Lead singer of '80s R&B group Vanity 6 and protege of music legend Prince, Vanity (real name Denise Katrina Matthews), has tragically passed away at the age of 57.
As TMZ reports, Matthews had battled kidney failure for a number of years and more recently suffered from an abdominal illness.
Matthews passed away in a hospital in Fremont, California.
After launching a career in modelling, Matthews met Prince who asked her to join the girl group he had assembled, alongside Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie.
Vanity 6 released just one self-titled album, with their biggest hit being Nasty Girl, released in 1982 and produced by Prince.
After the group disbanded in 1983, Matthews signed a deal with Motown Records and released two albums — Wild Animal (1984) and Skin On Skin (1986).
Matthews battled a crack addiction in the '90s and after an overdose in 1994, her kidneys completely shut down, resulting in her ongoing health issues which included near-daily dialysis treatments.
Matthews spent her remaining years as a born-again Christian and was an active member of her local church.
