Vanessa Williams
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Vanessa Williams epitomizes the word entertainer, with much accomplishments and accolades in the world of music, film, broadway, television and music videos. In just ten years, she has emerged an international superstar whose list of credits is truly incredible.
Contents |
[edit] About
Vanessa Lynn Williams was born March 18 1963, in the upstate New York town of Millwood to parents who were both music teachers. She loved performing musical theater as a teenager, and won a scholarship to study it at Syracuse University in 1981. In the meantime, she began entering beauty pageants, with considerable success in 1983, she represented New York in the Miss America pageant and became the first African-American woman ever to be crowned the winner. Unfortunately, her triumph was short-lived. Vanessa Williams was doing backup vocals on George Clinton's. Although the songs weren't to widely known, she caught the attention of Wing and Murcury Record executives. After a couple of meetings, they signed Vanessa to a recording contract. While working up a storm on her debut album, she married and later divorced her now ex manager Ramn Hervey. By 1988 her debut album The Right Stuff was released. It won her a new image. People were starting to appreciate her more. And as luck would have it, her single 'Dreaming' hit #1 on the charts. It was a good year for her and she was back on top. On the big screen, she finally got a major role opposite Arnold Schwarznegger in the action, suspense movie Eraser. This opened up a new area of acting for her.
[edit] Awards & Certifications
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding New Artist |
| 1993 | Billboard Music Award | No. 1 Adult Contemporary Single for "Love Is" |
| 1994 | Theatre World Award | Best Debut Performance "Kiss of the Spider Woman" |
| 1994 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Female Artist |
| 1995 | Grammy Award | Best Song for "Colors of the Wind" |
| 1996 | Lena Horne Award | Outstanding Career Achievements |
| 1997 | NAACP Image Award | Best Actress Motion Picture "Soul Food" |
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Lead Actress for Soul Food |
| 2003 | Golden Satellite Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries |
Certifications
| Album | Certification |
|---|---|
| The Right Stuff | Certified Gold in U.S. |
| The Comfort Zone | Certified 3x Platinum in U.S. |
| The Sweetest Days | Certified Platinum in U.S. |
| Star Bright | Certified Gold in U.S. |
[edit] Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | Adult Contemporary | Hot R&B | Billboard Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Right Stuff | 4 | 44 | The Right Stuff | |
| 1988 | He's Got The Look | 10 | The Right Stuff | ||
| 1989 | Darlin I | 10 | 10 | 88 | The Right Stuff |
| 1991 | Running Back To You | 1 | 18 | The Comfort Zone | |
| 1992 | Work To Do | 3 | 52 | The Comfort Zone | |
| 1992 | The Comfort Zone | 2 | 62 | The Comfort Zone | |
| 1992 | Save The Best For Last | 1 | 1 | 1 | The Comfort Zone |
| 1992 | Just For Tonight | 2 | 11 | 26 | The Comfort Zone |
| 1993 | Love Is | 55 | 3 | Beverly Hills 90210 Soundtrack | |
| 1994 | The Sweetest Days | 40 | Sweetest Days | ||
| 1995 | You Can't Run | 40 | Sweetest Days | ||
| 1995 | The Way That You Love | 23 | 67 | Sweetest Days | |
| 1996 | Where Do We Go From Here | 90 | 71 | Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years | |
| 2004 | Silver And Gold | 4 | Silver & Gold | ||
| 2004 | Merry Christmas Darling | 18 | Silver & Gold | ||
| 2005 | You Are Everything | 25 | Everlasting Love |
[edit] News
[edit] Tours & Concerts
No upcoming tours
[edit] Announcements
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
 February 1988 |
 August 20, 1991 Wing |
 December 6, 1994 Polygram |
 November 05, 1996 Mercury |
 August 26, 1997 Mercury |
 October 12, 2004 Lava |
 January 25, 2005 Lava |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Right Stuff | Wing | The Right Stuff |
| 1989 | Dreamin' | Wing | The Right Stuff |
| 1989 | Darlin I | Wing | The Right Stuff |
| 1989 | He's Got The Look | Wing | The Right Stuff |
| 1991 | Running Back to You | Wing | The Comfort Zone |
| 1991 | The Comfort Zone | Wing | The Comfort Zone |
| 1992 | Save the Best For Last | Wing | The Comfort Zone |
| 1992 | Just for Tonight | Wing | The Comfort Zone |
| 1992 | Work to Do | Wing | The Comfort Zone |
| 1994 | The Sweetest Days | Wing | The Sweetest Days |
| 1994 | The Way That You Love | Wing | The Sweetest Days |
| 1996 | Where Do We Go From Here? | Polygram | Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years |
| 1997 | Oh How The Years Go By | Wing | Next |
[edit] Compilations & Live Releases
| Year | Album | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 
| Alfie: The Best of Vanessa Williams | Mercury |
| 1998 | 
| The Very Best of Vanessa Williams | Polygram International |
| 1998 | 
| Love Songs: The Best of Vanessa Williams | Import |
| 1998 | 
| Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years | Wing |
| 1998 | 
| Ballad Collection | Pony Canyon |
| 2003 | 
| Best of Vanessa Williams: 20th Century Masters/The Christmas Collection | Mercury |
| 2003 | 
| 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection: The Best of Vanessa Williams | Mercury |
| 2004 | 
| Very Best Of | Universal Japan |
| 2004 | 
| Love Songs | Mercury |
| 2006 | 
| Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters, Vol. 2 | YMC |
[edit] Other artists
[edit] Similar artists
[edit] Influences
[edit] Contemporaries
[edit] Trivia
- Vanessa Williams has a college degree in theatre and business management.
- Vanessa Williams is a diabetic.
