Vanessa Williams Artistfacts

March 18, 1963
Her parents both taught music in elementary schools. Vanessa learned to play piano and violin as a kid, but her favorite instrument to play was French horn.
Williams was crowned Miss America 1984, the first Black woman to win the pageant. Near the end of her reign, Penthouse magazine published nude photos of Williams taken when she was 19. Instead of standing by her, the Miss America Organization pressured her to give up her crown, which she did. The resulting scandal made Williams a household name, but for the wrong reasons. She persisted through the criticism to become a successful singer, actress and stage performer. By 1995, when she sang "Colors Of The Wind" for the Disney film Pocahontas, she was better known for her talents than for the scandal.
Williams had her biggest hits with ballads like "Save The Best For Last" and "Love Is," but she's also big in the dance-pop genre. Her first single, "The Right Stuff," was a #1 hit on the Dance chart.
Williams grew up in a tiny hamlet in New York State called Millwood, which is near Connecticut and New York City. She earned a scholarship to Syracuse University, where she studied musical theater for two years before leaving to fulfill her duties as Miss America.
She had a hard time finding songwriters and producers to work with her in the wake of the Miss America controversy. A young songwriter-producer named Kipper Jones was an early supporter and worked on her hits "The Right Stuff" and "The Comfort Zone."

Kipper also co-wrote "I Wanna Be Down," which he wanted to pitch to Williams but ended up becoming Brandy's first single.
She's an LGBTQ supporter with a big following in that community. Her song "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)," a dance banger about self-expression, is an LGBTQ anthem.
Vanessa Williams has four children:

Daughter Melanie, born 1987
Daughter Jillian, born 1989
Son Devin, born 1993
Daughter Sasha, born 2000

Her first three children were with her first husband, Ramon Hervey II - they were married from 1987 to 1997. Sasha's father is former NBA player Rick Fox, who was married to Williams from 1999 to 2004.

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