Vanity (performer)

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Denise Katrina Matthews (born January 4, 1959 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), better known as Vanity (but sometimes credited as Denise Matthews-Smith or D.D. Winters), is a Canadian-born singer, actress, and model. She was the lead singer for the Prince-mentored female trio Vanity 6, which recorded the 1982 R&B hit "Nasty Girl".

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[edit] Personal life

The daughter of a German mother and an black father, she is the sister of Canadian model Patricia Matthews. Early in her career, Matthews appeared in B-movies such as Tanya's Island and Terror Train.

[edit] As Vanity

In 1982, she met Prince, who re-named her Vanity, stating he saw his female reflection when he looked at her. Other versions of the story suggest that Prince coined the name Vagina initially, but she refused and renamed herself "Vanity" instead. Later that same year, she became the lead singer of the group Vanity 6. Their trademark was explicit sexuality in their lyrics, performances, and attire (extending even to the group's name, with 6 alluding to the number of breasts in the group). The group's biggest hit, "Nasty Girl", reached #1 on Hot Dance Club Play and was produced by Prince. As Vanity, she dated Prince, Adam Ant, Micki Free, and Billy Idol during the 1980s. Additionally, Matthews was engaged to Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx in 1987, and joked during interviews that she would then again become Vanity 6 (Sixx). They never married, however (Matthews was a contributor to Sixx's book, released in 2007, called The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, in which Sixx gives detailed accounts of his drug-filled year in 1987, which includes numerous and often bizarre incidents with Vanity, who had been turned on to cocaine).

After one album, Vanity decided to leave her role in Vanity 6 and the proposed film Purple Rain in 1983. She signed a lucrative record deal with Motown Records in 1984 and recorded two albums, Wild Animal and Skin On Skin. Long versions of the singles "Pretty Mess" paired with "Mechanical Emotion", originally on Wild Animal were released on a 12" by Motown. She also starred in a handful of movies, including The Last Dragon and the 1988 action thriller Action Jackson, in which she starred opposite Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, and Sharon Stone. She also played a villain torturing Nancy Allen's character in 1990's amnesia-plot TV movie Memories of Murder; the film has appeared on the Lifetime channel. She guest starred in an episode of Miami Vice in its third season; she posed for Playboy in 1985 and in 1988; and, in 1992, she appeared in an episode of Highlander: The Series opposite Adrian Paul.

[edit] Later life

She formally gave up her stage name "Vanity" and became a born-again Christian in 1994. In 1995, Matthews was quoted "When I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, I threw out about 1,000 tapes of mine—every interview, every tape, every video. Everything." (Totally Awesome 80's by Matthew Rettenmund, page 57). In 1995, after a month-long courtship, Matthews married former football player Anthony Smith (he was a defensive end with the Los Angeles Raiders at the time). They divorced in 1996.

An evangelist and born-again Christian, she travels the United States and currently resides in Fremont, California. Matthews is currently working on finishing her novel Blame it on Vanity.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

While in the group Vanity 6

As a solo artist

  • (1984) Wild Animal
  • (1986) Skin On Skin

[edit] Soundtracks

  • (1985) The Last Dragon: the song "7th Heaven"
  • (1988) Action Jackson: the songs "Undress", "Faraway Eyes", and "Shotgun" with David Koz and featuring vocalist Kareem

[edit] Singles

[edit] with Vanity 6

Year Title U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. dance
1982 "He's So Dull" — — —
"Nasty Girl" 101 7 1
"Drive Me Wild" — — —

[edit] Solo

Year Title U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. dance
1984 "Pretty Mess" 75 15 13
1985 "Mechanical Emotion" — 23 —
1986 "Under the Influence" 56 9 6
"Animals" — — —

[edit] Filmography

  • (1980) Klondike Fever
  • (1980) Terror Train
  • (1980) Tanya's Island
  • (1985) The Last Dragon
  • (1986) Never Too Young to Die
  • (1986) 52 Pick-Up
  • (1987) Deadly Illusion
  • (1988) Action Jackson
  • (1992) South Beach
  • (1992) Neon City
  • (1993) Da Vinci's War
  • (1995) Kiss of Death

[edit] TV appearances


Additionally, Matthews gave many performances and interviews on talk shows/music shows/variety shows from 1983-1995. Her most recent mainstream interview was in 2002 on the VH1 series Where Are They Now?. In the last few years, however, Matthews has made a few appearances on the Christian channel TBN's programs, such as the long running Praise The Lord, and The Michael English Show.


[edit] External links

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