Denise Matthews, the former Prince protégé who went by the name Vanity and was the lead singer of the group Vanity 6, died on Monday. Prince was quick to spot potential in Matthews and set about making her a star. Their 1982 single “Nasty Girl” reached the top of Billboard’s dance chart.
Advertisement
She later embarked on a solo career, releasing two albums.
In 1994, Matthews’ crack cocaine addiction caused an almost-fatal renal failure, and she later said Jesus Christ appeared to her, offering a second chance at life if she left behind her persona as Vanity.
Ms. Matthews’s sister Renay Matthews confirmed her death. It’s being reported that the “Drive Me Wild” singer attended church Saturday evening and announced to the congregation that she was “ready to go home”. Her 1999 autobiography is entitled “Blame It on Vanity”.
After the health scare, she became a Christian evangelist, leaving her fame behind.
In addition to performing music, Matthews also enjoyed a successful acting career, with roles in the films “The Last Dragon”, “52 Pick-Up” and “Action Jackson”.
The 80s singer passed away in hospital from sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis – an inflammation of her small intestines.
On a GoFundMe page aimed at helping her pay her medical bills, Matthews said four months ago she had gone through 23 surgeries and was on dialysis three times a week. “Her and I used to love each other deeply”, he told the crowd, according to Australian news media accounts. “I can’t promise I’ll try, but I’ll try to try”.
Matthews struggled with drug abuse for years before getting clean and becoming a born-again Christian in the 1990s. She was 57-years old and had been battling kidney failure for years.
Advertisement
The latest reports are claiming that after an encore at the show, Prince returned to the stage where he said, “I am new to this playing alone”. I will always treasure our time together.
