As Vanity
In 1982, she met Prince at a backstage party at the American Music Awards, where she was working as a model for the night. Prince re-named her Vanity, stating he saw his female reflection when he looked at her. Other versions of the story suggest that Prince coined the name "Vagina" initially, but she refused and renamed herself "Vanity" instead. Later that same year, she became the lead singer of the group Vanity 6. Their trademark was explicit sexuality in their lyrics, performances, and attire (extending even to the group's name, with 6 alluding to the number of breasts in the group). The group's biggest hit, "Nasty Girl", reached #1 on Hot Dance Club Play and was produced by Prince. In late 1982, Vanity 6's album and songs started becoming popular, and they went on the 1999 tour with Prince and The Time until spring 1983.

After one album, Vanity decided to leave her role in Vanity 6 and the proposed film Purple Rain in 1983. Additionally, several songs for Vanity 6's proposed second album were recorded. They were later released in bootleg style. The press reported there were a few reasons why she left Prince's camp: from wanting more money for the film than Prince was willing to pay her, to the break up of their relationship, as well as fighting over her newly acquired crack cocaine habit. She signed a lucrative record deal with Motown Records in 1984 and recorded two albums, Wild Animal and Skin On Skin. Long versions of the singles "Pretty Mess" paired with "Mechanical Emotion", originally on Wild Animal were released on a 12" by Motown. Her solo albums were moderate successes, with her biggest hit coming from "Under the Influence", off of her 1986 album Skin On Skin. Not long after Vanity's second album was released, she was dropped from Motown before signing with A&M Records. In 1988, under the production of friend/former The Time member Jesse Johnson she recorded songs for the Action Jackson soundtrack. That year Vanity also worked on a third album with famous Janet Jackson producers (and 2 more of Vanity's old peers from her days with Prince/former Time band members) Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as Tony LeMans, but the album was either never completed, or never released. This ended Vanity's work as a recording artist.

She also starred in a handful of movies, including The Last Dragon, the gritty 52 Pick-Up and the 1988 action thriller Action Jackson, in which she starred opposite Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, and Sharon Stone. Vanity also played a villain torturing Nancy Allen's character in 1990's amnesia-plot TV movie Memories of Murder; the film has appeared on the Lifetime channel. She guest starred in an episode of Miami Vice in its third season; she posed for Playboy in 1985 and in 1988; and, in 1992, she appeared in an episode of Highlander: The Series opposite Adrian Paul.

As Vanity, she was romantically linked with Prince, Adam Ant, Micki Free, André Cymone and Billy Idol during the 1980s. Additionally, Matthews was engaged to Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx in 1987, and joked during interviews that she would then again become Vanity 6 (Sixx). They never married, however (Matthews was a contributor to Sixx's book, released in 2007, called The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, in which Sixx gives detailed accounts of his drug-filled year in 1987, which includes numerous and often bizarre incidents with Vanity, who was heavily addicted to crack cocaine). She was also rumored to have dated Rick James before Prince in the early '80's, as well as Purple Rain (even though she never ended up acting in the film) director Albert Magnoli, and Michael Bolton during the early '90's.

Vanity was considered to be one of the most beautiful celebrities throughout the '80's and early '90's. To separate herself from the other starlets of her time, she often dressed in daring and revealing outfits. Her trademark looks included the incorporation of leather, lace, animal furs, silk and accessories into dresses.

She dated Michael Bolton?

Out of all the questionable things she's done, that's gotta be the most embarrassing.

Read Nikki Sixx's book (and Motley's for that matter) to gain sight of Vanity at a time in her life beofre she cleaned up. Poor soul.

Baylana said:

Vanity was the bomb... divas could learn a lot by watching later (post Prince) live footage of her (Solid Gold and various other shows). My fave post-Prince live vid and video from her: Under The Influence... HANDS DOWN.
Thanks for posting this!
xxx

Baylana said:

Read that book for insight?

It was terrible and written so poorly that it is barely decipherable.

- JD

Efan said:

I remember that movie! Saw it in 1990.Vanity was a ruthless bitch in this film...lol...at one point,she used a tape recording to lure the main character into a house.The tape featured Vanity's voice,repeating over and over:

"round and round....watch kitty run
when kitty stops....mousie all done"

All this info is from wikipedia I think? I checked the page, and there's other stuff about her early and later life. Apparently her idol when she was younger was Diana Ross? I guess that kind of makes sense...

Efan said:

I agree.

SoulAlive said:

I have to see that movie some time!

jwashin4 said:

I thought both books were excellent considering they were not true writers. Brought me back to my music industry days