Graycap23 said:

missfee said:

WHAT???? Found dead??? Was Vesta even 50 yet???

I though she was about 52/53 years old....

According to what I've read online, Vesta was about 47 years old.

I've always liked this song.

Brings back memories.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

R e s t I n P e a c e

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Timmy84 said:

daPrettyman said:

I wouldn't be surprised if the record company didn't make her lose weight.

Apparently she said she was blacklisted for LOSING the weight.

I remember when she was on "Sister Sister" Tv series. I always felt she was under rated and never got to be what U would call a superstar. I guess some people are not meant to be that. She still had a very long career.

daPrettyman said:

Her publicist just posted this statement on her FB fan page:

It's with a heavy heart that I am confirming that the unbelievably talented Mary Vesta Williams was discovered on Thursday 09/22/11 at approximately 4:30 pm PST in her hotel room in Los Angeles. The LA Coroner said that it appears that she died of Natural Causes while she was sleeping. Ms. William’s was staying at a Los Angeles area hotel while in transition to a new home. She was very excited about so many beautiful things to come in her career, especially her upcoming TV-1 episode of “Unsung.” After meeting with her nephew this morning, I am releasing this statement to dispel anything floating in cyberspace other than the truth first hand. Vesta was in a safe environment and passed on peacefully. I mourn, as millions of others as well. Celebrate her life and talent… She will be missed. We will keep her Facebook Fan Page www.facebook.com/vestawilliams and running as a memorial to our beloved Vesta, but her personal Facebook page will be shut down shortly in respect.
Seth Neblett- Publicist and Friend

Thanks. Had no idea her first name was Mary. Good to know she died peacefully. Guess when it's your time...

So very sad. R.I.P Vesta.

And that song 'Congratulations' is like story of my damn life.

I was shocked and saddened to hear this. She was so young and seemed to be healthy. I will be interested to hear what caused her death. She was only a few years older than myself.

[Edited 9/23/11 14:46pm]

E online is reporting that Vesta was 53 and not 48 as reported

'80s Pop Diva Vesta Williams Found Dead in Los Angeles

Today 8:12 AM PDT by Marianne Garvey

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Hitmaking '80s R&B star Vesta Williams, who often went by just Vesta, has reportedly been found dead in a hotel room in Los Angeles.

No immediate details surrounding the death were immediately released, and the Los Angeles Police Department tells E! News they have no knowledge of the tragedy as of yet. But that hasn't stopped the singer's many famous fans from taking to Twitter to offer up remembrances and condolences to the "Congratulations" soul singing diva.

Here's what they're saying about the beloved hitmaker...

MORE: This year's big movie star death

Veta's pal Kimora Lee Simmons, responded to the news of her death with "R.I.P. Ms. Vesta Williams. What a tremendous talent + great soul! Cuz as long as I can breathe, you'll always be the one for me!"

Jackée Harry of 227 fame also reacted to her friend's passing with a tweet saying: "Just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams (@vesta4u) has passed away."

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph tweeted: "I am so deeply saddened at the passing of my diva friend Vesta Williams. RIP Vesta." She also posted a link to Vesta's last ever performance on Sept. 19, where she sang "Congratulations" at a jazz festival.

And comedian Sinbad professed his love for the singer on his Twitter page, saying: "Our dead sister and one of the sangiest divas ever, Vesta Williams, has passed away. I lovedthat sister."

Vesta was a smash hit in the mid '80s until the early '90s, with her 1988 album Vesta 4U producing two huge hits, "Congratulations," and "I'll Be Good to You."

In an interview done just last year, the gorgeous singer, whose age is being widely reported as 48, though who professed on tape to being 53, called her life "blessed, gifted and highly favored."

RIP Vesta.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/80s_pop_diva_vesta_williams_found_dead/265641#ixzz1YoYnrmPn

banks said:

E online is reporting that Vesta was 53 and not 48 as reported

'80s Pop Diva Vesta Williams Found Dead in Los Angeles

Today 8:12 AM PDT by Marianne Garvey

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Hitmaking '80s R&B star Vesta Williams, who often went by just Vesta, has reportedly been found dead in a hotel room in Los Angeles.

No immediate details surrounding the death were immediately released, and the Los Angeles Police Department tells E! News they have no knowledge of the tragedy as of yet. But that hasn't stopped the singer's many famous fans from taking to Twitter to offer up remembrances and condolences to the "Congratulations" soul singing diva.

Here's what they're saying about the beloved hitmaker...

MORE: This year's big movie star death

Veta's pal Kimora Lee Simmons, responded to the news of her death with "R.I.P. Ms. Vesta Williams. What a tremendous talent + great soul! Cuz as long as I can breathe, you'll always be the one for me!"

Jackée Harry of 227 fame also reacted to her friend's passing with a tweet saying: "Just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams (@vesta4u) has passed away."

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph tweeted: "I am so deeply saddened at the passing of my diva friend Vesta Williams. RIP Vesta." She also posted a link to Vesta's last ever performance on Sept. 19, where she sang "Congratulations" at a jazz festival.

And comedian Sinbad professed his love for the singer on his Twitter page, saying: "Our dead sister and one of the sangiest divas ever, Vesta Williams, has passed away. I lovedthat sister."

Vesta was a smash hit in the mid '80s until the early '90s, with her 1988 album Vesta 4U producing two huge hits, "Congratulations," and "I'll Be Good to You."

In an interview done just last year, the gorgeous singer, whose age is being widely reported as 48, though who professed on tape to being 53, called her life "blessed, gifted and highly favored."

RIP Vesta.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/80s_pop_diva_vesta_williams_found_dead/265641#ixzz1YoYnrmPn

Interesting...

Oh no... I'm just now hearing that it's speculated from investigators that the death could've been drug related!

Details have emerged regarding that death of R&B singer Vesta Williams, who was found dead in her California hotel room. Get the latest inside........

"Sweet Sweet Love" singer Vesta Williams, 53, was found dead in her El Segundo, CA hotel room last night.

According to sources speaking to TMZ, officials first received a phone call related to Vesta's death around 6pm on Thursday night.

After officials arrived on the scene, they discovered several prescription pill bottles in the room, and some were empty.

For now, law enforcement is treating the death as either an accident or suicide. A cause of death will likely be determined after a coroner's examination has taken place, which could take 6 weeks.

http://theybf.com/2011/09...um=twitter

----

I don't get this. You have rock stars who live past age 60 or 70 with addictions to cocaine or heroin, but one slip from prescription medication and you're out! Wow...

I sure hope it ain't suicide!

I'm leaning toward accidental overdose or suicide for the cause of death.

It's always sad to hear of someone's passing away. She is no longer with us, but her music remains. She has moved on to the next stage, as we all will. She will be missed, as we know her. May she rest in peace.

Identity said:

I'm leaning toward accidental overdose or suicide for the cause of death.

The way they were talking about empty pills, I don't know, it's sounding more like the latter but I hope not. She seemed to have things going well for her.

Timmy84 said:

Identity said:

I'm leaning toward accidental overdose or suicide for the cause of death.

The way they were talking about empty pills, I don't know, it's sounding more like the latter but I hope not. She seemed to have things going well for her.

I'm not rushing into judgement about this. Plenty of people have empty pill bottle lying around. I know I have. Other than a soured relationship back in the 90's, I never heard Vesta speak anything about depression. But, I don't know what's been going on in her personal life lately. You never know what a person is going thru. But, right now, I'm hoping her death was from natural causes. Again, you never know what health problems a person has just by looking at them. There was an interview with her posted on youtube that I believe was filmed earlier this year and she looked fantastic.

kitbradley said:

Timmy84 said:

The way they were talking about empty pills, I don't know, it's sounding more like the latter but I hope not. She seemed to have things going well for her.

I'm not rushing into judgement about this. Plenty of people have empty pill bottle lying around. I know I have. Other than a soured relationship back in the 90's, I never heard Vesta speak anything about depression. But, I don't know what's been going on in her personal life lately. You never know what a person is going thru. But, right now, I'm hoping her death was from natural causes. Again, you never know what health problems a person has just by looking at them. There was an interview with her posted on youtube that I believe was filmed earlier this year and she looked fantastic.

she did look fantastic on the Monique show last month.. here's the clip from that show..

http://www.bet.com/video/...ta-s1.html

daPrettyman said:

Timmy84 said:

It's strange how the previous year before that she was heavyset (and very voluptuous) then I see her one day on JET and I didn't recognize her at all!

I wouldn't be surprised if the record company didn't make her lose weight.

After she was dropped from A&M after 1993's "Everything & More" performed poorly, she publically stated that A&M dropped her because she was overweight. That is why she had the surgery. Prior to that when her records were performing well, she stated that the label was constantly putting pressure on her to lose weight. This is probably one of the reasons why the label choose not to market her outside of black radio.

kitbradley said:

Timmy84 said:

The way they were talking about empty pills, I don't know, it's sounding more like the latter but I hope not. She seemed to have things going well for her.

I'm not rushing into judgement about this. Plenty of people have empty pill bottle lying around. I know I have. Other than a soured relationship back in the 90's, I never heard Vesta speak anything about depression. But, I don't know what's been going on in her personal life lately. You never know what a person is going thru. But, right now, I'm hoping her death was from natural causes. Again, you never know what health problems a person has just by looking at them. There was an interview with her posted on youtube that I believe was filmed earlier this year and she looked fantastic.

I know of the interview you just mentioned. Like I said she seemed to be in real high spirits.

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/PMzeY.jpg[/img:$uid]

Remembering Vesta Williams

by Gerrick D. Kennedy

R&B singer Vesta Williams might not have garnered the acclaim of contemporaries such as Teena Marie, Chaka Khan or Anita Baker, but the big voiced singer, who was found dead in a hotel room in El Segundo on Thursday, left an impression on soul music in the '80s.

Often praised as a singer's singer, Williams wasn't able to log a massive hit album in her discography, which stretches back to her eponymous debut in 1986, but she will be known for a string of successful singles, including "Special," "Congratulations," "Once Bitten Twice Shy" and "Do Ya." She was also tapped to provide backing vocals for Sting and Khan during her career.

Williams, 53, was found in a room at Homestead Studio in El Segundo, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.

Her last album was 2007's Distant Lover, released on Shanachie Records. She was slated to perform at the 21st annual DIVAS Simply Singing in October.

"Vesta created some timeless hits that the world knows but there were depths to her artistry that the world at large did not get to hear," Randall Grass, general manager of Shanachie, said in an email to Pop & Hiss. "Her peers in the industry knew what a special talent she was. Aside from music, Vesta had many other accomplishments and brought a touch of class to all she did."

Shocked and saddened. RIP

Just a little schooling for anyone who was not familiar with this lady's greatness:

This is her last interview:

^ Yep that's the one! I remember being happy to see that she was out there doing her thing and this was either late 2010 or early of this year so it wasn't that long ago. Anyways, this story not only confirms she was in her early 50s at the time of her death but also that she is survived by one child - an adult daughter:

R&B singer Vesta Williams found dead in Calif.

(AP) – 4 hours ago

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Big-voiced R&B diva Vesta Williams, perhaps best-known for her 1980s hits "Don't Blow A Good Thing" and "Congratulations," has been found dead of a possible drug overdose in a Southern California hotel room, coroner's investigators said Friday. She was 53.

Williams was found dead at 6:15 p.m. Thursday in an El Segundo hotel room, Los Angeles County coroner's Capt. John Kades (KAY'-dihs) said.

An autopsy will determine the cause of death. A toxicology examination will take six weeks to be completed, Kades said.

Born Mary Vesta Williams on Dec. 1, 1957, to a disc jockey in Coshocton, Ohio, she had hits with "Once Bitten Twice Shy," ''Sweet, Sweet Love" and the torch song "Congratulations," where she emotionally bids goodbye to her ex, about to marry someone else, on his wedding day.

Williams also appeared in movies and on television.

She was a saloon singer in the Mario Van Peebles movie "Posse" and she had a recurring role on the television situation comedy "Sister, Sister," playing actress Jackee Harry's best friend Monica.

Harry tweeted her condolences: "...just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams ((at)vesta4u), has passed away. (hash)RIPVesta"

Williams diminutive frame belied her powerful, soulful pipes. Her initial success in the music industry came as a background singer for artists ranging from Chaka Khan, Anita Baker and Sting. But she would eventually establish her career with release of her first album, "Vesta," in 1986.

Over the years, she had hits including "Once Bitten Twice Shy," ''Sweet, Sweet Love" and her signature torch song "Congratulations."

Williams continued to make albums, and was a regular performer on the concert circuit.

She was supposed to perform at the 21st annual "DIVAS Simply Singing!" in Los Angeles next month, put on Ralph. The Oct. 22 show will now pay tribute to her and another late soul singer, Teena Marie.

"She was really excited about doing divas," her friend and fellow entertainer Sheryl Lee Ralph told The Associated Press, adding Williams was also scheduled to be the subject of a TVOne "Unsung" episode.

The 5-foot-3 entertainer gained weight in the 1990s, ballooning to a size 26. She went on a dramatic weight loss program, losing 100 pounds and getting down to a size 6.

She told Ebony magazine that she began gaining weight rapidly after her singing career started to falter. She blamed her size for loss of her recording contract.

"When I lost my record deal and my phone wasn't ringing, I realized that I had to reassess who Vesta was and figure out what was going wrong," she said. "I knew it wasn't my singing ability. So it had to be that I was expendable because I didn't have the right look."

She went on to become an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.

Last year, she released a song on iTunes. In an interview last December with Egypt Thompson on the Web show "The Couch," she said she was blessed.

"She had just become such a brand new person," Ralph said. "This is very hard, this is very hard."

Ralph said Williams is survived by an adult daughter.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

You know what sucks about death is that it's usually when someone is at high spirits then all of a sudden... GONE like that. That's the strangest thing about death. You could be so full of life one minute and die, you can be miserable and still live past 70. I don't get life at all or death. But is it really there to get? So many questions. I had similar when Nick died. Just...why?

Hopefully, whatever indie label she was with who kept delaying the release of her CD will finally release it before the year is out. Also, I hope that some label like maybe the Expansion label will get a hold of that unreleased album she recorded for MCA in 1995 that ended up being shelved.

Damn.

R.I.P. I could've sworn there was some crazy rumor floating around the internet about her death maybe a couple years ago.