Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams is an American pop and R&B vocalist and producer from The Bronx, United States. She is also a singer and actress, and her work spans contemporary R&B, dance-pop, new jack swing, pop, pop soul and soul.

Early recognition and recording career

Williams is born in 1963 and makes history in 1983 when she becomes the first woman of known African descent to be crowned Miss America. Her reign ends early when she resigns the title under pressure after nude photographs of her are published without her consent.

She later secures a record deal and releases her debut album, The Right Stuff. The album includes the single “Dreamin’”, which becomes a chart success and helps the record reach gold status. Her first album also earns three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist.

Notable songs and albums

Williams’s better-known charting songs include “Running Back To You”, “Love Is”, “The Sweetest Days”, “Colors of the Wind”, “The Comfort Zone”, “Just For Tonight” and “Oh How The Years Go By”. Her biggest hit is “Save the Best For Last”, which reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks.

Her recorded output reaches six million sales in total, and she receives fifteen Grammy Award nominations across her career.

In 2005, she releases her eighth studio album, Everlasting Love, a covers collection made up of songs by artists from the 1970s.

Screen work

Williams also builds a career in television and film. She appears in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a sports journalist, and later appears in Ugly Betty as Wilemina Slater. She also appears in several episodes of Desperate Housewives and remains a series regular until the show ends in 2012.