say about the new look for former American Idol champion Fantasia Barrino. You have to see it for yourself.

What do you think of this look? We must admit: we prefer to look at Amy Davis photos. That new Idol contestant isn't unattractive.

A trio of past American Idol favorites are up for American Music Awards. In the ceremony, to be broadcast live from L.A. on November 18, you can tune in to see if any of the following took home trophies.

Chris Daughtry received three nominations. He's up for Favorite Breakthrough Artist and Favorite Artist: Adult Contemporary Music. The self-titled album, “Daughtry,” is up for Favorite Album: Pop or Rock.

Daughtry will also be performing on the show.

Also, American Idol 4 chamption Carrie Underwood is up for Favorite Female Artist: Country, while her album “Some Hearts” is nominated for Favorite Album: Country.

Lastly, American Idol 3 winner Fantasia is up for Favorite Female Artist: Soul/Rhythm & Blues.

We wish them all the best of luck!

Fantasia Barrino recently opened up about her run in The Color Purple on Broadway.

"I never thought I'd be on Broadway!" said Fantasia in the September 10 issue of OK! Weekly. "The Color Purple was the first show I ever saw. It's hard work, but it's an amazing thing to do."

The 23-year-old joined the cast of Oprah Winfrey's Tony Award-winning Broadway show in April, playing the role of Miss Celie,the abused young woman played by Whoopi Goldberg in Steven Spielberg's 1985 big-screen adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

"I know how it feels to think you're nothing or ugly, so I put myself back into the time when I felt that way," Fantasia said about how she relates to Celie. "Sometimes I don't want to do that, but it makes it easier to play her."

This American Idol's original run in The Color Purple was only supposed to last until October; however the show's producers extended her stay in the cast until January 2008 because it received a box-office boost after she joined the production.

"Sometimes I don't know how I make it through," Fantasia said. "When my body wants to quit, I have to say, 'Okay, just keep pushing.' Once I get on stage and I see and hear the audience, I get some energy."

Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul have already seen Fantasia's Broadway debut in The Color Purple, but fellow judge Simon Cowell has yet to make an appearance.

"Maybe he's afraid he's going to watch it and shed a tear!" Fantasia joked.

Following her run in The Color Purple, Fantasia said she plans on going on tour in the U.S. and abroad.

"Music is my first love," she said. "I really miss it."

Fantasia Barrino is doing rather well for herself.

The American Idol winner will be starring in The Color Purple on Broadway for many more months.

Therefore, we doubt she cares a lot about how people grade her fashion selections. Nevertheless, take a look below. She's wearing the same dress as R & B singer, Cassie. And we're just curious:

Who looks better in it, Fantasia or Cassie? 

Because individual label announcements of gold and platinum awards usually precede the official releases from the RIAA, this news will surprise few fans. But the June list of RIAA certifications came out today, and two Idols are on the album award list.

Daughtry's self-titled debut album, Daughtry, is certified for triple platinum (3 million copies shipped). It has sold 2.88 million, according to SoundScan, so the shipment-sales gap will close shortly.

Meanwhile, second album from Fantasia Barrino gets a gold award (500,000 copies). It has actually sold 431,000 and has been selling around 6,000 copies a week lately, so assuming it maintains that pace or close to it, three months ought to bring it to actual gold sales status.

So much for joining a new play.

American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, who received rave reviews for Broadway bow as Celie in The Color Purple, has extended her run with the musical at the Broadway Theater through 2008.

The acclaimed singer, who was originally scheduled to depart in October, will now stay with the production through Jan. 6, 2008, according to a press announcement.

Fantasia won American Idol in May 2004, in the show's third season, defeating Diana DeGarmo in the final round, who has subsequently appeared on Broadway in Hairspray. Fantasia went on to release two solo albums, "Free Yourself" in 2004 and "Fantasia" in December 2006.

Fantasia previously spoke to Playbill.com about playing the role of Celie, which was created on Broadway by Tony winner LaChanze.

"If you really put yourself in her shoes," Fantasia said, "that can be very tiring. It can take a lot of energy out of you. I know when I get off the stage at night from shows, I'm exhausted. I run to my room, and I fall on the couch, and I have to take at least about ten minutes to wind down and to get my thoughts together and come out of the part of Celie."

Great news for audiences that adore Fantasia Barrino in The Color Purple: the American Idol songstress is in talks to extend her time on Broadway with a new show.

 The New York Daily News says the singer is negotiating with the producers of a big musical to be based on the life of Ada (Bricktop) Smith, an African-American expatriate in Paris in the 1920s who became a nightlife queen.

Bricktop's is a great story. She rose from humble beginnings in Alderson, W. Va., to become the toast of Paris in the Roaring '20s, where she was first employed overseas by Cole Porter to teach dances such as the Charleston at his parties.

By 1929, she owned her own nightclubs such as The Music Box, Le Grand Duc and her famous Chez Bricktop, where she entertained Porter, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Porter wrote "Miss Otis Regrets" for her.

Chuck Seffan's doing the lyrics for the musical, and composer Ron Abel will weave together new arrangements of the era's great jazz standards along with his original tunes.

Abel will announce the project Sunday night at Birdland during a performance of his hits and original music he has composed for the show, to be sung by Michele Lee, Lucie Arnaz, Valerie Pettiford, Billy Stritch and Sally Hayes.

He'll be joined by the show's producers, Paul Lambert and Jonas Neilson - who are also working on a Broadway version of The First Wives Club - with composer Marvin Hamlisch expected in the audience. Barrino's management says she hasn't yet brought the project to their attention and confirm that she will remain in The Color Purple through the end of the year.

Meanwhile, those working on Bricktop hope the show will hit Broadway in early 2009 after a trial run in Chicago.

How is former American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino doing on Broadway in The Color Purple? Just listen to the praise of veteran critic Clive Barnes of The New York Post:

"That she could sing, we knew," the 80-year-old wrote in Friday's edition. "But that she could act, and act so wonderfully, so tenderly, so touchingly, so effortlessly - that came as a surprise."

Barnes, who began his career as a critic in England in 1956, served as the New York Times' drama critic from 1967-77 and the New York Post's since 1978, confesses in his review:

"I feel a lot in the theater - I wouldn't stick in this business if I didn't - but usually I don't cry. With this performance, I found tears running down my cheeks... If you haven't seen The Color Purple, see it now; if you have seen it, see it again. Something extraordinary is happening at the Broadway Theatre that is not to be missed."

It doesn't get much better than that. Jennifer Hudson might have a new person to be jealous of.