In terms of her personal life Barrino published a memoir, dictated to a freelance writer, titled Life is Not a Fairytale. The book became a New York Times best seller, reaching number seven on the list. In it, she revealed that she is functionally illiterate and was thus unable to read the text of contracts she signed or to read to her then four year old daughter. In 2006, following the release of her autobiography, Barrino’s father sued her for $10 million after she said unflattering things about him in the book that he claimed were false. Lately, things have not been great for Fantasia. In March, she gave birth to a baby, with boyfriend Antwaun Cook, but one of the online tabloids has exclusively learned the father is having second thoughts and is actively pursuing his estranged wife, Paula Cook. According to a family insider, Antwaun regrets giving up on Paula and their two children and while Paula is very hurt by what he did to their family, she is not staying away from him either. 

Fantasia is having a tough time right now, because she does not want to reveal the name of the father. Even so, she has been linked on and off to Cook who has been separated from his wife. What many people do not know is that the winner of the third season of American Idol even attempted suicide in August 2010, after Paula Cook named her in an alienation of affection lawsuit calling her a home wrecker. In November of the same year, Fantasia testified in family court about her relationship with Cook, and in August she announced she was pregnant delivering the news to a concert audience while she was onstage. Fantasia Barrino decided not to give the newborn son the last name of his father. 

Fantasia Barrino was born in June, 1984, in High Point, North Carolina. The star has actually always been a writer, in 2005 publishing her first book. Life Is Not a Fairy Tale is a memoir book so much appreciated that it became a New York Times best seller. The autobiography of Fantasia Barrino has managed to cause quite a huge public scandal. So, the singer’s father decided to sue his daughter, for defamation. He claimed that much of the story Fantasia Barrino shared in her book regarding her relationship with him was untrue. He asked the sum of $10 million in damage. However, the allegations over untrue claims regarding her father is not the only scandal that Fantasia Barrino had to face. In 2010 it was discovered that the singer has been involved in a long time relationship with a married man, Antwaun Cook. However, Fantasia Barrino always said that the two began dating only after Cook and his wife separated. Fantasia Barrino was actually sued by Cook’s ex-wife, who claimed that the star pursued a relationship with her husband, although she knew about the marriage. A judge pronounced in the favor of Fantasia Barrino.

In August 2010, Fantasia Barrino was hospitalized. So, a new scandal was to affect the singer’s public image. It was claimed that she took an aspirin overdose to help her sleep. It seems that the star was exhausted and was unable to rest, so she turned to the help of pills. The whole event was considered to be an attempt of suicide. Fantasia Barrino herself declared that she was able to survive the incident only due to her love and passion for music. Music saved her, as the star declared back then. However, scandals did not stopped here. In August 2011, the singer announced to be pregnant, but refused to confirm Cook as the father of her child.

Fantasia Barrino impressed the American Idol judges with a unique version of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary, thereby making her an early favourite in the competition. The standout performance during the course of the show was a heartfelt staging of the Porgy and Bess standard Summertime. Her interpretation was named amongst the greatest moment in television. For the final performance of the American Idol season, Fantasia Barrino offered a second performance of Summertime, that again drew praise from the judges. Simon Cowell was very impressed and acknowledged that she was the best contestant ever, since the show began its first global incarnations.

Fantasia Barrino was one of the youngest American Idols that won the show. That is, until the 17-year old Jordin Sparks won the title.
In 2006, Fantasia Barrino was nominated for three Grammy Awards for her debut album. Although she did not win any awards, Fantasia Barrino performed at the 48th annual telecast with several worldwide artists, such as Aerosmith, Joss Stone, John Legend, Maroon 5, and Ciara.

In 2007, Fantasia Barrino appeared and performed on American Idol, and announced that she would be starring in the lead role of Celie, in the Broadway musical The Colour Purple, the hit musical based on the Pulitzer Prize winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. After Fantasia Barrino appeared on American Idol and The Oprah Winfrey Show, the musical received a boost of over two million in pre-ticket sales in one week. The third album of Fantasia Barrino Back to Me, was released on August 24, 2010. Fantasia Barrino cited Tina Turner, Queen and Aretha Franklin as influences, and like the musicians she admired from their era, she recorded her albums with a live band. Fantasia Barrino is a promising young artists, who will make a name in the music industry.

Since Fantasia Barrino launched the album in 2004, Free Yourself went platinum in terms of sales in America and was highly appreciated by critics everywhere. One of he most relevant appreciation that the album received was the nomination for over twenty awards, out of which four were Grammy Awards. These have proven that Fantasia Barrino is a great artist and that she can make a career in the entertainment industry and not be a one-hit-wonder. Free Yourself  by Fantasia Barrino includes 13 tracks, out of which 5 became singles: Truth Is, Baby Mama, Free Yourself, It’s All Good, Ain’t Gon’ Beg You. These five hit singles made the most splashes in charts and on the radio stations, being played continuously everywhere and known to all R&B lovers around the world.

Fantasia Barrino was also awarded two great trophies for the album Free yourself. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers issued two awards for her at the R&B / Hip-Hop Awards, in 2006, for the songs Free Yourself and Truth Is. Thus, Fantasia Barrino and her first album made a great impression on the music industry and her following releases only came to show what was already visible – that she is an amazing artist.

Right form her first interpretations, Fantasia Barrino got several awards for the song I Believe. In 2004, she won the Top Selling Single of the Year and the Top Selling R&B / Hip-Hop Single of the Year, at the Billboard Music Awards. The following year, many nominations came her way, but Fantasia Barrino only received two trophies, one for Outstanding Female Artist, at the NAACP Image Awards and the Top R&B / Hip-Hop Single, at the Billboard American Urban Radio Networks. The year 2006 also got Fantasia Barrino some very special awards: the Most Performed Song for Free Yourself and for Truth Is, from the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards and the Best New Artist, at the Groovevolt Music Awards. In 2007, the contribution to the theater world through outstanding Broadway performances was also acknowledged, by the Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance and by the Broadway.com Award for Favorite (Female) Replacement, due to her participation to The Color Purple. Greensboro sit-ins Organization gave her the Founder’s Apreciation Award, in 2008. The NAACP Image Award placed her in the most Outstanding Duo or Group, in 2009, alongside Jennifer Hudson. 2010 finally got Fantasia Barrino a Grammy Award for the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, for Bittersweet. She also got the International Award of Excellence, from the Barbados Music Awards, in the same year. 

Last year, Fantasia Barrino received two honors from the NAACP Image Award. She was the proud winner of the Outstanding Song category, for her song Bittersweet and was also given the Distinguished Honoree award.

Her then boyfriend and classmate Brandel Shouse abused her both physically and emotionally, so Fantasia Barrino was harassed and felt to embarrassed to go back to school. As a result of the rape, Fantasia Barrino became pregnant at the early age of 16. On August 8, 2001, Fantasia Barrino gave birth to a beautiful little girl, named Zioni Quari Barrino. She managed, however, to get it all out, when she published her memoirs in 2005. The book was called Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, and it soon became a best seller. One of the most interesting things revealed in the book was that she is illiterate, so she cannot read the text of her contracts, the lyrics of her songs, or children books to her little girl. The relationship with her family is not so great either. Even if she comes from a family of musicians, Fantasia Barrino was sued by her father, due to the unflattering things written about him in the book.

It seems that music was her salvation, since Fantasia Barrino was awarded with a Grammy, in 2010, doe Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. In 2007, Fantasia Barrino made her Broadway debut. She got the lead role in The Color Purple. Other TV appearances include The Simpsons and the currently running Fantasia for Real. Now, Fantasia Barrino is married to Antwaun Cook, and she is expecting his baby. Well, Fantasia Barrino is definitely a promising artist, and we are looking forward to see what does the future has in store for her.

Fantasia Barrino debut single, “I Believe”, was so successful that it actually debuted as a number one on Billboard Hot 100. In fact, all the songs that Fantasia Barrino has released until now have been very successful, while the fame of the singer grew. The first album that Fantasia Barrino launched, Free Yourself, was certified with Platinum. The album brought Fantasia Barrino three Grammy nominations, back in 2006. And 2006 is the year in which Fantasia Barrino has released her second album, which was very well received by fans from all over the world. “Fantasia” album included the very popular single “When I See You”, song which remained on number one position in the Billboard Hot R&B songs chart. Three more Grammy nominations for this artist came in 2008, in various categories of the award ceremony.

In August, 2010, Fantasia Barrino released her third album, “Back To Me”. And for the popular single “Bittersweet”, Fantasia Barrino has actually won a Grammy in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category. Although Fantasia Barrino has made her musical debut in 2004, the star has managed to win more than 10 Awards in various award ceremonies, throughout the years, being nominated for numerous others. However, despite her growing success when it comes to her career in music, Fantasia Barrino has always proved that she does not only have an incredible voice and the ability to share real emotions with her songs and lyrics, but she also has the needed skills to act. Fantasia Barrino was cast in The Color Purple, a Broadway musical which helped her win a Theater World Award, back in 2007. Well, fans surely expect for Fantasia Barrino to release new musical projects and be cast in more movies. And the star has never disappointed her fans!

The next notable event of 2011 was when Fantasia decided not to attend the Grammys. Given the fact that she won Best Female Vocal Performance, many people were quite surprised by her absence. While some were concerned that something was wrong with her, she later explained that she did so because she wasn’t asked to be part of the show’s tribute to Aretha Franklin. The reason her exclusion from this performance was so personal to her is because Franklin is one of Barrino’s idols. Although it’s disappointing that she wasn’t asked to participate in the performance, it is good to see that her talent was recognized with an award.

At the end of March, Fantasia got to return to American Idol and once again captivate the show’s huge audience with her amazing voice. Although the duo who performed prior to her was quite disappointing, Fantasia took control of the stage and gave an excellent performance.

In addition to everything else that is going on in 2011, Barrino will also be performing on multiple dates. Her upcoming appearances include a show in St. Louis, as well as one in Omaha.

‘Free Yourself’ is one of her greatest hits, so here are the lyrics to this top rated chart-smashing song.

Baby you don’t pay me no mind

You act like you don’t love me no more

Maybe you need space or some time

Your attitude is unpredictable and I don’t want to make you unhappy

If your not happy then your free to go on because I don’t want you staying around if I make you so

Miserable

[Chorus]

If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me (if you don’t want me then don’t talk to me)

Go ahead and free yourself (go ahead and free yourself)

If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me (if you don’t want me then don’t talk to me)

Go ahead to someone else (go ahead to someone else)

If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me (if you don’t want me then don’t talk to me)

Go ahead and free yourself (go ahead and free yourself)

If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me (if you don’t want me then don’t talk to me)

Go ahead to someone else (go ahead to someone else)

Time again and again I tried I tried (baby don’t you know I tried) but the love I had inside has

Died has died (but the love I had inside)

Wont you be a man if it’s over and just admit that things aint the same instead of making me

Think its all good

Between us which ones the blame

I took a lot of too much to handle until I can’t take this game no more this love thing is full

Of scandal so you welcome to walk

[Chorus again]

going to school is one of Zion’s favorite activities because she gets to see her friends and play with the other children like all normal kids should do. She loves art and strives to be one of the best in her class however it is said that there is no real pressure from her mum to be anything at this stage. Letting Zion make her own choices in life is one of the many goals that Fantasia Barrino has for her little daughter. Staying safe and loving god is also high on the priority list just as it is with most parents. There are many parents who are fans of Fantasia Barrino and would love to give their child the name Zion however to many people doing the same thing would lessen the originality of the name.