Since her 2004 American Idol win, Fantasia Barrino has weathered her fair share of music business shake-ups, surviving mergers and the recent repositioning of her mentor Clive Davis, who signed her to J Records. Though she still has her contract at J, EW.com now hears that as of today, Fantasia has been dropped from 19 Management. The reason for the split, according to sources, is that age-old saw "creative differences." However, like many other Idol contestants, Fantasia remains on the label 19 Recordings and will continue to share music sales profits with the company.
Given the poor climate for record sales, and the lackluster sales of many Idol releases, Fantasia’s albums have done fairly well. Her debut, Free Yourself, sold almost 2 million copies, and the follow-up, 2006’s Fantasia, went gold and garnered three Grammy nominations. She also starred in her own Lifetime TV biopic, authored a book about her rags-to-riches story, and received top billing in the Broadway production of The Color Purple. Says one executive and Fantasia defender: "She’s a star and so multi-talented in every area. Sometimes you have to sever a relationship in order to move forward, but there’s no doubt that Fantasia is accomplished and has proven herself. Someone will want to represent her."
A rep for 19 declined to comment, but assured EW that management deals for David Cook, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, and Blake Lewis remain intact. 19 also represents Annie Lennox and The Spice Girls.
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Sorry to hear this. If 19R still has their fingers in the pie, I feel sorry for Fantasia since she is no longer with 19M…I somehow think they will screw with her CD sales.
BTW, unless something changed recently, Clay Aiken was able to get out of his 19M contract back in 2004 when it was found that 19 was withholding opportunities and offers from him. IMO that is why his CDs since that time have been messed with by 19R.
I don’t trust 19 at all.
Fantasia is a genuine artist. She does not need Simon Fuller 19 Management to show her true genius.
I’m pretty sure that they wanted her look a certain way etc. Too bad. Their loss !!!!!!!
Sorry Fantasia;same s**t different day.
Welcome to show biz.Love you ma!!!!
This has nothing to do with Clay Aiken. How can a company mess with his sales when they don’t manage him anymore? And since his departure from 19 where are all of those opportunities, Spamalot 4 years later. Maybe he should fire his new manangement company.
Fantasia has been very successful and will continue to be successful. She will have new and better management. 19 isn’t the only game in town.
Fantasia left 19 once before, back in 2006. She should just hire Oprah as her manager.
Personally I think Fantasia is very fortunate to be away from 19 and Fuller’s management.
But to abby up there (or should I call you by your real name Dawn)? I think you should just worry about the artists you like and not those that you don’t. It makes things so much less stressful.
I think that she is a great singer and she needs to keep doing what she does but she also needs to be with a great management and she will go very far in her life time….love you girl and I enjoy all of your music and your movie also.I would love to meet you in person!
“A rep for 19 declined to comment, but assured EW…”
How does one assure someone without commenting?
Now all we need is for her record label to drop her and we never need to see or hear this train wreck again. *prays*
abby Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 05:43 PM EST
How can a company mess with his sales when they don’t manage him anymore?
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19Recordings has 50% say in all aspects of the album production and promotion. They can sabotage you good if they want. They did it to lots of the others that they want to hold back and then later they drop them justifying it by lower album sales.
Abby, lets talk about Clay’s sales. Based on album sales, Clay is only surpassed by Kelly and Carrie. Not Fantasia. All idol winners who received the acclaim and backing that goes with being the winner. But as the Fantasia fans always say Kelly and Carries sales and grammy wins are not the only measures of success. So lets mention his eight tours, a best selling book before Fantasia, own TV prime time special, college graduation, and the establishment of his Bubel Aiken foundation still aiding children today as well as his multiple tours as a Unicef ambassador most recently in Somalia. All that without even getting into his other multiple appearances and other charity work. Lets not forget Spamalot too,directed by award winning Mike Nichols 4 years later versus Fantasia broadway stint 3 years later. The same Fantasia fans that used to mock Clay as Broadway. Clay has been and will continue to be successful in his career and his activism for children all over the world.
The girl has potentially the best talent from AI in my opinion. What I see as a problem is her image which is polarizing. I can see this being a problem with whatever management team she gets unless she goes back to a Violator type team. She embraces the hood and unless you are a hood person or a fanatical fan you won’t appreciate her. She needs a major overhaul and someone to take complete control of her career. I dont think she is capable of making wise decisions.
How did clay get into this conversation???
I hate Clay Aiken fans. What an obnoxious bunch. This topic isn’t about Clay (who sucks, btw), so go away.
Take your own advice, John.
That is a blessing in disguise. When one door close, another one opens bigger and better. Wverything happens for a reason. God bless you Fantasia I look forward to hearing your music soon. You know 19 had their picks anyway. When they use them up they will be dropped to.
Janal, Gale a Clay fan expressed sympathy for Fantasia and used Clay as an example why she doesn’t trust 19.
Abby, a Fantasia fan had to use the opportunity to slam Clay. As did John. Point that finger at yourself John.
The reason Clay was brought up is because his name WAS in this article as originally posted as one who was still under the management of 19M. That was incorrect & the first commenter Gale pointed that out. Then EW deleted Clay’s name from the article. As for Fantasia, she will acquire new management easily & all the better for her. Your management team is supposed to represent & support you in negotiations with your record label. If your management team & record label are one in the same (as with most AI kids starting out – signed to both 19Management & 19Recordings), that is a HUGE conflict of interest & Clay wisely got out of that bind very early on because he was smart enough to hire one of the best entertainment lawyers in the business. 19M was turning down a lot of offers for him back in 2003/04 because they didn’t like the fact that he was eclipsing the supposed star of their show at the time, Ruben. Other Idols have left 19M since but Clay was the first.
Clearly poster Dawn wants her singers to be cookie cutter , bland , inoffensive so I can understand why she doesn’t want Fantasia to have a career , lets hope Dawn doesn’t believe in Karma . Thankfully Fantasia’s talent means that she can move on to better opportunities and away from the evil that is 19 entertainment
Not a big suprise, I can’t stand her. I have to mute my TV everytime she’s on anything just to save my eardrums!
Two hours after she gets dumped, her show at the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest, gets dumped.
More: http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/21979189.html
FYI Fantasia already has new managmente. when she was in Ny doing the play discussions and changes were being talked about then.Please be advised this is only news to you not for Tasia.
This is great news for her and she has always wanted the best management everything has its timeing and it is the right time for her to leave 19. They were for her when she won Idol but not the best for her.
By the way she was not dumped it was all done in agreement and no one was surprised.
A great move for Fantasia.
YEA FANNY!!!!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU DID IT BEFORE YOUR 24TH B’DAY AS YOU DESIRED.NO MORE 19 MANAGEMENT, YEA!!!!!
GO FORWARD AND DON’T EVER LOOK BACK.
LOVE ALWAYS!!!!
THESE PEOPLE DON’T EVEN HAVE A CLUE.
I’m not surprised she was dropped & she better be saving up her money now, because she won’t last too many more years.I’m very disappointed in the way Fantasia looks & sings now. I voted for her when she was on Idol, but now she looks like a freak & she doesn’t sing now, she screams. I’m with Simon with my mouth open on her last appearance on Idol this year.
I’m also not surprised Blake got cut, he has no talent & SHOULD NOT have been # 2 when 2 people who DID have talent were voted odd.
OOPS it’s voted OFF
Hope this is a good move! Unfortunately, I am somebody who lives in Milwaukee where she was supposed to perform today at Summerfest, which is billed as “the world’s largest music festival”. Just bad timing for me but glad to know the cancellation really wasn’t Fantasia herself cancelling. Still the most talented star to come out of Idol!
Well, what can be said about a management company that dumps artists who don’t sell? Smart move. Fantasia has always been a screamer and shrieker even during her AI competition. She appeals to certain audiences. I am most definitely not one of them. As for Clay Aiken, his fans are loyal, generous, caring and wonderful people who support him because they love his incredibly beautiful voice. He doesn’t appeal to everyone, obviously, but his talent is genuine and his soul is gorgeous. His work with deeply disadvantaged children worldwide through Unicef and his own Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which he formed during his Idol stint, helps children who have severe learning and other disabilities like autism. Why mock an artist’s fans? They are just like you, John, and countless others. What is wrong with people who think nothing of trashing artists and their fans for no reason other than being a toxic person filled with hate? Pity them. They don’t deserve any attention at all.
I never watched
Fantasia on Idol. But I agree with Simon when she was on she was awful. Oprah helped her get the Color Purple role. I don’t see what’s great about her. But each his own. Clay is great with his singing – I love his Christmas CD. But let’s face it – this season 7 had the BEST bunch of singers ever. Especally JASON!
Fantasia did win American Idol, she do have a beautiful voice is the choice of her song and Music are not give her justice. I never been a fan of her i am a fan of Melinda Doolittle, was the best season of American idol. Melinda she was amazing. She probably didn’t win the first place but she did win alot of heart of peoples and fans of her. She will released her first album in the fall. New website to support her with her future album http://www.mdstreetteam.com We tried to reach her fans with this great new.
Melinda Doolittle is wonderful. I’d buy her CD.
I notice a lot of haters on this site, Fantasia is a very talented girl, whether it be singing, dancing or acting the girl is great! I can understand some of you who don’t like her voice, it sounds gospel, and I love it!!!! She’s blessed and there is nothing anyone can do about it. As for 19 dropping her, that has been in the works for sometime, it’s okay for some but I feel Tasia needs a bigger and better management company, 19 dropped the ball with her last cd Fantasia! Yea, she needs out of ther and out of there now and if Carrie has any sense she’ll run like hell to before they mis-manage one of her cd’s. I guess you can tell I’m a number one Tasia fan and no one can say one thing that can change my mind. Talk bad a about her – you’re a hater, don’t like her voice – you’re jealous, see I’ve got all bases covered on Tasia haters. lol