Pop Star/Actress Vanity Passes Away, Age 57

Vanity, Protege of Prince and lead singer of the 80's pop sensation "Vanity 6", passed away due to a long term battle with kidney and abdominal disease on Monday in Fremont California.

Born in Canada, Denise Katrina Matthews began a successful modelling career before entering the music industry. She sang lead for Vanity 6 from 1981 until 1983 and burned up the charts with the hit “Nasty Girl.” Matthews also completed two solo albums, along with the hits “Pretty Mess” and “Under the Influence.”

Matthews also enjoyed a successful acting career, with roles in films “The Last Dragon,” “52 Pick-Up” and “Action Jackson.”

Life wasn't always easy for Vanity.Her struggles with drug abuse ultimately took its toll on her health. At one point she suffered renal failure and, according to a Jet feature on the singer, required peritoneal dialysis five times a day. Following a 1994 crack cocaine overdose that left her with near-renal failure, Matthews renounced her stage name and became a born-again Christian. She once said, “When I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, I threw out about 1,000 tapes of mine — every interview, every tape, every video. Everything.” Following a 1997 kidney transplant, she devoted herself to evangelism, speaking at churches.

Matthews married Los Angeles Raiders player Anthony Smith in 1995, divorcing the following year, and had been engaged in Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx.

Rest in Power, Sister Matthews!