Vanity, a former protégé of Prince's and lead singer of 80s girl group Vanity 6, has died. The pop star, whose real name was Denise Katrina Matthews, passed away on Monday in a Fremont, Calif. hospital after years of battling kidney failure, according to TMZ. Most recently, she had set up a GoFundMe page because she had been diagnosed with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, which is an inflammation of the small intestines.
Matthews, who was just 57 years old, was suffering from all of this as the result of years of crack cocaine abuse, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She was a provocative singer who fashioned in the image of her icon, mentor and former partner, legendary rock star, Prince.
She had several hits in the early 80s, but her biggest was "Nasty Girl" in 1982. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart and has since become a dance party classic, despite the fact that it stayed off the radio so long because of its sexual lyrics.
She was a part of Vanity 6 until 1984 when they disbanded after their debut release and she signed with Motown Records. She went on to release two solo records and started an acting career.
Fellow musician Shelia E confirmed the news on Twitter just moments before the 2016 Grammy Awards began. "SADDEN my FRIEND IN CHRIST gone 2day," she wrote. "Vanity, Denise Matthews. MISS YOU DEARLY. U ARE IN HIS ARMS NOW, NO Pain."
SADDEN my FRIEND IN CHRIST gone 2day. Vanity, Denise Matthews. MISS YOU DEARLY. U ARE IN HIS ARMS NOW, NO Pain pic.twitter.com/UbCWtl8brc
— SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) February 16, 2016
