Denise Matthews – the singer better known by her stage name, Vanity – has passed away at the age of 57.
Matthews had reportedly been battling a kidney ailment and other health problems in recent years.
The singer’s family recently set up a GoFundMe page to help fund her fight against encapsulating peritonitis – an inflammation of the small intestines.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of her loved ones and fans, Matthews passed away earlier this evening at a Santa Monica hospital.
Lead singer of the girl group Vanity 6 from 1981 to 1983, Matthews is perhaps best known for her vocals on the 1983 hit “Nasty Girl,” which was written by her friend and mentor Prince.
After the dissolution of the band, Matthews enjoyed a successful solo career which included such successful singles as “Pretty Mess”, “Mechanical Emotion”, and “Under the Influence”
Matthews was also an accomplished model and actress, appearing in such popular films as 52 Pick-Up and Action Jackson and on such television series as Miami Vice and Highlander: The Series.
Due to her tumultuous personal life and high-profile romances with musicians such as Adam Ant, Billy Idol, and Nikki Sixx, Matthews remained a tabloid fixture well into the ’90s
An influence to many artists who came of age in the ’80s, Vanity became a trending topic on social media just moments after news of her death was announced.
