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Vanity (singer)

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Vanity
Vanity circa 1984.
Born
Denise Katrina Matthews

(1959-01-04)January 4, 1959
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
DiedFebruary 15, 2016(2016-02-15) (aged 57)
Fremont, California, United States
Cause of deathRenal failure
NationalityCanadian
Other namesDenise Matthews–Smith,
D.D. Winters
Occupation(s)Singer–songwriter, actress, model, dancer
Years active1977–97
Spouse
​
(m. 1995⁠–⁠1996)​
PartnerPrince (1980–83)
Musical career
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websiteblameitonvanity.com

Denise Katrina Matthews (January 4, 1959 – February 15, 2016), better known as Vanity and sometimes credited as Denise Matthews-Smith or D.D. Winters, was a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and model, who turned away from her music and acting career to concentrate on evangelism.[1] Her career lasted from the early–1980s until the mid–1990s. She was the lead singer of the female trio Vanity 6 from 1981 until it disbanded in 1983. The group were well known [by whom?] for their 1982 R&B/funk hit "Nasty Girl". Vanity's music career also included two solo albums on the Motown Records label, Wild Animal and Skin on Skin, as well as the hit singles "Pretty Mess", "Mechanical Emotion", Undress (from the movie Action Jackson), and "Under the Influence". She also had a successful film career, starring in the movies The Last Dragon, 52 Pick-Up, and Action Jackson. She died on February 15, 2016 at age 57 due to renal failure.

Early life

Vanity was born on January 4, 1959[2] as Denise Katrina Matthews in Niagara Falls, Ontario, she was the daughter of Helga Senyk and James Levia Matthews.[3] Her mother is of Polish and Jewish descent and was born in Germany, while her father was of African American, Hawaiian and Native American ancestry.[4]

Career

Music

In 1980, she met Prince at the American Music Awards.[5] Prince renamed her Vanity, as he considered her to be the female form of himself. After learning that Vanity could sing, Prince asked her to become the lead singer of the girl group Vanity 6.[5]

Personal life

Besides Prince, Vanity was linked romantically to Adam Ant and Billy Idol.[6] In 1987, she stated that she and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx were engaged. She joked that she would become Vanity 6 (Sixx) again. They never married. In Sixx's 2007 autobiography, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, he describes his 1987 drug use with Vanity who was addicted to crack cocaine at the time. In 1995, she married football player Anthony Smith of the Oakland Raiders.[7]

Christian conversion

In 1994, Vanity overdosed on crack cocaine and suffered from near-fatal renal failure. She recalled that after being rushed to the hospital, doctors said she had three days to live while on life support. She said that Jesus appeared to her at this time and spoke to her, saying, if she promised to give up her Vanity persona, he would save her. Upon her recovery, she completely renounced her stage name and career and became a born-again Christian. In 1995, she said, "When I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, I threw out about 1,000 tapes of mine — interview, every tape, every video. Everything."[8] She stated that she had chosen not to receive any further revenue from her work as Vanity, and cut off all ties with Hollywood and her former life in show business.[9] After a kidney transplant in 1997, she decided to devote her life to Christ. She made speaking engagements at churches across the United States and worldwide. In 2010, she released her autobiography, Blame It On Vanity: Hollywood, Hell and Heaven.[10]

Illness and death

Due to her kidney problems which were caused by years of drug use while she worked as a performer, she had to undergo peritoneal dialysis five times a day (each session was 20 minutes long).[6][9][11] She suffered from sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, a rare complication of a peritoneal dialysis, and died in a Fremont, California, hospital on February 15, 2016, at the age of 57 from renal failure.[12]

Discography

Studio albums

With Vanity 6

Solo discography

Soundtracks

Guest vocals

  • (1982) provided backing vocals for Prince's song "Free" on his album 1999.
  • (1982) provided spoken vocals for The Time's song "The Walk" on the album What Time Is It?.
  • (1982) along with other Vanity 6 members, provided spoken vocals for The Time's song "Wild and Loose" on the album What Time Is It?.
  • (1986) provided backing vocals for El DeBarge's "Secrets of the Night", on his album El DeBarge. In the liner notes, Vanity's backing vocal contributions are referred to as "sensuous".
  • (1994) on Prince's track "Orgasm", from his album Come. Prince sampled Vanity's moaning which was originally recorded on an unreleased track from 1983 entitled "Vibrator". In the liner notes for "Orgasm", Vanity is simply credited as "she knows".

Other work and unreleased songs

  • In 1982 and 1983 three unreleased recorded tracks which were originally scheduled to be on a second Vanity 6 album before Vanity left the group:

While the versions with Vanity's vocals remain officially unreleased, all three have been leaked extensively to the internet.

  • In 1989, Vanity performed a cover version of "Nature Boy" during a guest appearance on the TV show Friday the 13th: The Series in the episode 'The Secret Agenda of Mesmer's Bauble' as a pop star named 'Angelica'. It was thought this song may have been from Vanity's unreleased/never completed third solo album.

Singles

With Vanity 6

Year Title US
[13] 		US R&B US Dance
[14] 		AUS
[15] 		BEL
(FL)
[16] 		NLD
[17]
1982 "He's So Dull" — — — 92 — 44
"Nasty Girl" 101 7 1 — 11 7
"Drive Me Wild" — — — — — —
"Make Up" — — — — — —

Solo

Year Title US
[18][13] 		US R&B US Dance
[14]
1984 "Pretty Mess" 75 15 13
1985 "Mechanical Emotion" 107 23 —
1986 "Under the Influence" 56 9 6
"Animals" — — —
1988 "Undress" — — —

Music videos

Vanity appeared in 7 released music videos:

  • (1982) "Nasty Girl", "He's So Dull" and "Drive Me Wild"
  • (1984) "Pretty Mess"
  • (1985) "7th Heaven" (video clips were from the movie The Last Dragon)
  • (1986) "Under The Influence"
  • (1988) "He Turned Me Out", a song performed by The Pointer Sisters from the soundtrack of Action Jackson. Vanity's co-star in the movie, Carl Weathers, appears alongside her in the video.

Unreleased music video

  • (Early/1985) a video for "Mechanical Emotion" was made, but never officially released.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Klondike Fever Uncredited Canadian adventure film based on the writings of Jack London and directed by Peter Carter.[19]
Terror Train Merry (credited as D.D. Winters) Canadian-American horror film directed by Roger Spottiswoode.[20]
Tanya's Island Tanya (credited as D.D. Winters) Canadian-American fantasy film directed by Alfred Sole.[21]
1985 The Last Dragon Laura Charles
1986 Never Too Young to Die Danja Deering B movie directed by Gil Bettman.[23]
52 Pick-Up Doreen crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer.[24]
1987 Deadly Illusion Rina Action/crime thriller film directed by Larry Cohen and William Tannen.[25]
1988 Action Jackson Sydney Ash American action film directed by Craig R. Baxley.[26]
1992 Neon City Reno
1993 South Beach Jennifer Derringer Directed by Fred Williamson (also starring) and Alain Zaloum.[29]
Da Vinci's War Lupe Directed and co-written by Raymond Martino.[30]
1997 Kiss of Death Blair Directed and written by Andrei Feher. (credited as Andre Feher)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Miami Vice Ali Ferrand Episode: "By Hooker By Crook" (S 3: Ep 20)
The New Mike Hammer Holly Episode: "Green Lipstick/Mike's Daughter" (S 3:Ep 21)
1988 T. and T. K.C. Morgan Episode: "A Secret No More" (S 2:Ep 6)
1989 Friday the 13th: The Series Angelica
  • Episode: "The Secret Agenda of Mesmer's Bauble" (S 2:Ep 20)
  • Also known as Friday's Curse in the United Kingdom
Booker Tina Maxwell Episode: "Deals and Wheels: Part 1" (S 1: Ep 8)
1990 Memories of Murder Carmen
1991 Tales from the Crypt Kathrine Episode: "Dead Wait" (S 3: Ep 6)
Sweating Bullets Maria
1992 Silk Stalkings Chantel Episode: "Powder Burn" (S 1: Ep 20)
Lady Boss Mary Lou Morley Television Miniseries based on Jackie Collins' novel of the same name with the teleplay by Jackie Collins and directed by Charles Jarrott.[38][39]
Highlander: The Series Rebecca Lord Episode: "Revenge Is Sweet" (S 1: Ep 10)
1993 Counterstrike Sandra Episode: "Muerte" (S 3: Ep 21)

References

  1. ^ Rosenberg, Eli (February 16, 2016). "Denise Matthews, Pop Singer Known as Vanity, Dies at 57". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  2. ^ Vanity 6 Lives Out Daring Fantasies On Stage. Johnson Publishing Company. January 24, 1983. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Law, John (December 10, 2007). "Her name was Vanity; Barely into her '30s, she had become an old woman on the inside ...the beauty queen from Niagara Falls was told she had three days to live. It was her lowest point. And the one..." Welland Tribune. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite journal}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  4. ^ Courtland, Milloy (1997-06-04). "Former Siren Is Singing A New Song". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-04-15.: "Denise K. Matthews, of Niagara Falls... daughter of an African American father and a Polish Jewish mother..."
  5. ^ a b Buchalter, Gail. (1984-10-15) Her Romance with Prince Hit the Rocks, but Vanity's Singing Career Is Going Grrr-Eat. Peopledf.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-18.
  6. ^ a b Christian, Margena A. (2007-11-26). "Vanity". Jet. 112 (21). Johnson Publishing Company: 49. ISSN 0021-5996.
  7. ^ "Vanity Weds Pro Football Star Anthony Smith After Monthlong Courtship". Jet. 87 (23). Johnson Publishing Company: 14. 1995-04-17. ISSN 0021-5996.
  8. ^ Rettenmund, Matthew (1996). Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon Of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV shows, Stars, and Trends Of That Decadent Decade. Macmillan. p. 57. ISBN 0-312-14436-9.
  9. ^ a b "Wow! After Smoking Crack Cocaine, Vanity Says Jesus Came To Her And Said…". I Love Old School Music. October 5, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  10. ^ "Former Prince Protege', Denise "Vanity" Matthews of Vanity 6, Dies At 57". Blame It On Vanity. February 15, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2010. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  11. ^ Ellise, Aria (February 15, 2016). "Former Prince Protege', Denise "Vanity" Matthews of Vanity 6, Dies At 57". BlackDoctor. Retrieved February 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  12. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (February 15, 2016). "Prince Discovery Vanity Dies at 57". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2005). Bubbling Under The Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004 (2nd ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 277. ISBN 0-89820-162-4.
  14. ^ a b ((( Vanity > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ))). allmusic (1959-01-04). Retrieved on 2010-08-18.
  15. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 320. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. ^ "Ultratop > Vanity 6 — Nasty Girl" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  17. ^ "dutchcharts.nl > Discografie Vanity 6" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  18. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (10th ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 739. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  19. ^ "Klondike Fever". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  20. ^ "Terror Train". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  21. ^ "Tanya's Island". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  22. ^ "The Last Dragon". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  23. ^ "Never Too Young to Die". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  24. ^ "52 Pick-Up". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  25. ^ "Deadly Illusion". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  26. ^ "Action Jackson (1988 film)". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  27. ^ "Neon City". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  28. ^ D'Arc, James (2010). When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Movie Making in Utah. Gibbs Smith. p. 296. ISBN 9781423619840.
  29. ^ "South Beach". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  30. ^ "Da Vinci's War". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  31. ^ "Memories of Murder". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  32. ^ "Vanity (singer)". Jet. 78 (20): 62. Aug 27, 1990.
  33. ^ "TV Review: Memories of Murder". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. August 10, 1990. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  34. ^ "NANCY ALLEN STARS IN A LIFETIME FIRST" – Orlando Sentinel
  35. ^ "A Lifetime of `Memories'" - Chicago Tribune
  36. ^ Thomas Riggs (2005), Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television
  37. ^ Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh (2003). "Sweating Bullets (Detective)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (Eighth ed.). New York City: Ballantine Books. p. 1158. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0.
  38. ^ "Lady Boss". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  39. ^ "Lady Boss (miniseries)". JackieCollins.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
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