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Who is Fantasia? 'The Color Purple' star sings national anthem at CFP National Championship

jon hoefling, usa today
·2 min read
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Singer and songwriter Fantasia Barrino sings the American national anthem before game two of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
Singer and songwriter Fantasia Barrino sings the American national anthem before game two of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

The day has come. The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and No. 2 Washington Huskies will duke it out for what would be each program's first College Football Playoff Championship. The game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the backdrop of another rendition of the national anthem.

It was previously announced that Grammy-award winner Fantasia Barrino will perform the "Star-Spangled Banner" prior to kickoff. So, what is there to know about Golden Globe-nominated actress, singer, and songwriter?

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Fantasia's full performance of the National Anthem

Here is footage of Fantasia Barrino's incredible performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Who is Fantasia and how did she rise to fame?

Fantasia burst onto the scene as the third winner of the famed reality TV show "American Idol." Fantasia won at just 19 years old, beating out several other soon-to-be stars including Jennifer Hudson.

Since winning the show, Barrino has released a New York Times best-seller in her memoir titled 'Life Is Not a Fairy Tale'. Her debut album received four Grammy nominations, but it was not until 2011 when her work on the song "Bittersweet" would garner Barrino her first Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

She was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2014.

What has Fantasia been doing recently?

Most recently, Barrino was nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role as Celie Johnson in The Color Purple.

Fantasia had previously worked on Broadway as the lead in the "The Color Purple" between April 10, 2007 and January 6, 2008.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasia Barrino performs national anthem at CFP National Championship