Fantasia Barrino is one of the most famous American Idol contestants. Her distinctive voice blew the judges away when she auditioned in Season 3. Not long after, she got the attention of the whole world when she became the third American Idol winner after singing “I Believe.” Sadly, though, Barrino had her own struggles after winning the American singing competition series saying she “didn’t know anything about checking your money.”
The American R&B singer had a tough upbringing before auditioning for American Idol. According to O Magazine, when Fantasia Barrino tried out for the popular TV series, she was a 19-year-old single mother surviving on food stamps in the projects of North Carolina. In fact, judge Paula Abdul sweetly helped the young contestant audition by convincing everyone to let her in the room before the day was out. When the "Truth Is" singer won Idol, her life changed as she established herself as a professional singer. However, she told People about the harsh realities of being a professional singer which took her by surprise after her win:
