Anyone know the accurate story?

He's never said much on the subject of her, but I'm just wondering if when she began her fall (drugs), did he ever try to lift her out of all of that mess... or if he was too smitten with someone else, and never took Vanity seriously.

I know that some people can't be talked to once they get started on that type of a decline. Any insight?


Just curious...
[Edited 1/5/10 12:05pm]
[Edited 1/5/10 12:06pm]

http://prince.org/msg/7/326495 Read reply #18. It's a starting point with the "drugs" part of your question.

Ernest... that's a little tidbit, but I was more curious to learn of how he met her in the first place. I'm sure I read something about that years ago, but don't recall.

Her birthday was yesterday... and I find myself listening to some of her older tunes... Samuelle, Mechanical Emotion, and Pretty Mess.

I'd love to know why Prince didn't lock that down and keep her clean. We all know that she should have been in Purple Rain. The fact that she wasn't... IMHO, gave the movie more of a cross-over audience. I think the look of "Apollonia" was much more universal, and prevented Purple Rain from being just a "black" rock movie.

But that's just my opinion. The music was so good, the movie may have very well crossed over just fine anyway.

I would have loved to have seen Prince stay with her... but hey... when you're 23 or 24 and have the whole world ahead of you... and when you have Prince's "insatiable" desires... I'm sure that even if she was TOPS, he would have found a way to mess it up. lol

Cheers!

God bless Wikipedia! lol


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. 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", 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. 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" (which featured Morris Day on backing vocals), 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 and signed with A&M Records. She then signed with Geffen 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 two 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.

MantuaPharoah said:

How he met her differs, I have read that he met her at a club he saw her dancing and wanted to meet her. Others say at the AMA's ..

I think Prince was involved with Susan and others (Sherilyn Fenn) prior to meeting Vanity. I don't think anyone can stop someone from doing drugs, it is something they have to quit on their own.
[Edited 1/5/10 14:13pm]

What about the Andre Cymone & Rick James fiasco?

If it was at the AMA's, I'm wondering what she was doing there. She wasn't a singer at the time.

And about the Rick James/Andre Cymone thing... I know she was "romantically" linked with many in Prince's clique... including Micki Free... but I never heard anything about Rick James.

Nothing would surprise me.

It's a shame we can't know EVERYTHING!!!

MantuaPharoah said:

It's in the first line of your Wikipedia post: "In 1982, she met Prince at a backstage party at the American Music Awards, where she was working as a model for the night."

chocolate1 said:

I refuse to believe that Vanity was anywhere near Micki Free and wasn't he in Shalamar?

I always thought that he met her backstage at the AMA and she arrived with Rick James but left with Prince. A supposed source of friction between RJ and P because not only P stole the girl but then the idea for a girls group and put the "stolen" girl as the lead singer.

prodigalfan said:

that is the truth and Vanity has said so. another reason Rick didn't fancy Prince.

nurseV said:

Micki replaced Jeffrey Daniels from Shalamar. Funny thing...When I spent 4 months on the road with these guys, I occoassionally took personal pictures. I have a really cute picture of Howard Hewitt in his bathing suit at a pool in Texas.

Micki used to call me Alice.

nurseV said:

Hey Nurse... check this out! Just found it.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

Mods... I hope this vid is okay to post. It has nothing to do with Prince... but it gives an image of Micki Free with Shalamar... and there's an image of Vanity.

I guess Micki Free wasn't/isn't a bad dude... lol... he was always a mistery to me.

MantuaPharoah said:

He sprayed you with a water bottle?

ernestsewell said:

Umm... I don't get it Mr. Sewell... lol

But anyway... now I see the connections... Vanity at the AMAs, Micki Free was "involved" with her at one point. But then along comes Prince to snatch her away from the rookie.

That's my own version.

I also remember Charlie Murphy talking about Micki Free on that "Prince playing basketball" comedy bit. Charlie called him "The new hot kid". lol

Anyway... Prince stole Vanity from Micki Free. That's my story. That's what I'm hypothesizing from all of this. lol

ernestsewell said:

Okay, fine... I get it. I spelled "mystery" wrong. SUE ME!

You must have watched alot of Scooby Doo, and The Mystery Machine when you were a kid.

Cheers!

MantuaPharoah said:

Hmmm, I never watched Scooby Doo. Hated it. Not sure what that has to do with Miki Free spraying on you, but ok.

ernestsewell said:

I thought you were using the "mist" in "mistery" and trying to be funny. You know... "mist"??

Anyway... nevermind.

MantuaPharoah said:

I thought Prince wanted to name her Vagina at first. Does Prince see fun flaps when he looks in a mirror?

I thought they met in the bathroom at First Avenue. Isn't that where he meets .....wait.....what?

squirrelgrease said:

Didn't he spell it Vagena or something a bit off like that?

MantuaPharoah said:[quote]God bless Wikipedia! lol


In 1982, she met Prince at a backstage party completed, or never released.quote]

All I had to do is read the first sentence, to know that this wrong. The Vanity 6 album came out in 1982.

You can't go by anything that Charlie Murphy says, he was just making comedy. Vanity may have possibly gotten involved with Micki Free a few years later but back in 1982, Micki Free was completely unheard of. The Shalamar lineup still consisted of Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Howard Hewitt. Micki Free would have had no reason to have been at the awards unless he was parking cars of something.

http://prince.org/msg/5/311956 Vanity 6 8.11.1982

"When I met Vanity, I was at [night-club] First Avenue,
in the mezzanine area.
Before anyone even said a word, I felt a quickening in the air.
Within seconds, people started buzzing, "Vanity's here, Vanity's here."
I saw her coming through,
one of the most beautiful women you could ever lay eyes on,
packed into latex or whatever second skin,
looking exquisit."
-Albert Magnoli
[Edited 1/7/10 11:30am]

vainandy said:

Hey... don't be dissin' Micki Free!

vainandy said:

agreed

MantuaPharoah said:

I ain't buying it

squirrelgrease said:

this is true. he did name her that at first.

Got to love Wikipedia, whatever "born yesterday" fool wrote that garbage obviously doesn't know better, and needs to leave them hyped library books alone. Those of us that were there and remeber quite clearly, Prince stole Vanity from Rick James at that party, she was original preparing to be one of the Mary Jane Girls, and also accounts for her behaviour as well. Rick James always hated Prince for stealing his girl group idea and his leading lady. Of course Prince has always been that way.. (making enemies and stealing everyone else's idea and making them better (sometimes))