Fantasia Barrino

A self-described functioning illiterate, Season 3 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino was born in High Point, North Carolina, on June 30, 1984.  Her autobiography Life Is Not a Fairly Tale, published after her 2004 win, describes her journey as a high-school dropout and teenage single mother banking on the success of her signature voice.  Fantasia broke recording industry records with her platinum debut album, Free Yourself, and hit the Broadway stage in 2007 on the starring role in The Color Purple.  Her success suggests her second autobiographical tome might justifiably be titled, OK, Maybe Life Is a Fairy Tale--Without Unicorns.