Denise Matthews, a.k.a. Vanity, on the cover of Jet magazine in 1988.
Vanity was an R&B star and actress in the 80's and 90's, and a former protégé of Prince. She is best remembered for her hit "Nasty Girl" as a member of her eponymous girl group Vanity 6, as well as her solo hits, including "Mechanical Emotion" and "Under the Influence". She was also the star of the 80's films "The Last Dragon" and "Action Jackson", both quite successful at the box office.
Born in Canada to a Jewish mother of Polish and German descent, and a father of African American descent, she later converted to Christianity. She famously dropped the stage name Vanity, and renounced her career in entertainment to dedicate her time to preaching.
Despite this, her fans never forgot her, and her work in entertainment has reached younger generations, with millions watching her R&B clips on YouTube. Some in the Jewish community will always remember her as one of our greatest rock stars of the 80's.
Matthews sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 57.