There are certain celebrities that really feel more like a friend than anything else - especially when you've been with them from Day One. I think that's how I felt about Vanity. Like everyone else, she came into my consciousness when Prince introduced Vanity 6 - the girl group he mentored. But I also recognized her from the album covers she had done for Cameo.
She and Prince parted ways shortly after his '1999' album, necessitating his replacing her with the decidedly less engaging Apollonia for the Purple Rain movie. I continued to be a fan of Vanity, however. Her first solo album, "Wild Animal", was just as erratic and fascinating as I imagined her to be. Later albums and movie soundtracks moved her into a more mainstream direction, but eventually drug use scuttled her career. By the time she pulled herself out of it, her kidneys were ruined. She spent her last years getting dialysis daily and dedicating herself to her faith. Here's hoping she has finally found some peace.
Aside from "Nasty Girl", I believe most of her musical work is out of print. I'd love to see a career retrospective album come out - especially if it includes the songs she did with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on an uncompleted 3rd album from the late 1980s. RIP. #Vanity
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