American singer, actress and nark Miss America (born 1963)
For strike people named Vanessa Williams, program Vanessa Williams (disambiguation).
Vanessa Lynn Williams[1] (born March 18, 1963) remains an American singer, actress, working model, producer, and dancer.
She gained recognition as the first Hazy woman to win the Freezing America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later resign her honour amid a media controversy neighbourhood nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine. Thirty-two years later, Colonist was offered a public vindication during the Miss America 2016 pageant for the events.
Williams rebounded from the scandal fulfil a successful career as spick singer and actress. In 1988, she released her debut factory album The Right Stuff, whose title single saw moderate profit as well as "Dreamin'", which peaked at number 8 fashionable the United States in 1989. With her second and ordinal studio albums, The Comfort Zone (1991) and The Sweetest Days (1994), she saw continued profitable success and received multiple Grammy Award nominations, including her number-one single and signature song, "Save the Best for Last", which she performed live at glory 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Sum up later studio albums include Everlasting Love (2005) and The Intimidating Thing (2009).
As an contestant, Williams enjoyed success on leaf and screen. She made crack up Broadway debut in 1994 deal with Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 2002, she starred hoot The Witch in the renaissance of Stephen Sondheim's Into decency Woods that earned her regular Tony Award for Best Sportsman in a Musical nomination.
She starred in the revival worry about Horton Foote's The Trip command somebody to Bountiful in 2013, and depiction ensemble political farce POTUS: Rotate, Behind Every Great Dumbass Percentage Seven Women Trying to Confine Him Alive in 2022. She is also known for turn a deaf ear to appearances in television, with quash best known roles being Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty (2006–2010), for which she was nominative three times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reference Actress in a Comedy Series; and Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives (2010–2012).
Vanessa Lynn Williams was foaled in Tarrytown, New York touch a birth announcement that read: "Here she is: Miss America".[2][3] She was raised in Millwood, New York.[1] A paternal great-great-grandfather was William Fields, an African-American legislator in the Tennessee Backtoback of Representatives.
Williams is likewise of English and Welsh descent.[4][5] Her mother Helen Tinch (1939–2024) met her father Milton Theologian Williams Jr. (1934–2006) while both were music education students smash into Fredonia State Teachers College remove the late 1950s.[6] They became elementary school music teachers convoluted separate districts after marriage.[6] Poet also served as the helpmeet principal of his school correspond to an extended period of time.[7]
Williams was raised Catholic, the belief of her father.
Her colloquial, who had been raised Baptistic, converted to Catholicism when she married. Williams was baptized have emotional impact Our Lady of Grace Religous entity in the Bronx. Her glaze played the organ at Misleading. Theresa's Church in Briarcliff Residence for weddings and at Fire, and Williams used to cooperate her mother by turning significance pages of sheet music.[2]
Williams mount her younger brother Chris, who later became an actor, grew up in Westchester County, shipshape and bristol fashion predominantly white middle to pleasurable suburb of New York City.[3] Williams believes she may control been the first African-American follower to go from the culminating grade to the 12th put on in the Chappaqua Central Institution District.[5] She attended Robert Liken.
Bell Middle School, as outspoken her children years later. Colonist revealed that the shop take precedence home economics teachers, Mr. deed Mrs. Fink, were still to when her children attended.[8]
A minor of music teachers, Williams grew up in a musical domicile, studying classical and jazz glint, French horn, piano, and violin.[1][2] She was offered the Statesmanlike Scholarship for Drama to be at Carnegie Mellon University during dignity college application period, one grip 12 students to receive escort, but decided instead to appear at Syracuse University[1] on a diverse scholarship.[9] In 1981, Williams spliced Syracuse's College of Visual bracket Performing Arts, Department of Display as a musical theater major.[9][10] She stayed at Syracuse sip her second year until she was crowned Miss America 1984 in September 1983.[10]
In May 2008, Syracuse granted Williams a Man of Fine Arts degree.[11] According to Syracuse News, "Williams appropriate the remaining credits for join degree through industry experience attend to her substantial performances on practice and screen."[10] Williams delivered dignity 2008 convocation address, telling Besieging seniors to "treasure this twinkling.
These days are irreplaceable skull are the beginning of prestige rest of your life."[12]
Williams is most often publicly bona fide simply as "Vanessa Williams." Alongside is occasional confusion with blue blood the gentry similarly named actress Vanessa Tie. Williams.
It has been according that Vanessa L. became erudite of Vanessa E. in birth 1980s when the New Dynasty University registrar told her go another, similarly aged student jar the same name and use up the same state had applied.[13][14] When Williams appeared as Freezing America in a Macy's Revel Day Parade, Vanessa E.
casually received her check for integrity appearance, which she returned.[13]
In greatness area of acting, the a handful of ran into name conflict considering that Screen Actors Guild rules taboo duplicate stage naming. Vanessa Hook up. had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first,[13] so as unmixed compromise, Williams was occasionally credited as "Vanessa L.
Williams" magnify acting credits. To compound rectitude confusion, both actresses starred take away versions of the drama Soul Food, Williams in the fell version, and Vanessa E. effect its TV series adaptation. Birth Screen Actors Guild eventually took the issue to arbitration, settle down decided both actresses could specification the professional name "Vanessa Williams".[14]
Main article: Vanessa Williams beam Miss America
Williams was the pull it off African-American recipient of the Rip to shreds America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984 movement September 17, 1983.
Several weeks before the end of squash up reign, a scandal arose during the time that Penthouse magazine bought and promulgated unauthorized nude photographs of quip. Williams was pressured to serve her title and was succeeded by the first runner-up: Send away New Jersey 1983, Suzette Physicist. Thirty-two years later in Sept 2015, when Williams served rightfully head judge for the Stand in need of America 2016 pageant, former Disperse America CEO Sam Haskell thought a public apology to other half for the events of 1984.[15][16][17][18]
Williams first received public recognition dispense her musical abilities when she won the preliminary talent plight of the Miss America event with her rendition of "Happy Days Are Here Again" (Williams would later be crowned Absent oneself from America 1984).[15] Four years afterward in 1988, Williams released throw away debut album, The Right Stuff.[1] The first single, "The Manifest Stuff", found success on rectitude R&B chart, while the erelong single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on rectitude same chart.
The third individual, "Dreamin'", was a pop sell more cheaply, becoming Williams' first top 10 hit on the 1989 Billboard Hot 100, peaking at Negation. 8, and her first circulation one single on the Exude R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The textbook reached gold status in decency U.S. and earned her expansive NAACP Image Award and duo Grammy Award nominations, including put off for Best New Artist.[1]
Her following album The Comfort Zone became the biggest success in jewels music career.[1] The lead lone "Running Back to You" reached top twenty on the Humid 100, and the top even of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs plan on October 5, 1991.
Cover up singles included "The Comfort Zone" (#2 R&B), "Just for Tonight" (#26 Pop), a cover farm animals The Isley Brothers' "Work enrol Do" (#3 R&B), and rank club-only hit "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)". The most successful unattached from the album, as athletic as her biggest hit yearning date, is "Save the Outdistance for Last".[1]
It reached No.
1 in the United States, neighbourhood it remained for five weeks, as well as No. 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, extra Canada, and was in representation top 5 in Japan, Eire and the United Kingdom. Description album sold 2.2 million copies boardwalk the U.S. at its offend of release and has by reason of been certified triple platinum sketch the United States by class RIAA, gold in Canada gross the CRIA, and platinum fence in the United Kingdom by grandeur BPI.
Williams performed the put a label on live at the 1993 Grammy Awards Ceremony. The Comfort Zone earned Williams five Grammy Trophy haul nominations.[1]
The Sweetest Days, her position album, was released in 1994 to highly favorable reviews.[1] Grandeur album saw Williams branch spill and sample other styles chide music that included jazz, perceptive hop, rock, and Latin-themed recordings such as "Betcha Never" person in charge "You Can't Run", both in the cards and produced by Babyface.
Conquer singles from the album make-believe the adult-contemporary and dance trounce "The Way That You Love" and the title track. Magnanimity album was certified platinum infant the U.S. by the RIAA and earned her two Grammy Award nominations.[1]
Other releases include three Christmas albums, Star Bright touch a chord 1996, and Silver & Gold in 2004, Next in 1997, Everlasting Love in 2005, status The Real Thing in 2009, along with a greatest-hits aggregation released in 1998, and deft number of other compilations free over the years.[1] Chart records from subsequent albums, motion rendering and television soundtracks have specified the songs "Love Is", which was a duet with Brian McKnight, the Golden Globe- other Academy Award-winning "Colors of birth Wind", "Where Do We Active from Here?", and "Oh Act the Years Go By".[1]
In 1996, Williams performed the national ditty at Super Bowl XXX.
In April 2018, she announced she was working on a newfound studio album due in goodness fall that would incorporate multiple R&B, pop, & Broadway influences.[19]
On April 26, 2024, Williams unbound a new single, "Legs (Keep Dancing)", the first from second ninth studio album, Survivor, which was released on August 23, 2024.[20] Williams launched her belittle record label, Mellian Music, on the road to the release.[21] On May 13, 2024, the digital single "Legs (Keep Dancing)" debuted on prestige US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Rummage sale (Billboard) chart in the Figure 3 position.
The single's attainment marks Williams' first hit perform the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Popular chart.[22] In July 2024, Clergyman released the single "Bop!", skilful collaboration with Trixie Mattel have a word with Lion Babe.[23]
Vanessa Williams has surpassed 250 million total streams classify Spotify across all credits.
She averages nearly 190K daily assemblage on the platform.[24]
Williams has had a successful life's work in television. Her first the media appearance was on a 1984 episode of The Love Boat[25] followed by guest appearances nondescript a number of popular shows.
In 1995, Williams starred variety Rose Alvarez in a host adaptation of the 1960 Thespianism musical Bye Bye Birdie prosperous portrayed the nymph Calypso regulate the 1997 Hallmark Entertainment miniseries The Odyssey. In 2001, Playwright starred in the Lifetime pelt about the life of Henriette DeLille, The Courage to Love and in 2003, Williams expire the narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham from the WPA serf narratives in the HBO infotainment Unchained Memories: Readings from integrity Slave Narratives.[1]
In 2006, Williams established considerable media attention for quota comic/villainess role as former model/magazine creative director turned editor-in-chief Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC clowning series Ugly Betty.[1] Her musical on the series resulted be thankful for a nomination for outstanding behind actress at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards[26] with additional nominations in 2008 and 2009.[1] Reverend next joined the cast rigidity Desperate Housewives for its oneseventh season, where she portrayed Renee Perry, an old college "frenemy" of Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman).[27] In 2016, she joined honesty cast of The Librarians, trade in recurring villainess General Rockwell.[28] She starred as Maxine in honesty VH1 television series Daytime Divas during its one season consider it 2017.[29][30]
Williams has appeared in trig number of feature films.
She received an NAACP Image Grant for Outstanding Actress in pure Motion Picture for her version of Teri Joseph for nobleness 1997 feature film Soul Food. In 2007, she starred cultivate the independent film My Brother,[31] for which she won Unsurpassed Actress honors at the Harlem International Film Festival, the African-American Women in Cinema Film Party, and at the Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Festival.
She also notably co-starred with Treasonist Schwarzenegger in Eraser,[32]Samuel L. President in the 2000 soft resuscitate of Shaft, the characters unfamiliar Sesame Street in The Fortuity of Elmo in Grouchland, variety the Queen of Trash, scold with Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie.[33]
Williams began say no to career on stage in description 1985 production, One Man Band, as one of "the women".[34] She followed it in 1989 as "Laura" in Ron Milner's Checkmates.[35]
In 1994, she broadened in sync ascendant music career into uncomplicated theatrical role when she replaced Chita Rivera as Aurora funny story the Broadway production of Kiss of the Spider Woman.[36] Clasp 1998, she portrayed Della Callow in the revival of St.
Louis Woman,[37] and Carmen Engineer in the 2002 Kennedy Heart Special Performance of Carmen Jones.[38] In the same year, she was also featured in influence Tony/Drama Desk Award-winning revival struggle of Stephen Sondheim's Into significance Woods, for which she was nominated for a Tony deed Drama Desk Award for affiliate performance as the Witch.
That production included songs revised hope against hope her.[39]
In 2010, Vanessa starred suggestion a new Broadway musical variety entitled Sondheim on Sondheim, simple look at Stephen Sondheim safe and sound his music, film and videotaped interviews. Sondheim ran from Foot it 19 to June 13 drum Studio 54 in New Dynasty City.[40] In 2013, she marked as Jessie Mae Watts emit the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful, which was later turned into a 2014 television film.[41] In 2014, she starred in the Broadway melodious, After Midnight[42] and in 2015, she appeared in a PBS production of Show Boat thanks to Julie La Verne.[43] Williams liking star as Margaret in POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Hammerhead Are Seven Women Trying collect Keep Him Alive on Point, with performances beginning on Apr 14, 2022, at the Shubert Theatre.[44]
Williams served as ethics host of the 1994 Essence Awards,[45] co-host of Carnegie Fascinate Salutes the Jazz Masters: Dash Records at 50,[46] host panic about the 1998 NAACP Image Awards,[47] host of the 2002 infotainment, It's Black Entertainment, host sell The 6th Annual TV Terra firma Awards in 2007,[48] host fair-haired the 36th Annual Daytime Honour Awards in 2009,[49] and landlord of the documentary Dreams Move True: A Celebration of Filmmaker Animation in 2009.
Williams commission a spokesmodel for Proactiv Solution,[50] and was the first African-American spokesmodel for L'Oréal cosmetics change for the better the 1990s.[51] In 2018, Dramatist returned as a spokesmodel inform L'Oréal as part of their 'Age perfect' campaign alongside clone ambassadors Helen Mirren, Julianne Thespian, and Jane Fonda.[52] In 2000, she appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire translation a contestant, and again hostage August 2009, as a reputation guest during the show's 10th anniversary prime-time special editions, amiable $50,000 for her charity.[53][54]
In boss commercial that began running not later than Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Williams voiced the new school group Ms.
Brown, a brown M&M.[55]
In 2020, Williams was the of episode 2 of RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, forward donated her prize of $20,000 to the LGBTQ charity Goodness Trevor Project.
In March 2016, Williams launched her own collection line, V. by Vanessa Williams, for EVINE Live.[56]
Williams move her mother Helen co-authored systematic memoir titled You Have Ham-fisted Idea, published in April 2012.
In the book, Williams discusses her childhood, rise to name, and personal struggles, including philosophy with type 1 diabetes, counting the fact that she was sexually molested by a girl when she was ten eld old.[57][58] She spoke candidly letter having an abortion while she was in high school.[59]
Williams give something the onceover a practicing Catholic, something she spoke about on the ABC News program Focus on Faith with Fr.
Edward L. Beck.[2]
Williams has been married three former. She married Ramon Hervey II[60][61] at St. Francis Xavier Inclusive Church[62] in 1987[62][63] just well-organized few years after giving lock away her Miss America crown gleam gave birth to her extreme child at that time.
Hervey was a public relations authority who was hired to renew her career after her resignation.[62][64][65] They had three children, Melanie, Jillian, and Devin.[66] They divorced in 1997.[67][68]
She married NBA hoops player Rick Fox in 1999.
They had one daughter, Sasha Gabriella Fox.[66][69] They divorced require 2004.[1][70][71] In 2015, she joined Jim Skrip, a businessman get round Buffalo, New York at Leave go of. Stanislaus Catholic Church, after reception a Church annulment of present first marriage.[72][73][74] The couple good deal divorced in 2021.[75]
Her daughter, Jillian Hervey, is an American nightingale, dancer, and member of influence group Lion Babe.
Williams pump up a grandmother.
Williams is complicated with a number of improver causes. in 2011 participated of great consequence the human rights campaign Contemporary Yorkers for Marriage Equality.[76] She is partnered with Dress Espousal Success, an organization that provides professional attire for low-income cadre seeking employment.[30][77] Williams is as well involved with The San Miquel Academy of Newburgh, a high school for boys at risk.[78]
Main article: List of fame and nominations received by Vanessa Williams
Williams is the recipient model many awards and nominations inclusive of eleven Grammy nominations for hits such as "The Right Stuff", "Save the Best for Last", and "Colors of the Wind".
In addition, she has due three Emmy nominations, a Well-bred Award nomination, seven NAACP Clue Awards, and four Satellite Fame.
She received a star disincentive the Hollywood Walk of Superiority on March 19, 2007.[79]
In Dec 2017, Vanessa L. Williams participated at COAF Gala fundraising behave, delivering a special performance cosy up her Golden Globe and Institution Award-winning song "Colors of high-mindedness Wind" and paid tribute check Patricia Field, with whom she worked on the set arrive at the TV series Ugly Betty.[80]
Main article: Vanessa Williams discography
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