Continue to Hollywoodlife () SKIP AD
Hollywood Life Logo Image

Hollywood Life

Today's Top Stories

  • larsa
    See Pics

    Larsa Pippen, 46, Hits The Beach In A Sexy Black Bikini With Her Daughter Sophia

  • Kim Kardashian
    See pic

    Kim Kardashian, 40, Wears Nothing But Flesh-Toned Tights By Skims In Sexy Campaign Pic

  • 6 Of The Best Lip Oils
    SHOP

    Kylie Jenner’s Lip Oil Is Sold Out But You Can Shop These 6 Products That Are Just As Good

Hollywood Life
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Celebrity Bios
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
ALL NEWS
  • Spike and Jackson Lee

    Jackson Lee: 5 Things To Know About Spike Lee’s Son & 2021 Golden Globes Ambassador

  • Satchel Lee: 5 Things To Know About Spike Lee’s Daughter & Golden Globe Ambassador

  • T’yanna Wallace: 5 Things To Know About The Late Notorious B.I.G.’s Daughter

  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • TV
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Holidays
  • Entertainment Features
  • Podcast
  • Oscar Contenders
ALL ENTERTAINMENT
  • Molly Ringwald

    ‘Pretty In Pink’ Then & Now: See Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy All Grown Up After 35 Years

  • ‘The Bachelor’: Relive Matt’s Hottest PDA Moments With The Women Of Season 25

  • Emma Corrin: 5 Things To Know About The Breakout Star Who Played Princess Diana In ‘The Crown’

  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Selena Gomez
  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Khloe Kardashian
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Harry Styles
  • Kourtney Kardashian
ALL CELEBRITY BIOS
  • Spike and Jackson Lee

    Jackson Lee: 5 Things To Know About Spike Lee’s Son & 2021 Golden Globes Ambassador

  • Satchel Lee: 5 Things To Know About Spike Lee’s Daughter & Golden Globe Ambassador

  • T’yanna Wallace: 5 Things To Know About The Late Notorious B.I.G.’s Daughter

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Beauty Features
  • Skincare
  • Makeover
  • Diet & Fitness
ALL BEAUTY
  • Rihanna

    Rihanna Is Flawless Showing Off Her ‘5 Minute Face’ Using Fenty’s New Powder Foundation — Watch

  • Kylie Jenner’s Lip Oil Is Sold Out But You Can Shop These 6 Products That Are Just As Good

  • Celeb Dermatologist Dr. Sobel’s 3 Tips For Flawless ‘RHONY’ Skin & Avoiding Dryness In The Winter

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping
ALL FASHION
  • jennifer aniston golden globes 2020

    25 Sexiest Golden Globes Dresses Of All-Time: Jennifer Aniston & More

  • Kim Kardashian, 40, Wears Nothing But Flesh-Toned Tights By Skims In Sexy Campaign Pic

  • You Can Shop The Exact Lingerie Ariana Grande Wore In Her ’34+35 Remix’ Music Video For Under $100

  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Next Up

Zach LaVine

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
  • Search Close

Trending

  • Bonnie Says
  • Celeb Babies
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
Search

NewsExpand Menu

  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
  • Rock The Vote

EntertainmentExpand Menu

  • Entertainment Features
  • TV
  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Podcast
  • At Home With...

BeautyExpand Menu

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Skincare
  • Beauty Features
  • Diet & Fitness
  • Shopping

FashionExpand Menu

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping

TrendingExpand Menu

  • Bonnie Says
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries

About UsExpand Menu

  • About Us
  • Writer Bios
  • Scoops, Tips & Corrections
  • Subscribe To Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Celebrity ProfilesExpand Menu

  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
Alerts & Newsletters
  • Jobs
  • Scoops & Corrections
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • AdChoices
  • Data Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.

Vanity

Vanity Celebrity Bio
Courtesy of Motown Records

Details

Also Known As:
Denise Katrina Matthews, Denise Matthews-Smith, D.D. Winters
Date of Birth:
January 4, 1959
Height:
5' 6"
Hometown:
Niagara Falls

Bio:
Vanity (born Denise Katrina Matthews in Niagara Falls, Canada on January 4, 1959) was a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and model who, later in her life, turned away from acting and music to concentrate on evangelism. Vanity’s career lasted from the 1980s until the early mid-1990s. When Vanity was 17, she moved from Canada to New York City to follow a modeling career. She signed with Zoli Model Agency but due to her height, her career was limited to commercials and photo shoots. As Vanity she posed twice for Playboy magazine (1985 and 1988). However, Vanity was mainly a performer and was the lead singer for the female trio called Vanity 6 from 1981 until 1983 when the band broke up. The group was most known for their 1982 R&B/funk hit titled “Nasty Girl.” Vanity also had a solo musical career, which included two albums on Motown Records titled Wild Animal and Skin on Skin. She also had hit singles, “Pretty Mess,” “Mechanical Emotion,” and “Under the Influence.” In 1980, Vanity had a small role in the horror movie Terror Train, which was filmed in Montreal a year earlier. She then went to Toronto to film the lead role in the B-movie Tanya’s Island. As Vanity she starred in a number of movies, including The Last Dragon and Never Too Young to Die opposite John Stamos. She went on to appear in 52 Pick-Up and 1988’s Action Jackson, her highest profile role, in which she starred opposite Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, and Sharon Stone.

Best Known For:
Vanity is best known for her career as a singer in the 1980s.

Personal Life:
Vanity was linked romantically to Prince, Adam Ant, and Billy Idol. In 1987, she stated that she and Mötley Crüe were engaged. However, they never married. In 1995, Vanity married football player Anthony Smith of the Oakland Raiders, but they divorced only the following year. 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 claimed 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. But due to the effects on her kidneys of years of drug use while a performer, she had to undergo peritoneal dialysis five times a day (each session was 20 minutes long). Vanity lived in Fremont, California until her death on February 15, 2016.

Click to Subscribe to Our HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get more celeb news.
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

Most Read

Kim Kardashian, 40, Wears Nothing But Flesh-Toned Tights By Skims In Sexy Campaign Pic

Kim Kardashian

Kylie Jenner Sizzles In Black Bikini Selfies As She Shows Off Long Dark Hair — See Pics

Kylie Jenner

Mary-Kate Olsen Steps Out With Brightwire CEO John Cooper 1 Month After Divorcing Olivier Sarkozy

Mary-Kate Olsen

Megyn Kelly Faces Backlash After Revealing Why She Pulled Her Kids Out Of Their Schools

megyn

Katy Perry Pushes Baby Daisy Dove, 6 Mos., In A Stroller On Rare Outing With The Infant In Hawaii

katy perry

Latest Vanity

Oscar Winners With Razzies

Prince (REX)

Prince Dedicates Song To Vanity In Concert After Her Passing: We Loved Each Other

This is heartbreaking. After learning that his ex-girlfriend and protege, Vanity, had passed away on Feb. 15, Prince gave a special tribute to the late singer during his concert and remembered her with an emotional speech. Get the scoop here.

It’s been an incredible difficult couple of days for Prince following the death of his ex, Vanity, but the show must go on. The legendary singer is out on the road while grieving his close friend and protege, so he made sure to honor her while performing on Feb. 16. Find out what he said here.

February 16, 2016
Carmen Electra Vanity Tribute

Vanity Dead: Carmen Electra Pays Tribute To Fellow Prince Protege — You Are ‘Beautiful’

Though Carmen Electra never met her fellow Prince protegé, Vanity’s death on Feb. 15 deeply moved the ‘Baywatch’ star. In a touching memorial, Carmen called the Vanity 6 singer ‘the most beautiful’ of all the Prince performers. Click to see her tribute.

The tragic death of Vanity, 57, broke the hearts of all her fans — including Carmen Electra, 43. Just like Vanity, Carmen got her big start thanks to Prince, 57, and after hearing news of Vanity’s passing, the Epic Movie star honored her fellow protegé.

February 16, 2016
Who Is Vanity

Vanity: 5 Things To Know About Prince’s Protege Who Died Tragically At 57

Eighties pop superstar Vanity has tragically died at 57 after battling kidney issues and more recently abdominal illness. We took a look back at the life of the talented singer and actress.

Vanity, also known as Denise Katrina Matthews, sadly passed away at the age of 57 after battling kidney problems. The beautiful singer, model and actress had a full life and we thought we’d look back on her amazing career in the spotlight and the events leading up to her untimely passing.

February 15, 2016

Vanity Dead: Prince Protege & Vanity 6 Lead Singer Tragically Dies At 57

So sad. Vanity, one of the sexiest singers in the 1980’s is dead. The frontwoman of the girl group, Vanity 6, and Prince’s protegé, has died after battling severe health issues.

Vanity, whose real name was, Denise Katrina Matthews, has died in a Fremont, CA hospital on Feb. 15, according to a new report. The 57-year old singer, who was tutored by legendary musician, Prince, 57, suffered from kidney issues for years and more recently abdominal illness. Here is what we know.

February 15, 2016

More From Our Brands

  • Live Like a Duchess In One of These ‘Bridgerton’-Inspired Airbnbs
    SheKnows

    Live Like a Duchess In One of These ‘Bridgerton’-Inspired Airbnbs

  • Here’s How to Watch the Golden Globes Online For Free to See if Your Fave Stars Win
    StyleCaster

    Here’s How to Watch the Golden Globes Online For Free to See if Your Fave Stars Win

  • SNL Tackles Our Murder Shows Obsession — Watch Music Video
    TVLine

    SNL Tackles Our Murder Shows Obsession — Watch Music Video

  • See ‘SNL’ Turn Covid-19 Vaccine Eligibility Into Game Show Hosted by Dr. Fauci
    Rolling Stone

    See ‘SNL’ Turn Covid-19 Vaccine Eligibility Into Game Show Hosted by Dr. Fauci

  • How Andra Day Transformed Into Billie Holiday With the Help of 1940s Vintage eBay Shoes
    FootwearNews

    How Andra Day Transformed Into Billie Holiday With the Help of 1940s Vintage eBay Shoes

    HollywoodLife

    • About Us
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Scoops & Corrections
    • Contact Us

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Rights
    • AdChoices
    • Terms of Use
    • Data Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    News

    • Celebrity News
    • World News
    • Exclusives
    • Celebrity Babies

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
© Copyright 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
ad