Actress & Singer Vanity (Vanity 6) 1959-2016 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 02-15-2016, 09:26 PM

The former wild child behind the dance hit "Nasty Girl," Denise Matthews spent the last decades as a sober Christian evangelist.

Link

Denise Matthews — far better known by her stage name, Vanity — has died at age 57 from kidney failure, the result of years of crack cocaine abuse, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The singer and actress died Monday in a hospital in Fremont, Calif., the Bay Area city she called home.

"She absolute loved God unto salvation," her friend MC Hammer tweeted Monday night as the Grammy Awards got underway. "She fell ill during the night [and] ended up on life support."

A sex vixen fashioned in the image of her rock-star mentor and one-time lover, Prince, Matthews had several provocative hits in the early 1980s as lead singer of the group Vanity 6.

The biggest by far was 1982's "Nasty Girl." An infectious synth-funk single with overtly sexual lyrics, the song stalled on mainstream radio but managed to reach No. 1 on the Billboard dance charts. It has since gone on to become a dance-floor classic.

Matthews disbanded Vanity 6 after the group's debut release and signed with Motown Records in 1984, under which she released two solo records, Wild Animal and Skin on Skin. She also embarked on an acting career, starring in the Berry Gordy-produced musical martial-arts film, The Last Dragon, in 1985.

The following year, she was cast opposite John Stamos in Never Too Young to Die, a disastrous send-up of James Bond movies that featured KISS' Gene Simmons as a cross-dressing villain.

"She was pretty wild," Stamos recently told THR about his co-star. “She was like Al Pacino in Scarface, blasting these f—ing [prop] machine guns all over the place. We weren’t even rolling!”

Matthews' reputation as a hard partier in those early years of fame was both widely known and well-founded. As she cycled through rocker boyfriends (Billy Idol, Adam Ant and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, among them), she developed a dangerous addiction to crack cocaine.

In 1994, that addiction led to near-fatal renal failure. She later said that Jesus Christ appeared to her at that time and offered her a second chance at life if she abandoned her Vanity persona.

Matthews spent the years since sober and a born again Christian. After a kidney transplant in 1997, she became a Christian evangelist. She told her story in a self-published 2010 autobiography, Blame It on Vanity.

Matthews' health woes took a turn for the worse late last year, however, and she set up a crowdfunding effort to pay for her medical treatment after being diagnosed with sclerosis encapsulating peritonitis, a severely painful kidney condition. She raised $6,599 of the $50,000 she had sought.

UMFaninMD · 02-15-2016, 09:56 PM

The Last Dragon is one of my favorite 80's movies, and Nasty Girl is a fun jam to listen to. I had no idea she was sick. RIP.

MikeLutton · 02-15-2016, 10:19 PM

link does not work

Zoneboy · 02-15-2016, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeL

link does not work

Thanks, it should work now.

Marvo301 · 02-16-2016, 03:21 PM

May she rest in peace

Bonniegirl · 02-16-2016, 04:06 PM

Wow! Very sad! She was so young to pass, but in bad health she is at peace now out of pain! Glad she got off the drugs and found the Lord!!!

RIP Denise/Vanity

ABlairican Pie · 02-16-2016, 06:55 PM

That is very sad. It shows that drug use can catch up with you, even later in life years after you've been off of it.

Wasn't she romantically involved at one point with one of the members of Motley Crue? Or who am I thinking of?

I think I remember that song "Nasty Girls", quite a provocative number. Like Sheila E., she found the meaning of her life in Christ, which was good.

DJM77 · 02-16-2016, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

Wasn't she romantically involved at one point with one of the members of Motley Crue? Or who am I thinking of?

It says in the article above that Zoneboy posted that she was involved with Nikki Six.

Hawkee · 02-17-2016, 02:25 AM

With the passing of Vanity I wonder if Vanity 6's debut album will be rereleased on CD again. Because it seems that Vanity 6's debut cd is out of print and I would like to see it released on CD. Do you think it will happen?,
Bestie

isiahthomas · 02-17-2016, 04:53 PM

I just heard about Vanity's death yesterday from my aunt in Cleveland, Ohio because I didn't know. I was in love with her when I was a kid and she was so hot when she was young. I posted pictures of her on my Facebook page and I got her movies The Last Dragon and Action Jackson on dvd. I also got a picture of her Action Jackson movie on my Facebook page. Check out my Facebook page ya'll and leave comments of my Vanity aka Denise Matthews pictures. She was also on a episode of Miami Vice tv show as a prostitute and she was in the movies 52 Pick Up with Roy Schieder(RIP)and Ann Margaret and Deadly Illusions with Billy Dee Williams. She also did a movie with Fred Williamson and Gary Busey that I forgot the name of. I love her songs Nasty Girl, Pretty Mess and Undress. Nasty Girl song was played in Beverly Hills Cop movie with Eddie Murphy when Eddie was at the strip club with John Ashton and Judge Reinhold hahahahahahahahahahaha. 2 white guys walked in the club and tried to rob the place. Eddie made me laugh when he walked towards one of the guys. He said hey Phil. He said you don't come here no more but I said that's Phil LOL. Hey gimme kiss baby hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. The guy pushed Eddie on the floor and he said everybody put your hands on the table.

isiahthomas · 02-17-2016, 05:01 PM

If ya'll wanna check out my Facebook pictures of Vanity, my name is Keith Witcher on there because that's my real name.

JamesG · 02-17-2016, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

The Last Dragon is one of my favorite 80's movies, and Nasty Girl is a fun jam to listen to. I had no idea she was sick. RIP.

I met Taimak at a convention back in December and it was great talking to him about working w/ her.

He told me that since she became a minister she had completely distanced herself from Hollywood and he didn't have contact w/ her.

02-15-2016, 09:26 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Actress & Singer Vanity (Vanity 6) 1959-2016 The former wild child behind the dance hit "Nasty Girl," Denise Matthews spent the last decades as a sober Christian evangelist. Link Denise Matthews — far better known by her stage name, Vanity — has died at age 57 from kidney failure, the result of years of crack cocaine abuse, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The singer and actress died Monday in a hospital in Fremont, Calif., the Bay Area city she called home. "She absolute loved God unto salvation," her friend MC Hammer tweeted Monday night as the Grammy Awards got underway. "She fell ill during the night [and] ended up on life support." A sex vixen fashioned in the image of her rock-star mentor and one-time lover, Prince, Matthews had several provocative hits in the early 1980s as lead singer of the group Vanity 6. The biggest by far was 1982's "Nasty Girl." An infectious synth-funk single with overtly sexual lyrics, the song stalled on mainstream radio but managed to reach No. 1 on the Billboard dance charts. It has since gone on to become a dance-floor classic. Matthews disbanded Vanity 6 after the group's debut release and signed with Motown Records in 1984, under which she released two solo records, Wild Animal and Skin on Skin. She also embarked on an acting career, starring in the Berry Gordy-produced musical martial-arts film, The Last Dragon, in 1985. The following year, she was cast opposite John Stamos in Never Too Young to Die, a disastrous send-up of James Bond movies that featured KISS' Gene Simmons as a cross-dressing villain. "She was pretty wild," Stamos recently told THR about his co-star. “She was like Al Pacino in Scarface, blasting these f—ing [prop] machine guns all over the place. We weren’t even rolling!” Matthews' reputation as a hard partier in those early years of fame was both widely known and well-founded. As she cycled through rocker boyfriends (Billy Idol, Adam Ant and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, among them), she developed a dangerous addiction to crack cocaine. In 1994, that addiction led to near-fatal renal failure. She later said that Jesus Christ appeared to her at that time and offered her a second chance at life if she abandoned her Vanity persona. Matthews spent the years since sober and a born again Christian. After a kidney transplant in 1997, she became a Christian evangelist. She told her story in a self-published 2010 autobiography, Blame It on Vanity. Matthews' health woes took a turn for the worse late last year, however, and she set up a crowdfunding effort to pay for her medical treatment after being diagnosed with sclerosis encapsulating peritonitis, a severely painful kidney condition. She raised $6,599 of the $50,000 she had sought.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads. Last edited by Zoneboy; 02-15-2016 at 10:41 PM.

02-15-2016, 10:19 PM	#3
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,881	link does not work
	__________________ Tv And DVD Addict got over a hundred dvds in my collection more than anyone in the neighborhood. also huge Animal lover family man

02-16-2016, 03:21 PM	#5
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	May she rest in peace
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

02-16-2016, 06:55 PM	#7
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,620	RIP Vanity. That is very sad. It shows that drug use can catch up with you, even later in life years after you've been off of it. Wasn't she romantically involved at one point with one of the members of Motley Crue? Or who am I thinking of? I think I remember that song "Nasty Girls", quite a provocative number. Like Sheila E., she found the meaning of her life in Christ, which was good.
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

02-17-2016, 02:25 AM	#9
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,771	With the passing of Vanity I wonder if Vanity 6's debut album will be rereleased on CD again. Because it seems that Vanity 6's debut cd is out of print and I would like to see it released on CD. Do you think it will happen?, Bestie
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team

02-15-2016, 09:56 PM	#2
UMFaninMD I love a mystery Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,287	The Last Dragon is one of my favorite 80's movies, and Nasty Girl is a fun jam to listen to. I had no idea she was sick. RIP.

02-16-2016, 04:06 PM	#6
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,576	Wow! Very sad! She was so young to pass, but in bad health she is at peace now out of pain! Glad she got off the drugs and found the Lord!!! RIP Denise/Vanity

02-17-2016, 04:53 PM	#10
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	I just heard about Vanity's death yesterday from my aunt in Cleveland, Ohio because I didn't know. I was in love with her when I was a kid and she was so hot when she was young. I posted pictures of her on my Facebook page and I got her movies The Last Dragon and Action Jackson on dvd. I also got a picture of her Action Jackson movie on my Facebook page. Check out my Facebook page ya'll and leave comments of my Vanity aka Denise Matthews pictures. She was also on a episode of Miami Vice tv show as a prostitute and she was in the movies 52 Pick Up with Roy Schieder(RIP)and Ann Margaret and Deadly Illusions with Billy Dee Williams. She also did a movie with Fred Williamson and Gary Busey that I forgot the name of. I love her songs Nasty Girl, Pretty Mess and Undress. Nasty Girl song was played in Beverly Hills Cop movie with Eddie Murphy when Eddie was at the strip club with John Ashton and Judge Reinhold hahahahahahahahahahaha. 2 white guys walked in the club and tried to rob the place. Eddie made me laugh when he walked towards one of the guys. He said hey Phil. He said you don't come here no more but I said that's Phil LOL. Hey gimme kiss baby hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. The guy pushed Eddie on the floor and he said everybody put your hands on the table.

02-17-2016, 05:01 PM	#11
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	If ya'll wanna check out my Facebook pictures of Vanity, my name is Keith Witcher on there because that's my real name.