About the Author
Fantasia Barrino Taylor was the winner of the 3rd season of American Idol in 2004, when she was just 19 years old. Her first single, "I Believe," debuted at number one on the Billboard 100. It was the top selling single of 2004, and went on to be certified double platinum. Since then, Fantasia has released six albums, sold over three million records, won a Grammy, three NAACP Image Awards, two ASCAP Awards, and had twelve top ten hits on the Billboard Adult R&B charts. Her debut album, Free Yourself, went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA and earned Barrino three Grammy nominations in 2006. In 2007, Barrino played the part of Celie in the Broadway Musical The Color Purple, and won the Theatre World Award for that performance. In 2014, she returned to Broadway in the musical After Midnight. In 2014 she was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Her most recent album, SKETCHBOOK, was released in 2019.
Kendall Taylor is the President & Owner of Rock Soul Inc., an entertainment company servicing the industries of music, television, and publishing. Mr. Taylor is also the CEO of Salute1st, a Leadership & Training Academy that encourages men of all ages to shift their mindsets and perspectives to overcome the challenges associated with manhood that position them for greater levels of self-awareness and productivity in the areas of community, marketplace & entrepreneurship, and collaboration. Kendall prides himself on being a “self-educated black man,” having no formal education beyond 10th grade. He’s overcome numerous obstacles in his life and remains intentional about the development of young men, regularly speaking and facilitating programs inside of prisons around the country. He also consults with small business owners seeking to redevelop or scale. He currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife Fantasia Taylor and their four children and two grandchildren.
