April 3, 2009

BECKHAM MEDIA CATCHES UP WITH EVANGELIST DENISE MATTHEWS --FORMERLY KNOWN AS "VANITY" WHO IS PREPARED TO RELEASE A SELF PUBLISHED BOOK "BLAME IT ON VANITY"

Denise Katrina Matthews (born January 4, 1959), better known as Vanity but sometimes credited as Denise Matthews-Smith or D.D. Winters, is a Canadian-born singer, actress, and model. She was the lead singer for the Prince-mentored female trio Vanity 6, which recorded the 1982 R&B hit "Nasty Girl".

The woman who would become famous as the international sex symbol known as Vanity, was born Denise Matthews and was also known as Denise Smith. Denise had a troubled childhood: her mother left the family when she was a child, and Denise says she was raised by an abusive father who would beat her up. When Denise met Prince in the early '80s, he was a rising star and she was an unknown actress and model.

Vanity 6 was all about sex appeal. Not surprisingly, Vanity 6's biggest hit was a song called "Nasty Girl." Vanity 6's first and only album was a modest success and it wasn't long before Vanity decided she wanted a solo career. Vanity was scheduled to play the leading lady role in Prince's movie "Purple Rain," but she exited the project. Some reports say she quit, others say she was fired. Not long afterwards, Prince and Vanity split up for good, and Vanity was replaced in the film by Appolonia (real name: Patty Kotero), who was also romantically involved with Prince.

Denise Matthews has written a book about her life experiences as ‘Vanity’.  Matthews was the lead singer of the very Sexy 80’s group ‘Vanity 6 and girlfriend to Prince who put the group together.  I love Prince, what  we know about him would make it easy to believe that their relationship was unpredictable.  Denise (she does not like to be called Vanity now) left ‘Vanity 6, walked out on her role in ‘Purple Rain’ (replaced by Apollonia) and embarked on a Solo career as Vanity.   She has since left  show business and now Denise is an Evangelist.  She has penned her story in ‘Blame it on Vanity’. The book is scheduled to be released June,  2009.  

Here is an excerpt from book:

"All I had become was thus painted on my face-vanity-and what i had thus spoken from my vile tongue spewed forth from my juvenile breast of disdain.But this was just the beginning of my surrealistic journey, my make believe “i am the new hoopla” squeezed appropriately, sufficiently, distended in your black box, televising all my oddities up close and effectual. With each new, methodical, despicable movement of my being, i closed my fists around a wretched lie which sought to eradicate my life at an impromptu time and i had built no stomach for the fight. With each new bitterness dispelled formulated by this cruel cold world of which i had become its strange kind, i shut my eyes and with deep complaint muttered words of death and despair, while the hot flames seeped, boiled and burned ablaze under my bottle. I was molding to the likes of mediocrity, vulnerability, having had all the experience of a trained seal, being pushed to the brink of hopelessness,and helpless to perpetuate a flawless, ruinous end.""

Beckham Media recently caught up with Denise Matthews, Formerly Known as Vanity via phone, while at her home in Fremont, California.

  I just got off the phone with Evangelist Denise Matthews, better known as Vanity-singer, actress, and model. We spoke from her home in Fremont, California, where she was busy cleaning as we chatted.  I wanted to learn more about her book, "Blame it On Vanity," which is scheduled to be released in June. The book is written, graphically designed, published and is going to be distributed by Matthews, who has created a special web site to promote the book: www.blameitonvanity.com
  Like many of her fans, I followed all the stories surrounding her life, she was the gorgeous girlfriend and pin-up protege of music icon Prince, and it was very sad and disappointing to hear that Vanity had become involved in excessive drug use which forced her to have a kidney transplant in 1997.  Due to the detrimental effects on her health stemming from her use of crack cocaine for over a decade during her days as Vanity,  she now performs dialysis at home multiple times a day and unfortunately this has been the case for the past 16 years. She  mentioned to me that her health is not in the best condition, so she goes at her own pace.   
  Matthews says she decided to write her book because, "the Lord said it was time to write." For six years, she focused on writing her story until one day, she says, the Lord told her to throw that book out-- she did. Years later, she revisited the idea of writing about her life,  and "Blame it on Vanity," is the book she has finally finished.     
  Regarding the issue of vanity, Matthews says,  growing up she did not feel like she was physically beautiful, instead, she was just very skilled at knowing how to put on her makeup. While she didn't have the confidence that she was beautiful, everyone else around her put that thought into her head.  In her new book, she addresses the issue on being vain, and even quoted me an excerpt. "All I had become was thus painted on my face-vanity-and what I had thus spoken from my vile tongue spewed forth from my juvenile breast of disdain."
  Today, as an Evangelist, Matthews says she is a devoted servant of the Lord, and is focused on continuing to minister to everyone she meets, and that has been the case for the past 13 years.   
   Matthews divorced pro football star Anthony Smith in 1996, and while she doesn't have any children, she proudly claims all the neighborhood kids are hers. After all these years, I remember Matthews as being one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood during the 80's, and for a period of time I even believed she had it all. I believe her story reinforces why you can't get caught up into the hype of being vain--instead, it is important to concentrate on the beauty that lives within. Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others--and externally. No doubt, being vain, is short lived, Matthews can testify to this point.   
  Matthews no longer wants to be known as Vanity, and while I didn't get a chance to chat with her about Prince, because she had an unexpected flood in her kitchen, we did agree to talk again, once the book is released.  Wow, if you were a fan of Vanity's back in the day, I hope it doesn't disappoint you that she is no longer a "Nasty Girl" but more importantly, a woman who is more focused on discovering ways to accentuate the positive...I'm not mad at her!  

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