Fantasia Barrino
Bio
An American Idol? Fantasia is happy to simply have a smile on her face.
Born and raised in High Point, North Carolina, Fantasia began singing in her church with her family at the age of five. The Barrinos travelled and performed in The Carolinas and elsewhere, recording the CD Miracles for a local label. Fantasia's singing style was shaped by the example of gospel artists such as Shirley Caesar and The Clark Sisters.
Then, things turned difficult. A sexual assault forced Barrino to drop out of high school. In a later relationship, she became pregnant. At age 17, on August 8, 2001, Fantasia gave birth to Zion Quari' Barrino. While she and her boyfriend tried to make life as a family work, the rocky relationship did not last. Fantasia was left as an unemployed single teenage mother.
Through it all, Barrino remained strong. And her family remained in the business.
Fantasia's brothers Ricco and JoJo formed the group Infinite 3 and became driving forces behind the Othaz Records label in Greensboro, NC. In July 2006, Othaz Records signed a distribution deal with Universal Music Group. Currently, Ricco is a backup singer in Fantasia's touring band.
