bboy87 said:

I only got to see parts

Is it wrong to say during her cover of Chaka's song, Vesta was looking FIONE?

No not at all. She was sexy even as a big woman.

phunkdaddy said:

bboy87 said:

I only got to see parts

Is it wrong to say during her cover of Chaka's song, Vesta was looking FIONE?

No not at all. She was sexy even as a big woman.

I always thought Vesta was sexy fat, thin and in between... I kept oogling at her when I watch her final video on YouTube. She just exuded sex appeal to me.

[Edited 1/3/12 20:33pm]

Vesta was an entertainer and vocalist which is rare. I agree she was a diva. I met her once at Disneyland back when she had her hit 'Congratulations" out and she made me wait forever just to take a picture with her. So she can finish gobbling down a dozen hotdogs. Its sad that real singers get thrown under the bus. But I feel she still had a very successful career as a background singer, Singing Jingles & a big hit song & an actress. Most entertainers aren't that successful at so many things like she was...I will say her Unsung was true and very well put together.

R.I.P. Vesta

Vesta's Unsung episode was great this woman really should've been a bigger star as someone here posted if she came out in the 70s she certainly would've been up there with Chaka or Gladys Knight. Her funeral was very touching. I'm glad she kept it real about herself. I loved her humor and wit.

Hmmmm Bruce Willis and Vesta dated???? Now I can see how the song 'Congratulations' dervived from.

[Edited 1/3/12 21:43pm]

phunkdaddy said:

bboy87 said:

I only got to see parts

Is it wrong to say during her cover of Chaka's song, Vesta was looking FIONE?

No not at all. She was sexy even as a big woman.

Ok, because I felt bad for oogling a recently deceased woman

The small waist and nice hips had me in awe for a second

bboy87 said:

phunkdaddy said:

No not at all. She was sexy even as a big woman.

Ok, because I felt bad for oogling a recently deceased woman

The small waist and nice hips had me in awe for a second

You didn't oogle for her when she was alive???

Timmy84 said:

bboy87 said:

Ok, because I felt bad for oogling a recently deceased woman

The small waist and nice hips had me in awe for a second

You didn't oogle for her when she was alive???

I did when she was on Monique's show

bboy87 said:

Timmy84 said:

You didn't oogle for her when she was alive???

I did when she was on Monique's show

Oh OK.

Vesta Williams 'Unsung': An Uplifting, Heartbreaking Look At An R&B Dynamo

Posted: 01/ 2/12 01:48 PM ET

Stacia L. Brown

Writer, mother, adjunct professor, and contributor to PostBourgie.com.

One of the biggest black pop culture shocks of2011 was the sudden passing of Vesta Williams in September at age 53. Her unexpected and untimely death was just one in a long string of mysteries surrounding her life. What happened? Where had she been? Why hadn't she hit it bigger?

Tonight's season premiere...s "Unsung" will answer all those questions and more. Vesta Williams showed early promise with a hit record, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" on her debut album. With a lyric like, "Your name is Dracula/You suck the life right out of me," she couldn't lose. But it wasn't until her next album that she became a folk heroine for black women everywhere with the single, "Congratulations." Sistas still remember where they were when they heard that song for the first time--or when they first dusted it off and played it on repeat, after experiencing the gut-wrenching heartache of a love, not just lost to them, but married to someone else.

It seems inconceivable that someone who could convey betrayal and loss so beautifully would lose the opportunity to claim the fame and fortune she seemed destined to achieve. Vesta had just as strong a voice as our reigning queens of soul and R&B. She was also funny, playful, and dynamic, and often upstaged the headliners for whom she opened, early in her career. (Her musical C.V. boasts gigs with the likes of George Benson, Chaka Khan, Sting, and Jermaine Jackson.)

Vesta died just weeks after wrapping her interviews for "Unsung," giving all of her commentary and that of her friends an eerie prescience. She was reportedly thrilled to be included in the series--and rightfully so. Finally, we--her public--would get to see what life was like for her in her prime. We'd also find out where her career took its balance-tipping turns.

The episode paints the picture of a powerhouse. Vesta Williams was a self-proclaimed diva with a four-octave range who routinely took risks for her career. Some--like telling her label she'd "have laryngitis" until the patriarchal bigwigs allowed her female producer, Tina Clark, to work on her second album--paid off. Others did not. Protracted issues with her weight, with drugs, and with her label, A&M Records, took their toll. But Vesta worked at her craft until the end, performing her last concert just days before her passing.

As a viewer, this "Unsung" experience is at once uplifting and impossibly sad. Despite Vesta's frequent laughter and self-deprecation in her interview clips, it's hard not to wonder if the depression and substance dependency Vesta spoke about in the past tense were still very much in the forefront of her experience in the last days of her life.

"Unsung: Vesta Williams" premieres tonight, Jan 2 at 10pm ET on TV One.

Follow Stacia L. Brown on Twitter: www.twitter.com/slb79

sosgemini said:

A&M also promoted Shanice Wilson at the time. It wasn't all Janet's fault.

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

kitbradley said:

sosgemini said:

A&M also promoted Shanice Wilson at the time. It wasn't all Janet's fault.

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

Shanice got top notch videos for No 1/2 Steppin and Can U Dance and promotion of the two on pop radio. Well, at least in my area she did. They were trying to turn her into the next Janet.

sosgemini said:

kitbradley said:

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

Shanice got top notch videos for No 1/2 Steppin and Can U Dance and promotion of the two on pop radio. Well, at least in my area she did. They were trying to turn her into the next Janet.

Must have been only in your area. Both songs performed poorly on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. They did well on the R&B charts.

kitbradley said:

sosgemini said:

Shanice got top notch videos for No 1/2 Steppin and Can U Dance and promotion of the two on pop radio. Well, at least in my area she did. They were trying to turn her into the next Janet.

Must have been only in your area. Both songs performed poorly on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. They did well on the R&B charts.

They performed poorly because the pop audience wasn't buying what they were selling. It wasn't for a lack of trying on A&M's part. John McClain (who shepparded Janet's Control era) was brought on board to navigate Shanice to the same success. Didn't work out that way.

sosgemini said:

kitbradley said:

Must have been only in your area. Both songs performed poorly on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. They did well on the R&B charts.

They performed poorly because the pop audience wasn't buying what they were selling. It wasn't for a lack of trying on A&M's part. John McClain (who shepparded Janet's Control era) was brought on board to navigate Shanice to the same success. Didn't work out that way.

But yet they turn out in droves to buy anything from Rhianna and Lady Ga Ga.

I definitely remember & respect Vesta as a singer - a GREAT voice.

her personality - a very strong vibe, very sexy indeed. she could sell snow to an eskimo!

my favorite song of hers is "don't you blow a good thing"..
I really thought it was Chaka Khan the 1st time I heard it, but with time, I came to.. recognize Vesta's voice.

I also remember the time she was on Video Soul with Donnie Simpson. she really flirted with him. he kept it together A LOT BETTER than I would have..

I think I would have done Vesta right there on that sofa..

for real..

[takes a moment, pulls mind out of gutter, recomposes self..]

I will probably watch the "unsung" episode for Vesta.. but these episodes get to me.

I put off watching the 1 on SYLVESTER (knowing how it ends).. I could only watch it during the daytime - I didn't want to be sad & thinking about that going to bed..

every "unsung" episode I've seen is great.

obviously.. as a big fan of the OHIO PLAYERS, I love their episode of "unsung"..

but I digress -

MUCH LOVE to Vesta..

kitbradley said:

sosgemini said:

A&M also promoted Shanice Wilson at the time. It wasn't all Janet's fault.

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

"I Love Your Smile" was released on Motown.

Shanice did have a hit with A&M singing "No Half Steppin'". I still remember that video. And how much Shanice looked like one of my sisters at the time.

Timmy84 said:

kitbradley said:

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

"I Love Your Smile" was released on Motown.

Shanice did have a hit with A&M singing "No Half Steppin'". I still remember that video. And how much Shanice looked like one of my sisters at the time.

Yep! You are right! I forgot about that. I never knew the story behind why she left A&M after only one album. Perhaps she booked after her management figured out she didn't have much of a chance outside of black radio at the label because of Janet? "No 1/2 Steppin" failed to register on the Pop charts and "Can You Dance" stalled at #50. Both were Top 10 R&B songs, though. Motown did manage to get her a couple of Top 40 hits out of "Inner Child".

[Edited 1/4/12 11:00am]

kitbradley said:

Timmy84 said:

Janet was the best-selling female act of A&M so it's possible it was her. Vesta just didn't have a chance when it came to that unfortunately.

It's more than possible. Janet was the reason. Vesta debuted the same year that "Control" took off. Vesta was lucky that "4U" did as well as it did at R&B radio in '88/'89 because A&M threw the majority of the promotion behind "Rhythm Nation". I remember seeing an interview with Vesta back in the day. She said before "Congratulations" was released as the third single, A&M wasn't interested in releasing any additional singles after the title track was issued as the second single (they were concentrating on Janet). Vesta wanted "Congrats" released as a single. The label told her if she insisted that was fine but if she wanted a music video to promote the song, she'd have to come up out of her own pocket to do it. And that's what she did. And thank goodness she did!

Janet was more video-friendly than Vesta and she wasn't a Soul-belter so Janet was way more easier and safer to cross-over to white audiences. You must remember, back in the 80's, R&B artists were strongly encouraged to have more of a Pop/Rock or Dance sound to be more attractive to white audiences. You know, not sound too black. Vesta was quite capable of singing Pop. In 1988, she did a couple of tunes for a soundtrack. "Wherever Loves Takes Me" and "The Sweet Side". 100% pure Pop. Nothing R&B about those songs. So, if A&M wanted to cross her over, they very easily could have. For whatever reasons, A&M just saw fit to develop Janet's career and not Vesta's. It happens all the time. It's the music business.

I agree with you 1000%. I really think Video Soul and BET had a lot to do with the success of "Congratulations" and "Sweet Sweet Love." They played those videos OUT.

"I agree she was a diva. I met her once at Disneyland back when she had her hit 'Congratulations" out and she made me wait forever just to take a picture with her. So she can finish gobbling down a dozen hotdogs."

I am confused by this statement about Vesta needing to stop having lunch to provide someone with a photo op. ??? Stopping or altering your every moment and activity based on what someone else's needs, or their perceptions about how you should behave, is insanity personified. Seems doubtful that the 45th person who interupted her that day or week would care about the first 44 interuptions she edured, but they really should have. And why does she have to be "gobbling down a dozen hotdogs?" Would she have simply been eating lunch if she had not make someone wait forever "just" to take a picture with her?

That was a fun episode. She was cute and fine and many of us were probably thinking it would have been quite something to know her. Vesta 6 woulda been wild for a minute.

sosgemini said:

daPrettyman said:

After going through the list of former A&M acts on Wiki, Janet is the only logical choice that I can see.

Let's not kid ourselves. No way was Vesta going mainstream. She didn't have the image or the sounds. When Patti crossed over, it was for the popiest of pop tunes---not a depressing slow jam---one that I adore btw.

I agree, but I think Vesta just wanted to "chart" on the pop charts. Not necessarilly be a pop artist (though she could have been...especially after listening to her Special album).

G3000 said:

sosgemini said:

Let's not kid ourselves. No way was Vesta going mainstream. She didn't have the image or the sounds. When Patti crossed over, it was for the popiest of pop tunes---not a depressing slow jam---one that I adore btw.

If Vesta were to come out in the early 70's, she may have had the music career and recognition she was looking for. Instead she was always compared to a lot of the great and powerful female vocalist instead of being judge on her own merit. We are still talking about Teena Marie, Chaka, Aretha, etc.

It didn't help that Vanessa Williams also released The Right Stuff at the same time as Vesta. I'm sure there was only room for one crossover act to walk through the door and Vanessa had the key.

I'm sure the "white" side industry said, "we have our token," sorry Vesta next time.

Sorry to be so blunt, but that was and still is the state of the music business, record, video and radio.

I see your point, but VW was on a different label and didn't really "crossover" until her 3rd single, "Dreamin'" dropped. I think pop radio didn't want to touch VW in the beginning after the Miss America scandle. She had to prove herself.

Vesta had a few ballads on 4u and Special that could have easily crossed over to AC radio. These immediately come to mind.

These come to mind:

kitbradley said:

sosgemini said:

A&M also promoted Shanice Wilson at the time. It wasn't all Janet's fault.

Other than "I Love Your Smile", A&M never put any effort into marketing Shanice outside of R&B radio. I believe both she and Vesta had around the same number of Top 10 R&B hits during their respective careers. Shanice scored slightly better on the Pop charts than Vesta but nothing impressive.

Shanice was not on A&M at that time. She got dropped after her first album. She signed with Motown and released "I Love Your Smile."

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had a great roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

1sotrue said:

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had a great roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

I don't think they did during that time. Arista, WB and Polygram/Mercury were booming in the urban dept in the early 90s. Atlantic didn't have a big urban roster at that time. I think Levert was the biggest.

1sotrue said:

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had agreat roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

Here's a list of R&B performers on A&M's roster:

Atlantic Starr

George Benson

The Brothers Johnson

Al Green

James Ingram

L.T.D.

Mint Condition

Alexander O'Neal

CeCe Peniston

Seduction

Sounds of Blackness

Roxanne Shanté

Barry White

Full list http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ds_artists

sosgemini said:

1sotrue said:

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had agreat roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

Here's a list of R&B performers on A&M's roster:

Atlantic Starr

George Benson

The Brothers Johnson

Al Green

James Ingram

L.T.D.

Mint Condition

Alexander O'Neal

CeCe Peniston

Seduction

Sounds of Blackness

Roxanne Shanté

Barry White

Full list http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ds_artists

When Vesta was there:

Atlantic Starr: - They were gone to WB

George Benson - Was gone to WB

The Brothers Johnson - Was through making records

Al Green - Was marketed as a Gospel act at the time. Had a few r&b crossover hits, but more of a Gospel act.

James Ingram - He was at Qwest at the time.

L.T.D. - They were done by that time.

Mint Condition - Were a Perspective act.

Alexander O'Neal - Not really an A&M act. Tabu was being distributed by A&M/Polygram when he did the Love Makes No Sense album.

CeCe Peniston - Was a dance/pop/r&b artist. She was mostly marketed as pop in the beginning. She "crossed over" to the r&b chart with "Keep On Walkin" and "Inside That I Cried."

Seduction - Kinda like CeCe. They were promoted more as Dance music and not really urban. Especially in the beginning.

Sounds of Blackness - Perspective artist.

Barry White - He made a few albums during that time, but didn't really take off again until 1992 when he did Practice What You Preach. The success of that record was due to Gerald Levert. R&B radio loved Gerald at the time.

1sotrue said:

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had a great roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

Not necessarily. Miki Howard was signed to Atlantic the same time Vesta was signed to A&M. Atlantic did almost zero promotion for Miki outside of black radio. I only recall her video for "Until You Come Back To Me" receiving some airtime on a few of the mainstream music video shows. But, the song itself didn't chart high on the Billboard Top 100 Pop charts.

In the mid to late eighties, black female singers were only allotted so much room in the Top 100 Singles charts. Tina had Rock covered. Whitney had Pop all to herself and Janet was the Dance Queen. Anita probably had the R&B side covered. Other than the ones I just named, for the most part, success for black female singers on Pop radio during that time period was rather sparse.

Success in the music business is determined by luck and who you have in your corner. Not much else.

[Edited 1/4/12 13:43pm]

1sotrue said:

Is it fair to say A&M record label sucked for r&b artists on their roster? I know the goal of an aspiring singer is to be signed but it seems like r&b artists are not going to receive the same type of promotion as the next pop artist. Janet got lucky with her 'Control' album trust me if it flopped she would've been dropped considering it was her third album with the label. I always believed Atlantic records was more R&B/Soul friendly they had a great roster of talent. Vesta would've lasted alot longer if she was signed with them.

Atlantic stopped being R&B-based after the arrival of Led Zeppelin. Miki Howard explained that while they made her out to be their Whitney Houston, they sure didn't promote her properly so she could be at Whitney's level.

mltijchr said:

I also remember the time she was on Video Soul with Donnie Simpson. she really flirted with him. he kept it together A LOT BETTER than I would have..

Now, since you've mention this, I remember a rumor back then, ( I think I heard it on Radio Scope ) that Donnie left his wife for an R&B singer and they actually moved in together.

But it was only for a short period, and Donnie went back to his wife.

Makes you wonder

HuMpThAnG said:

mltijchr said:

I also remember the time she was on Video Soul with Donnie Simpson. she really flirted with him. he kept it together A LOT BETTER than I would have..

Now, since you've mention this, I remember a rumor back then, ( I think I heard it on Radio Scope ) that Donnie left his wife for an R&B singer and they actually moved in together.

But it was only for a short period, and Donnie went back to his wife.

Makes you wonder

Ooh...

But I believe it...