Fantasia
Fantasia in 2008, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Fantasia Monique Barrino
Place of Birth: High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 30, 1984
Ethnicity: African-American
Fantasia, also known as Fantasia Barrino, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. She won the third season of the show American Idol, in 2004, where she was especially known for her rendition of the song “Summertime.” Her original songs include “I Believe,” “When I See U,” “Put You Up on Game,” “Bittersweet,” and “Lose to Win.” She was the second woman to have her first single debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her acting performances include the made-for-tv movie Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, in which she played herself, based on her book autobiography; and the musical film version of The Color Purple (2023), a role she also played on stage. See other American Idol winners here.
Fantasia’s parents, Diane and Joseph Barrino, are both African-American. Her uncles, The Barrino Brothers, were a 1970s soul music group. She is married to businessperson Kendall Taylor. She has three children, including a daughter with Kendall.
African-Americans with the surname Barrino have lived in North Carolina since at least the mid 1800s, and usually came from South Carolina before that. It appears that the surname was originally Barrineau. Speculation that the family has some degree of Hispanic, specifically Cuban, ancestry, is not accurate.
Fantasia’s paternal grandfather was Curtis Barrino (the son of Jesse/Jessie Barrino and Juanita McKeythan/McKether). Curtis was born in North Carolina. Juanita was the daughter of Curtis McKeythan and Faye Thomas.
Fantasia’s paternal grandmother was Madie Medley (the daughter of Robert Medley and Ellen Chambers). Madie was born in North Carolina.
Fantasia’s maternal grandfather was named Neil/Neal C. Washington. Neal was born in South Carolina.
Fantasia’s maternal grandmother was named Addie Lee Hicks. Addie was born in South Carolina, and was a pastor.
Sources: Genealogy of Fantasia Barrino – https://www.geni.com
Fantasia’s paternal grandfather, Curtis Barrino, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Fantasia’s paternal grandmother, Madie (Medley) Barrino – http://www.genealogybuff.com
To you people saying “the article is wrong about her being Cuban or Puerto Rican”, you do realize that there are Afro Latino people from those countries (and others) that look just as African American as you and me but have accents as thick as their hair.
every ones considered mixed though cuz both ur parents have unique back round cant no one be whole some thing anymore both ur parents got crazy genes and deep ancestory no one knows really but u will be shocked when u really find out whats in ya blood so yes she can be cuban she afo cuban im happy or her go fantasia .
she can be cuban wtf do skin color got to do with it her freakin last names barrino it is a latin last name duh . and yes there are afro cubans afro rican afro american afro trini afro german too. and the lists goes on people gotta understand we had the most harsh and worst slavery we were slinged every where it dont mean u not frm there because u dark or got short hair. it jus means she african decent but the slave owners shipped her african ancestors there to cuba while some others where shpped to the south. so use common sense she a black cuban get over ths racial hump u only hurt ur self being stuck on skin color and on more thing just because u spanish dnt mean always lite skin its where u frm make u a latino u can be black or white llokin as long as ur frm south america u considered latin skin color aint shit
we r all mixed…if u were born here in america u r mixed…
haters hate all u want and learn to love yourself…
GOOO FANNI!!!!!
alot of cubans are afro cubans anyway so i believe that shes mixed… why are people so stuck on skin color and hair? if shes mixed shes mixed