Vanity | |
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Vanity, circa 1984
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Born |
Denise Katrina Matthews January 4, 1959 Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada |
Died | February 15, 2016 Fremont, California, US |
(aged 57)
Cause of death | Renal failure |
Nationality | Canadian |
Other names | Denise Matthews–Smith, D.D. Winters |
Occupation | Singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer |
Years active | 1977–1997 |
Spouse(s) | Anthony Smith (m. 1995; div. 1996) |
Partner(s) |
Prince (1980–83) Nikki Sixx (1983–86) |
Musical career | |
Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US |
Genres | |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels | |
Associated acts | |
Website | blameitonvanity |
Denise Katrina Matthews (January 4, 1959 – February 15, 2016), better known as Vanity, was a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and model, who turned away from her music and acting career to concentrate on evangelism. 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. They are known 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 minor 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. Throughout the 1980s to the 1990s, Vanity appeared in many magazines around the world. She died on February 15, 2016, at the age of 57, due to renal failure.
Vanity was born on January 4, 1959 as Denise Katrina Matthews in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, she was the daughter of Helga Senyk and Levia James Matthews. Her mother was of Polish, German, and Jewish descent and was born in Germany, while her father was of African-American descent and was born in Wilmington, North Carolina.