They were in their twenties, beautiful, and reaching for the stars. They had no idea 30 years later they would be still a topic of intrigue being discussed.
It sounds like a great time and between Rick and Prince that was a no brainer and Vanity chose well. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Vashtix said:
They were in their twenties, beautiful, and reaching for the stars. They had no idea 30 years later they would be still a topic of intrigue being discussed.
It sounds like a great time and between Rick and Prince that was a no brainer and [b]Vanity chose well.[/b] It was always go big or go home for her! Here is the confrontation Vashtix is speaking about with Rick James also trying to hit on her the same time Prince was at the AMA, and telling her the same thing. I posted it in the book club thread to refute the claims that she was involved with Rick James before Prince. She met them both that night at the AMA. Blame It On Vanity "We parted awkwardly that being quite the controversial conversation for the evening, and before I could catch my breath, going forward and looking back with eyes wide opening, a singer toting the name of Rick James, stopped by the cameras, caught hold of me as I sauntered by, and muttered the very same words. They soared past my head whizzing like a boomerang. "Meet My wife everyone." Some might say this could only happen in the movies..." "No one ever find themselves in the exact position a second time, do they?" Obviously how the rumor got started that Prince enticed her away from Rick James... [Edited 5/31/17 4:38am] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Vashtix said:
I never thought mentioning Prince's words at the end of that song would cause such a ruckus.
It was kind of him and heart wrenching to hear. I do not know why it is so hard to believe. He said it, and that is all.
I had no idea there was aversion to Prince saying kind things about Denise . She clearly was close to him . I am glad we did not know ALL the peeps he was friends with- he kept his real life to himself for himself. I respect that. Yes he said it | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
No one has said whether they heard it; I was not lying it is exactly what he said. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
There are some here who believe Vanity was Prince's prostitute/whore and he would only seek her for a booty call. So even if those people heard it, they aren't going to admit it. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
The published book doesn't mention Michael Jackson that night? The way Denise describes Michael briefly stopping by, she didn't seem to be aware that it was an attempt to draw her away from Prince.
Ironic that she auditioned but didn't get the part in The Color Purple... just a thought
Have you ever wondered what she looked like that night or wondered what she was wearing that caught the eye of Prince, Michael and Rick? It's not what you'd expect. I'll located and post a pic of the outfit.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Toban said:
The published book doesn't mention Michael Jackson that night? The way Denise describes Michael briefly stopping by, she didn't seem to be aware that it was an attempt to draw her away from Prince.
Ironic that she auditioned but didn't get the part in The Color Purple... just a thought
Have you ever wondered what she looked like that night or wondered what she was wearing that caught the eye of Prince, Michael and Rick? It's not what you'd expect. I'll located and post a pic of the outfit.
Wow! Hi TOB! Nice to see you. Denise didn't mention Michael Jackson in the published version. I would absolutely LOVE to see what she had on. I always wondered about it... [Edited 6/3/17 5:20am] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Good to see you Toban! Hope all is well with you and your family. Wow, Michael was trying to catch her that night too? Somehow I think she may have mentioned meeting him the same night in one of the interviews from the 80's. Was it Donnie Simpson anyone remember this? Does Denise say which role in The Color Purple she was trying for? Interesting. I'm looking forward to that picture as I have wondered what she was wearing that caught these men's attention with two claiming "wife".
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I cannot wait to see it either. I have always wondered because whatever it was it is still being discussed today and garnered lots of attn by those men.
TOB good to see you back! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Denise writes that while was in Japan (in 1981) she did alot of work with Kansai Yamamoto. She mentions this particular designer with regard to returning to New York and found all her clothing had been stolen. And didn't really care because she had all the designer's clothing that had been given to her. She also mentions him when she was preparing to go to the AMAs.
Notice the year of 1981 above.
I'm guessing, but is that Denise on the right, behind the blond? I'm certain there is a lot of photo and video footage out there - somewhere.
This is what she said she wore when she met Prince. She looks like a kid... By this time she had already attempted and had accomplished quite bit. Alone... and FEARLESS.
This is another Kansai Yamamoto. She absolutely loved this coat. She'd sometimes use it as a backdrop when she photographed items to sell.
Denise with fashion designer, Kansai Yamamoto. The back of the photo is date stamped "JUL 1982." Which is most likely when she developed the film.
[Edited 6/5/17 14:04pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Nice pics! Denise as her beautiful self! Thank you for sharing. She didn't look like a kid... So that was the infamous coat Prince wanted to try on! Does she say who was the male friend was? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
That's not Kansai Yamamoto, but Yohji Yamamoto- different designer and that's the photo from his fashion show. So that probably isn't Denise behind the blonde.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
While she was in Japan in 1981 Denise did many modeling jobs for many different clients, and did not work exclusively for Yamamoto Kansai. Japan was just the first place the William Morris Agency sent her to gain more experience. I think her height played a part in that decision.
I did a quick search for fashion shows in 1981 and the name "Kansai Yamamoto" and this image came up. In posting the possibility of that partial image of that model being Denise I imagined that some interested person (such as yorself) that knows the industry could possibly find out more using the information been provided. Thank you... maybe there are more images of this designer shows.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
TOBAN!!
Thanks for sharing these pics and info. It is always interesting to find out things about Denise not known. She did so much besides be a Prince Girl. I love seeing her fleshed out as the total person not just one dimensional Vanity. Her Playboy interview was posted and she explained she had her dream and could not just be a part of someone else's dream and I can see that by her accomplishments before joining Prince.
Hope one day you will finish the AMAs story you started. I feel like a kid waiting for the end of a bedtime story. You left us hanging. We got to her arriving in the limo. It was a great story.
Anyway good to see you posting!!
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Apparently so... I had forgotten about that. I was just thinking that it had to be something over the top sexy to have both Prince and Rick James declaring marriage on the spot. . The friend is the designer of the outfit she wore to the AMAs and the other coat she is wearing.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Although bedtime story? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
It must have been her gorgeous smile and confident strut. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Toban said:
Denise writes that while was in Japan (in 1981) she did alot of work with Kansai Yamamoto. She mentions this particular designer with regard to returning to New York and found all her clothing had been stolen. And didn't really care because she had all the designer's clothing that had been given to her. She also mentions him when she was preparing to go to the AMAs.
Notice the year of 1981 above.
I'm guessing, but is that Denise on the right, behind the blond? I'm certain there is a lot of photo and video footage out there - somewhere.
This is what she said she wore when she met Prince. She looks like a kid... By this time she had already attempted and had accomplished quite bit. Alone... and FEARLESS.
This is another Kansai Yamamoto. She absolutely loved this coat. She'd sometimes use it as a backdrop when she photographed items to sell.
Denise with fashion designer, Kansai Yamamoto. The back of the photo is date stamped "JUL 1982." Which is most likely when she developed the film.
[Edited 6/5/17 14:04pm] Thank you so much for sharing Toban! Great pics! I can't believe that's what she wore! Did she say she was in Japan in 1981 in her writings as well? Interesting date.. Do you know if that was her first time in Japan at this time? [Edited 6/5/17 18:34pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I don't recall not finishing the 1982 AMAs story. Are you referring to the 1985 AMAs when Denise was a presenting? I believe I posted that entire page on the Morris and Vanity thread... which of course no longer available. Did no one make a copy of that thread? That version of her book begins with her preparing for the 1985 AMAs, with her mind solely focused upon preparing to see Prince again. That part of the story ends with the presenting of the award, returning to the hotel and then follows a memory into the pass (1960's or 70s)
I still haven't read it all and there are at least four different versions of that version.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
The version we had stopped when she got to the location to present the award and went no further. It ended with her saying she took the hand of the person to assist her out the limo to walk the red carpet. We were with her on the red carpet and nothing more. I would love to know what happened when she went in the bldg and went on stage to present the award- was it a surprise? was the old crew happy to see her ? did she and her old mates make amends etc. [Edited 6/5/17 21:41pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
What was the point in someone creating this image? Who do they think it benefits? Denise’s life is interesting enough. Vanity is the one that always felt she needed a man to complete her, not Denise. . Denise does mention Michael Jackson a few times in her writings, stating “We crossed each other’s paths many times through the next few years. We’d end up attending the same charity event.” What happen that caused her to say this I'll get back to later. . Except for one occasion Denise mainly mentioned Michael, his “lovely” sister Janet and any other celebrity to provide clarity and gave additional context to the significance of the event, party or occasion. Actually, many times in her writings she’ll describe an extravagant event or a jaw-dropping occurrence without emotion and simply say it as a matter of fact, rarely providing the calendar date or the name of the event. Solely describing where she sat and the people around her that attended, as if she were relying upon brief notations she had made in a diary to help recall the event. . Tom Cruise for example. Denise briefly mentions him, but in a certain manner and she is deliberately cryptic in the telling. One earlier version she writes... “One night Tom Cruise came over and spent the night at my home…” . While in a later version she writes... “One evening Tom Cruise got together over at my home. I took a shining to him like most women. I figured he could cure this broken heart of mine. When he was in New York he called me up wanting to come for an audition for him, Scorsese and Paul Newman. I’ll never forget that day. I was too high for one thing and certainly not ready for any kind of audition. I flew to New York anyway.” . The meeting at her home in LA, she doesn’t state why they met, if it was the first time they met, nor does she state what occurred. Was that meeting solely about the subsequence audition in New York? Was she too high to interpret his initial and ultimate intent as being a movie project? She goes on to say, “Later I was told that Tom and Scorsese were considering me for a part, but not Paul. I was always looking for a man to fill this void in me.” That’s it. The story ends and the next page Nikki Six begins. Their are so many stories like this. Stories that bring up more or more questions. . My point is, each page has two chapters worth of information and intrigue. Which I soon discovered when I finally ask DeBorah about Tom Cruise, Nikki Six and that Livingroom Scene when Denise first got to Minneapolis. DeBorah doesn’t just fill in the blanks she brings every statement to life with vivid colors, textures and sound. She fills in explaining details creating layers upon layers of possibilities and motivating factors that helps determine true intent. . Denise writes about how Rod Stewart and Prince didn’t like each other, but probably never thought to mention the “Who’s the Best” Prince or Michael Jackson comparisons that has raged on for decades. Going to work for Berry Gordy, you’d think she’d have some thoughts on the matter. Not about who's the best, but how she'd argue in his defense. . The only interaction between her and Michael, that I’ve read thus far, was a phone call Steven Spielberg made to him, after a meeting she had with Spielberg when he called her to his office to read for a part in The Color Purple. I kinda felt sorry for Michael. Denise did not mention which part she was ask to read, writing: . “…he told me right up front that I was too pretty for the part. We got into a conversation about Michael Jackson as he was a friend of his. Spielberg said that Michael Jackson didn’t have nice things to say about Prince and I. “Call him up” I said. Spielberg did. He got a kick out of hearing Michael squirm from me confronting him over the phone. “I’ve got Vanity the actress in my office” said Spielberg over the intercom. “Oh really” Michael said. That’s when I jumped in speaking, “Michael, I hear you don’t like Prince or me for that matter, I also hear you think I’m too nasty.” In his squeaky little voice he replied, “I like you Vanity, I’ve got no problem with you or Prince.” “That’s not what I hear.” I said, I guess I made him nervous. We crossed each other’s path many times through the next few years…” . . Everything mentioned above is on less than 2 pages. . Denise's journey is interesting enough. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Denise's journey is amazing; I still find it so unbelievable but I know it is true. I do believe living by faith like she did anything is possible. Did she preach all over the world? How many ministries did she have besides Pure Heart?
Thanks for sharing the other information. I just really am fascinated by Evangelist Denise. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Toban said:
What was the point in someone creating this image? Who do they think it benefits? Denise’s life is interesting enough. Vanity is the one that always felt she needed a man to complete her, not Denise. . Denise does mention Michael Jackson a few times in her writings, stating “We crossed each other’s paths many times through the next few years. We’d end up attending the same charity event.” What happen that caused her to say this I'll get back to later. . Except for one occasion Denise mainly mentioned Michael, his “lovely” sister Janet and any other celebrity to provide clarity and gave additional context to the significance of the event, party or occasion. Actually, many times in her writings she’ll describe an extravagant event or a jaw-dropping occurrence without emotion and simply say it as a matter of fact, rarely providing the calendar date or the name of the event. Solely describing where she sat and the people around her that attended, as if she were relying upon brief notations she had made in a diary to help recall the event. . Tom Cruise for example. Denise briefly mentions him, but in a certain manner and she is deliberately cryptic in the telling. One earlier version she writes... “One night Tom Cruise came over and spent the night at my home…” . While in a later version she writes... “One evening Tom Cruise got together over at my home. I took a shining to him like most women. I figured he could cure this broken heart of mine. When he was in New York he called me up wanting to come for an audition for him, Scorsese and Paul Newman. I’ll never forget that day. I was too high for one thing and certainly not ready for any kind of audition. I flew to New York anyway.” . The meeting at her home in LA, she doesn’t state why they met, if it was the first time they met, nor does she state what occurred. Was that meeting solely about the subsequence audition in New York? Was she too high to interpret his initial and ultimate intent as being a movie project? She goes on to say, “Later I was told that Tom and Scorsese were considering me for a part, but not Paul. I was always looking for a man to fill this void in me.” That’s it. The story ends and the next page Nikki Six begins. Their are so many stories like this. Stories that bring up more or more questions. . My point is, each page has two chapters worth of information and intrigue. Which I soon discovered when I finally ask DeBorah about Tom Cruise, Nikki Six and that Livingroom Scene when Denise first got to Minneapolis. DeBorah doesn’t just fill in the blanks she brings every statement to life with vivid colors, textures and sound. She fills in explaining details creating layers upon layers of possibilities and motivating factors that helps determine true intent. . Denise writes about how Rod Stewart and Prince didn’t like each other, but probably never thought to mention the “Who’s the Best” Prince or Michael Jackson comparisons that has raged on for decades. Going to work for Berry Gordy, you’d think she’d have some thoughts on the matter. Not about who's the best, but how she'd argue in his defense. . The only interaction between her and Michael, that I’ve read thus far, was a phone call Steven Spielberg made to him, after a meeting she had with Spielberg when he called her to his office to read for a part in The Color Purple. I kinda felt sorry for Michael. Denise did not mention which part she was ask to read, writing: . “…he told me right up front that I was too pretty for the part. We got into a conversation about Michael Jackson as he was a friend of his. Spielberg said that Michael Jackson didn’t have nice things to say about Prince and I. “Call him up” I said. Spielberg did. He got a kick out of hearing Michael squirm from me confronting him over the phone. “I’ve got Vanity the actress in my office” said Spielberg over the intercom. “Oh really” Michael said. That’s when I jumped in speaking, “Michael, I hear you don’t like Prince or me for that matter, I also hear you think I’m too nasty.” In his squeaky little voice he replied, “I like you Vanity, I’ve got no problem with you or Prince.” “That’s not what I hear.” I said, I guess I made him nervous. We crossed each other’s path many times through the next few years…” . . Everything mentioned above is on less than 2 pages. . Her life was indeed interesting Toban. She had quite the stories to tell! She always seemed so confident in her approach. You can tell just by how she handled Michael Jackson. She wasn't intimidated whatsoever. I guess after dealing with Prince...Michael Jackson was a kitten... Did she say who she went to the AMA with when she first met Prince? Was it Tatiana Thumbtzen? [Edited 6/6/17 20:39pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Thanks for all the info and pics Toban Keep Calm & Listen To Prince | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Tatiana and Denise knew each other from their Tokyo days. They were both signed to Zoli. I remember Tatiana saying she had been given strict instructions not to answer a red phone in Denise's New York apartment. She was the only one that could answer it. She assumed Prince called her on that phone because that was during the time Denise was working with Prince on a demo for Nasty Girl. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Thanks for the info. Interesting. I knew she was friends with Tatiana. Did it appear that this was before Denise moved to Minneapolis when she was working on the demo from New York or was it on a visit? | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Denise writes that an agent name Nick Masters escorted her the AMAs. . . Also that night, after Jamie Shoop delivered his initial indecent proposal and return to Prince, and apparently as Prince was about to reach her or had just reach her, Denise writes “Michael Jackson sauntered passed us and I stopped to say hello followed by a quick goodbye with Prince nudging me at my side to head for the door. He ask if he could try on my coat...
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |