sunflower7 said:

The1592 said:

I never heard of this person, but I did an internet search and found absolutely nothing.

Try looking her up on you-tube... listen to Congratulations... after hearing that you will become a fan ..

I listened 'Congratulations'... pretty good, I guess I'll have to dig a little deeper into her discography. I so hate getting into an artist right after they die, though. I feel like a fake whose just bandwagon jumping.

Oh, and was she 48 or 53? I'm hearing both on the internet..

Sad news. Vesta Williams has indeed died:

(Associated Presss) 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.

Timmy84 said:

psychodelicide said:

That was disappointing. She sounded kind of out of breath at the beginning, and it looked like she really had to try to hit the notes correctly. And what's up with all of those crazy hand motions?

[Edited 9/23/11 19:39pm]

I never got why some singers do that...

Me neither.

bellanoche said:

This was one I really liked from her. I haven't seen it posted. It was the best thing about the movie "Soul Man." Just a nice 80's soul/pop ballad.

Another great song by Vesta that makes me tear up when I hear it.

My problem with Shanice's statement - and this usually goes to anyone who was not as well known - how would anyone support her anymore if the only thing she did was perform onstage? From what I read, Vesta definitely had a solid, supportive fan base so I don't know what she's talking about. Same with Teena Marie when someone said similar.

Shanice either knows something deeply personal about Vesta's final days or her statements are those of someone in shock and going through the anger stage of grief.

From somewhere on the internet...

Congratulations: Remembering Vesta

Vesta looked as if she was ready to take the stage at Carnegie Hall.

Her makeup was flawless, the false lashes lush and long. Her chestnut wig cascaded past her shoulders. She wore a long black dress that accentuated her Coke bottle figure and full cleavage.

But the R&B veteran, who early in her career dropped her last name Williams, was miles away from Carnegie. She used the door to fan herself in her tiny dressing room inside musty Willet Hall in Portsmouth. Vesta was in town last week to perform on a smooth jazz show that included saxophonists Pamela Williams and Martin Blockson, a local artist.

The turnout was pitifully small, maybe 20 people in the medium-sized venue. The promoter, a warm woman, was on the verge of tears. As we chatted briefly with Vesta, the promoter apologized profusely for the paltry audience. Vesta hugged her and looked her in the eye: “It’s OK. I know you put your heart and soul in this show.”

Later, Vesta took the stage, backed by a solid band. A camera crew was on hand filming the show to include in an upcoming episode of “UNSUNG,” the popular TVOne program that chronicles overlooked R&B artists. Vesta’s segment is set to air next month.

The Portsmouth show was her time to shine. But the audience seemed indifferent. The ceiling leaked near her microphone stand, which she moved a few times.

The R&B singer, perhaps best known for her 1989 hit “Congratulations,” was reportedly found dead on Thursday in a Los Angeles hotel room. No details have been released. She was 53.

Vesta never achieved anything close to mainstream stardom. But for a brief time in the mid to late ‘80s, she was something of an R&B sensation, scoring just a few hits that haven’t aged well. They include the dance track “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” and the Quiet Storm hit “Sweet, Sweet Love.”

Vesta came out at a time when R&B brimmed with top-shelf sangin’ sisters. Turn on any urban station in the late ‘80s and the brassy sounds of Anita Baker, Shirley Murdock, Miki Howard and Angela Winbush swept over you. They usually had better songs and production. Vesta’s material was inconsistent, the production often painfully derivative. Her label, A&M Records, put much of its promotional muscle behind the biggest urban-pop star on the roster: Janet Jackson.

The Ohio native possessed a saxophone-sharp sound with elastic phrasing that was similar to Chaka Khan’s. Vesta once sang background for the Chi-Town legend. She provided backing vocals for several others, including Patti LaBelle. But Vesta never developed a sound or style that distinguished her. She only released six albums in her 25-year career. The latest, 2007’s Distant Lover, is a collection of old-school R&B covers. Her first release in nearly a decade, it went unnoticed.

Vesta’s signature hit, “Congratulations,” was inescapable on urban radio back in ’89. Its maudlin lyric of a scorned woman who finds out that a former lover has married someone else recalls the over-the-top chitlin circuit drama of Tyler Perry. The song could flow on the soundtrack to any of his flicks, where a sister perpetually chooses to love the wrong man and suffer – with dignity and Jesus on the mainline.

At the Willet Hall show, Vesta ended with “Congratulations” and flipped the last verse. She crooned, “For as long as I can breathe, he’ll always be the one for me,” as she pointed an elegant finger to the leaky ceiling. She was referring to her newfound spirituality, something she referenced earlier during her set. In between a handful of well-done songs, she asked the house for requests (folks only wanted to hear “Congratulations”) and did a few impressions. The one of Tina Turner was funny.

Vesta bowed. The tiny crowd gave her a standing ovation. She kicked off her stilettos in the wings and slid her feet into a pair of black slippers. She passed me on her way to her dressing room, smile aglow.

"Good show, I said.

"Oh, thank you, dear," she said, sounding like the diva she never got to be.

Apparently, this Portsmouth VA gig referenced in the piece above was one week ago TODAY.

darkstranger521 said:

Apparently, this Portsmouth VA gig referenced in the piece above was one week ago TODAY.

Yes, the original poster noted that when the video was posted above.

Timmy84 said:

My problem with Shanice's statement - and this usually goes to anyone who was not as well known - how would anyone support her anymore if the only thing she did was perform onstage? From what I read, Vesta definitely had a solid, supportive fan base so I don't know what she's talking about. Same with Teena Marie when someone said similar.

I understand exactly what Shanice meant. Vesta was extremely talented and should have been huge.But instead was reduced to a chitlin circuit artist. No one never even mentioned her name in the great R&B singers.

Teena Marie although more popular and did have great success, was still very under rated & never mentioned or given any tributes at award shows, when other great R&B singers was. Teena should have been as popular & big as Madonna. She was way more talented & gifted. But after they die people act like they were always talked about & mentioned.

I'm sure Vesta is the first artist that ever died during a making of a "UnSung episode". Its very tragic how real r&B singers are quickly forgotten until they die. Then resurge again only to be forgotten again(Luther Vandross). Shanice fits in this category to. So I'm sure her & Vesta have had these conversations many times. The only R&B female artist anyone cares about now is Beyonce & Rhianna.Whose vocals are questionable.

darkstranger521 said:

Apparently, this Portsmouth VA gig referenced in the piece above was one week ago TODAY.

Yep.

I just logged online and the first Headline I saw Via Huffington Post was Vesta's death...Truly an amazing talent. I remember seeing her on "The Mo'nique" show a couple of months ago. She wasnt in her greatest-voice but she looked awesome as always...

I remember those jingles she did. The "energy" in her voice was something else...I also remember how everybody thought she was Chaka Khan singing "Congratulations" back in the day...

My prayers go out to her Family, Friends and Fans...

FormerlyKnownAs said:

Sad news. Vesta Williams has indeed died:

(Associated Presss) 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.

Very sad story.Only 20 people showed up! This story made her look like a has been that was desperate and in denial.

[Edited 9/25/11 1:40am]

She deserves better than to be left with this as her final footnote in history.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Timmy84 said:

My problem with Shanice's statement - and this usually goes to anyone who was not as well known - how would anyone support her anymore if the only thing she did was perform onstage? From what I read, Vesta definitely had a solid, supportive fan base so I don't know what she's talking about. Same with Teena Marie when someone said similar.

I understand exactly what Shanice meant. Vesta was extremely talented and should have been huge.But instead was reduced to a chitlin circuit artist. No one never even mentioned her name in the great R&B singers.

Teena Marie although more popular and did have great success, was still very under rated & never mentioned or given any tributes at award shows, when other great R&B singers was. Teena should have been as popular & big as Madonna. She was way more talented & gifted. But after they die people act like they were always talked about & mentioned.

I'm sure Vesta is the first artist that ever died during a making of a "UnSung episode". Its very tragic how real r&B singers are quickly forgotten until they die. Then resurge again only to be forgotten again(Luther Vandross). Shanice fits in this category to. So I'm sure her & Vesta have had these conversations many times. The only R&B female artist anyone cares about now is Beyonce & Rhianna.Whose vocals are questionable.

I agree with what Shanice said.It's a shame the way so many people discard these artists.Whatever happened to fan loyalty and longevity? There was a time when a talented artist could have a career that lasts 30 years or more.Vesta was never given the respect and attention that she deserved.

SoulAlive said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I understand exactly what Shanice meant. Vesta was extremely talented and should have been huge.But instead was reduced to a chitlin circuit artist. No one never even mentioned her name in the great R&B singers.

Teena Marie although more popular and did have great success, was still very under rated & never mentioned or given any tributes at award shows, when other great R&B singers was. Teena should have been as popular & big as Madonna. She was way more talented & gifted. But after they die people act like they were always talked about & mentioned.

I'm sure Vesta is the first artist that ever died during a making of a "UnSung episode". Its very tragic how real r&B singers are quickly forgotten until they die. Then resurge again only to be forgotten again(Luther Vandross). Shanice fits in this category to. So I'm sure her & Vesta have had these conversations many times. The only R&B female artist anyone cares about now is Beyonce & Rhianna.Whose vocals are questionable.

I agree with what Shanice said.It's a shame the way so many people discard these artists.Whatever happened to fan loyalty and longevity? There was a time when a talented artist could have a career that lasts 30 years or more.Vesta was never given the respect and attention that she deserved.

Shanice is on point.

Other than a select few (Anita, Sade, Micheal and a few more), I've often found that American R&B audiences don't maintain the some kind of loyalty to their artists like Rock audiences do. If you don't have a major hit on the charts, you are forgotten. I can't say the same for a lot of Pop/Rock acts that are not actively recording. Despite not being on the charts, many of those acts continue to draw decent sized crowds at their shows. This is why when so many R&B artists are disgarded here in American, they end up do a lot of stuff in Europre, where they tend to be more appreciated.

This is one of my favorite songs from Vesta. I remember running around as a teenager singing this, not realizing she was singing about having an orgasm!

Usually when I read about R&B artists and their struggles in the music industry, it's always more complex. Hiring incompetent managers, not taking care of their health, having families and choosing to take a break rather than release a new album, having to choose between making crossover records and "staying true" to their audience not knowing that "audience" can be downright fickle (as usually R&B audiences do tend to move to someone else quicker than pop and rock audiences) and even struggles with drugs. It no longer surprises me when I hear stories like Miki Howard's or even Billy Preston's. And Vesta definitely had some of those struggles which could explain why she was very much UNDER the radar after 1994.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Timmy84 said:

My problem with Shanice's statement - and this usually goes to anyone who was not as well known - how would anyone support her anymore if the only thing she did was perform onstage? From what I read, Vesta definitely had a solid, supportive fan base so I don't know what she's talking about. Same with Teena Marie when someone said similar.

I understand exactly what Shanice meant. Vesta was extremely talented and should have been huge.But instead was reduced to a chitlin circuit artist. No one never even mentioned her name in the great R&B singers.

Teena Marie although more popular and did have great success, was still very under rated & never mentioned or given any tributes at award shows, when other great R&B singers was. Teena should have been as popular & big as Madonna. She was way more talented & gifted. But after they die people act like they were always talked about & mentioned.

I'm sure Vesta is the first artist that ever died during a making of a "UnSung episode". Its very tragic how real r&B singers are quickly forgotten until they die. Then resurge again only to be forgotten again(Luther Vandross). Shanice fits in this category to. So I'm sure her & Vesta have had these conversations many times. The only R&B female artist anyone cares about now is Beyonce & Rhianna.Whose vocals are questionable.

This is how I'll always remember her. So Hot and full of life. Sexy as hell.

kitbradley said:

Other than a select few (Anita, Sade, Micheal and a few more), I've often found that American R&B audiences don't maintain the some kind of loyalty to their artists like Rock audiences do. If you don't have a major hit on the charts, you are forgotten. I can't say the same for a lot of Pop/Rock acts that are not actively recording. Despite not being on the charts, many of those acts continue to draw decent sized crowds at their shows. This is why when so many R&B artists are disgarded here in American, they end up do a lot of stuff in Europre, where they tend to be more appreciated.

That's true.I don't wanna say that R&B audiences are fickle,but it sure looks that way.In addition to Vesta,there are many other great R&B artists who are totally ignored/forgotten these days (Shanice,David Peaston,Lisa Stansfield,etc).Phyllis Hyman is another one who never really got the recognition and success she deserved.These artists struggle just to get gigs and then when they die,everyone talks about how talented and amazing they were

[Edited 9/27/11 13:39pm]

If they die , sympathize............A fact!

This is the problem , they start metioning you and your advantages , sympathize with you , and care about , when you are dead and gone , This is an ugly thing in the human nature ! try to appreciate people and love them while they are alive !!

The exact same thing happened to alot of artists , MJ (all the rumors and lies that were surrounding him ) James brown (Negligence) , Vesta ( Negligence)...etc , but when they die , they start to sympathize ...That's so sad!

SoulAlive said:

kitbradley said:

Other than a select few (Anita, Sade, Micheal and a few more), I've often found that American R&B audiences don't maintain the some kind of loyalty to their artists like Rock audiences do. If you don't have a major hit on the charts, you are forgotten. I can't say the same for a lot of Pop/Rock acts that are not actively recording. Despite not being on the charts, many of those acts continue to draw decent sized crowds at their shows. This is why when so many R&B artists are disgarded here in American, they end up do a lot of stuff in Europre, where they tend to be more appreciated.

That's true.I don't wanna say that R&B audiences are fickle,but it sure looks that way.In addition to Vesta,there are many other great R&B artists who are totally ignored/forgotten these days (Shanice,David Peaston,Lisa Stansfield,etc).Phyllis Hyman is another one who never really got the recognition and success she deserved.These artists struggle just to get gigs and then when they die,everyone talks about how talented and amazing they were

[Edited 9/27/11 13:39pm]

That's because no one cares to think about any of them. It's always a "where are they now" moment. But I always say in many R&B artists' cases, it's usually negligence.

This is how I'll always remember her. So Hot and full of life. Sexy as hell.

I agree this picture captures her spirit perfectly. Naughty(which she was) but seductive & confident.

This is how I'll always remember her. So Hot and full of life. Sexy as hell.

I agree this picture captures her spirit perfectly. Naughty(which she was) but seductive & confident.

The problem with Vesta is this: she came out and hit her peak at a time where there were a whole lof of other rnb divas out tere: Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Lisa Stansfield, Shirley Murdock,Me'lisa Morgan, Karen White. A lot of those women, while uncommonly talented, had hits at the same time, were marketed to the same audience and they sounded alike. I mean, to this day, I lump Vesta, Regina and Miki together and can't tell them apart vocally. And it's not like the success of these women was spread out over a number of years-we are talking 86-90 and from what I remember hazily, while Vesta was well known and had hits, she was never a huge radio star or that big of a fan favorite, although I could be wrong

What someone really needs to look into it is why, after 1990, the age of the diva just died out. From then on, it was rap, new jack and neo soul. To this day, you still don't have a gamut of female singers tearing it up like you did in the late 80s.

scriptgirl said:

The problem with Vesta is this: she came out and hit her peak at a time where there were a whole lof of other rnb divas out tere: Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Lisa Stansfield, Shirley Murdock,Me'lisa Morgan, Karen White. A lot of those women, while uncommonly talented, had hits at the same time, were marketed to the same audience and they sounded alike. I mean, to this day, I lump Vesta, Regina and Miki together and can't tell them apart vocally. And it's not like the success of these women was spread out over a number of years-we are talking 86-90 and from what I remember hazily, while Vesta was well known and had hits, she was never a huge radio star or that big of a fan favorite, although I could be wrong

What someone really needs to look into it is why, after 1990, the age of the diva just died out. From then on, it was rap, new jack and neo soul. To this day, you still don't have a gamut of female singers tearing it up like you did in the late 80s.

Yeah to be honest I never did hear much of her on the radio as I did Anita or Luther or Whitney as a kid. And except for appearances on BET, I never known of her to be anywhere else. She wasn't even profiled on JET as much until when she lost the weight.

scriptgirl said:

The problem with Vesta is this: she came out and hit her peak at a time where there were a whole lof of other rnb divas out tere: Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Lisa Stansfield, Shirley Murdock,Me'lisa Morgan, Karen White. A lot of those women, while uncommonly talented, had hits at the same time, were marketed to the same audience and they sounded alike. I mean, to this day, I lump Vesta, Regina and Miki together and can't tell them apart vocally. And it's not like the success of these women was spread out over a number of years-we are talking 86-90 and from what I remember hazily, while Vesta was well known and had hits, she was never a huge radio star or that big of a fan favorite, although I could be wrong

What someone really needs to look into it is why, after 1990, the age of the diva just died out. From then on, it was rap, new jack and neo soul. To this day, you still don't have a gamut of female singers tearing it up like you did in the late 80s.

You can't tell Regina Belle, Mikki Howard and Vesta apart?

scriptgirl said:

The problem with Vesta is this: she came out and hit her peak at a time where there were a whole lof of other rnb divas out tere: Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Lisa Stansfield, Shirley Murdock,Me'lisa Morgan, Karen White. A lot of those women, while uncommonly talented, had hits at the same time, were marketed to the same audience and they sounded alike. I mean, to this day, I lump Vesta, Regina and Miki together and can't tell them apart vocally. And it's not like the success of these women was spread out over a number of years-we are talking 86-90 and from what I remember hazily, while Vesta was well known and had hits, she was never a huge radio star or that big of a fan favorite, although I could be wrong

What someone really needs to look into it is why, after 1990, the age of the diva just died out. From then on, it was rap, new jack and neo soul. To this day, you still don't have a gamut of female singers tearing it up like you did in the late 80s.

You can't tell Regina Belle, Mikki Howard and Vesta apart?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

scriptgirl said:

The problem with Vesta is this: she came out and hit her peak at a time where there were a whole lof of other rnb divas out tere: Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Lisa Stansfield, Shirley Murdock,Me'lisa Morgan, Karen White. A lot of those women, while uncommonly talented, had hits at the same time, were marketed to the same audience and they sounded alike. I mean, to this day, I lump Vesta, Regina and Miki together and can't tell them apart vocally. And it's not like the success of these women was spread out over a number of years-we are talking 86-90 and from what I remember hazily, while Vesta was well known and had hits, she was never a huge radio star or that big of a fan favorite, although I could be wrong

What someone really needs to look into it is why, after 1990, the age of the diva just died out. From then on, it was rap, new jack and neo soul. To this day, you still don't have a gamut of female singers tearing it up like you did in the late 80s.

You can't tell Regina Belle, Mikki Howard and Vesta apart?

You're so shocked you posted it twice.