Vanity

Denise Katrina Matthews was born Jan. 4, 1959 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. As a teenager, Matthews found success in the beauty pageant circuit, participating in competitions between Ontario and Toronto. Around the same time, Matthews began appearing in a number of Canadian feature films, including "Klondike Fever" (1980), "Terror Train" (1980), and "Tanya's Island" (1980), before moving to New York City to pursue a career in modeling. Her immersion in the showbiz scene really took form following a chance meeting with Prince at the 15th Annual American Music Awards. The pop icon took interest in Matthews' aesthetic and talent, rebranding her "Vanity" and giving her the opportunity to lead the vocal trio Vanity 6, formed the following year. The group released the fairly successful album Vanity 6 (1982) before Matthews set off on a solo career, making her debut with Wild Animal (1984). Shortly afterward, she returned to the acting world, appearing in films like "The Last Dragon" (1985), "52 Pick-Up" (1986), "Deadly Illusion" (1987), and "Action Jackson" (1988). All the while, Matthews pursued high profile relationships with pop icons like Billy Idol, Adam Ant, and Nikki Sixx. Although her acting and modeling careers continued through the early '90s, the decade saw hardships for Matthews. After a nearly fatal overdose on crack cocaine in 1994 and kidney failure in 1997, Matthews reevaluated her lifestyle, focusing her energies on Christianity. On Feb. 15, 2016, Matthews died of renal failure at age 57.