fricnjay
02-17-2016, 02:25 PM
http://i.imgur.com/r7ufSp1.jpg
Denise Matthews, who as Vanity fronted the group Vanity 6 but was best known for her collaboration with Prince, has died at a hospital in Fremont, California.
Her death was confirmed by Gisela Hernandez, spokeswoman for Washington Hospital Health Care System. Hernandez did not say when Matthews died or under what circumstances.
She was 57 years old, according to her biography on the Internet Movie Database.
Matthews was born in Canada and began her career as a model. She took on film roles, playing mostly sultry characters beginning in 1980, including in the movies "52 Pick-Up" and "Action Jackson."
And in 1982 she headlined the group Vanity 6, which had a close association with Prince. The band published only one album, allmusic.com said in a biography on the band.
In the mid 1990s, Matthews turned her back on the entertainment industry and dedicated herself to her Christian faith, eventually becoming an evangelist. As a devout Christian, she spoke with disdain of her former career, saying she had been miserable throughout it.
Another former Prince protege Sheila E, also a professing Christian, said goodbye to Matthews in a tweet.
"SADDEN my FRIEND IN CHRIST gone 2day. Vanity, Denise Matthews. MISS YOU DEARLY. U ARE IN HIS ARMS NOW, NO Pain," she said.
Vanity, whose real name was Denise Katrina Matthews, passed away in a Fremont, CA hospital on Monday ... according to sources close to her family. A few months ago she set up a GoFundMe page, and said she'd been diagnosed with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis -- an inflammation of the small intestines.
She also battled crack addiction in the '90s, and after a 1994 OD her kidneys were shot. She had to undergo nearly daily dialysis treatments.
Vanity's biggest hit came in 1982 with "Nasty Girl" ... a song produced by Prince. The group toured with Prince on his 1999 tour, but she quit right after that. She went on to sign a solo record deal with Motown, and starred in movies like "The Last Dragon" and "Action Jackson."
She eventually ditched Hollywood, quit drugs and became a born-again Christian in the mid '90s. She remained active in her local church up until her death. We're told she was in church on Saturday evening and told the congregation she was "ready to go home."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQQdA2aat2k&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDmspWdGHoQ&feature=youtu.be
Denise Matthews, who as Vanity fronted the group Vanity 6 but was best known for her collaboration with Prince, has died at a hospital in Fremont, California.
Her death was confirmed by Gisela Hernandez, spokeswoman for Washington Hospital Health Care System. Hernandez did not say when Matthews died or under what circumstances.
She was 57 years old, according to her biography on the Internet Movie Database.
Matthews was born in Canada and began her career as a model. She took on film roles, playing mostly sultry characters beginning in 1980, including in the movies "52 Pick-Up" and "Action Jackson."
And in 1982 she headlined the group Vanity 6, which had a close association with Prince. The band published only one album, allmusic.com said in a biography on the band.
In the mid 1990s, Matthews turned her back on the entertainment industry and dedicated herself to her Christian faith, eventually becoming an evangelist. As a devout Christian, she spoke with disdain of her former career, saying she had been miserable throughout it.
Another former Prince protege Sheila E, also a professing Christian, said goodbye to Matthews in a tweet.
"SADDEN my FRIEND IN CHRIST gone 2day. Vanity, Denise Matthews. MISS YOU DEARLY. U ARE IN HIS ARMS NOW, NO Pain," she said.
Vanity, whose real name was Denise Katrina Matthews, passed away in a Fremont, CA hospital on Monday ... according to sources close to her family. A few months ago she set up a GoFundMe page, and said she'd been diagnosed with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis -- an inflammation of the small intestines.
She also battled crack addiction in the '90s, and after a 1994 OD her kidneys were shot. She had to undergo nearly daily dialysis treatments.
Vanity's biggest hit came in 1982 with "Nasty Girl" ... a song produced by Prince. The group toured with Prince on his 1999 tour, but she quit right after that. She went on to sign a solo record deal with Motown, and starred in movies like "The Last Dragon" and "Action Jackson."
She eventually ditched Hollywood, quit drugs and became a born-again Christian in the mid '90s. She remained active in her local church up until her death. We're told she was in church on Saturday evening and told the congregation she was "ready to go home."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQQdA2aat2k&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDmspWdGHoQ&feature=youtu.be