Denise Matthews, popularly known as Vanity in the 80s, lived a troubled life that almost led to her death before she converted to Christianity in the 90s.At the peak of her career, she was Prince’s muse and inspired his “Purple Rain” film. Vanity had a full and fulfilling life. She was a model, singer, actor, and actress.
Before her tragic death, she had decided to become an evangelist instead of working in the entertainment business. Let’s take an in-depth look at her life before she died.
A photo of Vanity Prince
ABOUT VANITY
From Canada, where she was born, Vanity moved to the United States with the ambition to get her career off the ground. Before her move, she was considered “one of the gorgeous women in Niagara Falls.”
At 18, she had won the Miss Niagara Hospitality Pageant in 1977. This was the turning point that led to her becoming a model in America. She moved on to the music scene after she had left the catwalks.
Portrait of Vanity as the cover artist for Cameo’s 1982 album, ‘Alligator Woman.’ Photo by Getty Images. Prince was only 21 when he first saw her.
At only 21, she caught Prince’s eye. The pop icon then had no shadow of a doubt about the young woman’s potential and decided to take her under his wing.
The singer was propelled to the front of the stage and became the group Vanity 6. Two hours later and a huge hit, “Nasty Girl,” released in 1984, she embarked on a solo career.
She released two albums, “Wild Animal” in 1984 and “Skin on Skin” in 1986. She also starred in a few films in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “The Last Dragon” and “52 Pick-Up.”
Photo of Vanity Six circa 1970
VANITY’S HEALTH AND SALVATION
But the flip side of success is never far away. The 1980s were her turning point. She was swept into the drug abyss and suffered health problems from 1992 onwards.
It was not known that she had used crack cocaine and other drugs. She overdosed in 1994 and was lucky to survive, but her organs were not spared. Vanity had suffered from renal failure.
Photo by Getty Images Vanity was put on peritoneal dialysis for twenty minutes five times a day following her overdose.
Vanity underwent peritoneal dialysis five times a day for twenty minutes following this overdose until the end of her life. The doctors had said she would die in three days.
She disclosed that her blood pressure was 250 higher than 190, that she had suffered from internal bleeding and blood clots to her brain, and that both of her kidneys had failed. She was blind and deaf and had suffered a stroke and a heart attack.
Portrait of Vanity Chicago, Illinois, 3 April 1986. Determined for the right path, she left the entertainment industry. After putting an end to the drug addiction, she was able to leave the industry.
Determined to find the right path, she withdrew from the entertainment industry and had succeeded in putting an end to her drug addiction.
She became an evangelist and was deeply involved in her church. In 1999, she published a book titled “Blame It On Vanity.”
Vanity on November 7, 1986, at Tramp’s Club in Beverly Hills, California
After becoming an evangelist, she retained her husband’s last name, becoming Denise K. Smith, and even shared her life testimony with about fifty women at Christ Church in Hampton. She said,
“The closer I get to Jesus, the farther that Vanity woman seems to be.”
She did not become an evangelist out of the blues. On the movie set of “Davinci’s War,” actor Sam Jones invited her to his car during lunch break and read the Bible with her. From that moment on, she was transformed.
Vanity at the premiere of “The Last Dragon” on March 21, 1985, at the Plitt Theater in Century City, California
VANITY’S LOVE LIFE AND DEATH
When she was Prince’s protégé, they dated for several months after their memorable meeting at the 1979 American Music Awards before she moved on to start her solo career. They appeared on Rolling Stone’s cover in 1983. She once said of Prince,
“He’s the most romantic man that I’ve ever met in my life.”
During their time together, she helped with the “Purple Rain” script and was to play the female lead whose story was partly inspired by her own life story. But they broke up just before filming started and split in 1983.
Vanity at the premiere of “Coming To America” on June 26, 1988, at Mann Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California
In 1995, Vanity got married to pro football star Anthony Smith of the Oakland Raiders. They didn’t stay together long as they first met in February and were married in March. She stated that she knew he was the right man for her.
Vanity, a 57-year-old singer, died in Fremont, California, on February 15, 2016. The singer, suffering from kidney failure for many years, was admitted to the hospital shortly before she died.
Vanity at Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 16, 1989,
After her demise, Prince paid tributes to her at his Piano and a Microphone solo-tour concert in Melbourne, Australia. He said,
“She loved me for the artist I was, and I loved her for the artist she was trying to be.”
That night, he performed songs such as “Little Red Corvette” and “Dirty Mind,” written when they were together. He said that she would prefer them to celebrate her life than mourn her.