Biography

Third Season American Idol Winner of 2004.

Her cousins are R&B singers K-Ci (Cedric Hailey) and JoJo (Joel Hailey) who formed the singing group Jodeci along with the DeGrate brothers in 1990.

Auditioned for the role of Effie White in the movie Dreamgirls (2006), but lost out to Jennifer Hudson.

Though the surname "Barrino" has often been speculated as being of Hispanic (specifically Cuban) origin, Fantasia's patrilineal "Barrino" ancestors have lived in North Carolina since the 1800s, and were not of Hispanic origin. The surname was likely originally spelled "Barrineau".

Gave birth to her first child at age 17, a daughter Zion Quari Barrino on August 8, 2001. Child's father is her ex-boyfriend, Brandel Shouse.

[From her book "Life is Not a Fairy Tale"] I like to go to the ocean and see the miracles that God has created. It reminds me of His power. He can do anything, like pulling me up from where I came, taking me through what I have been through, and bringing me to this point -- the point where I prayed to be my whole life.

[on Oprah Winfrey, being her mentor] Oprah gave me a lot of advice. She sat me down ... Just, you know, how a lady should carry herself. How to manage your money. How to not put your trust in everybody. Just watch your back. But most of all, you have to watch what you do. You have to carry yourself in such a way. You have to just watch your every move and carry yourself as a lady. So other young ladies who are watching you will know this is how you do it.

[on being sexually assaulted at age 16] And my mom comes upstairs and she says, "Something is wrong with you." I wouldn't even talk. She says, "Have you been touched?" I still said nothing. I laid in that bed for two days. I wouldn't even go to school.

[on the judges who knew about Corey Clark volatile behavior on and off 'American Idol'] Judges were kept at a distance, with contact limited to maybe sometimes, after the show, they would hug us or say something to us.

[on Corey Clark's restrictions] Let me tell you this: That house was like a prison, but a good prison. They have somebody who sits (and watches), and they had security guards working in shifts. There's no way you can sneak out because there's a gate around the house. We had a curfew. We could leave the house if we weren't working, but we had to be back at certain time ... or you would get in big trouble the next day.