R.I.P. Vanity, frontwoman of Vanity 6 and Prince protégé, dead at 57
Denise Katrina Matthews, the singer known professionally as Vanity, has died at the age of 57. According TMZ, Matthews died from kidney failure and an abdominal illness.
Matthews was discovered by Prince in 1980. At his urging, she took on the moniker Vanity and fronted the band Vanity 6. Under Prince’s guidance, Vanity 6 released their self-titled debut in 1982, containing the chart-topping single “Nasty Girl”. The band also accompanied Prince on his 1999 Tour.
Matthews was also romantically linked to Prince in the early 80s, and they appeared together on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1981.