Vanessa Lynn Williams was born on March 18 1963, to Milton and Helen Williams. Milton and Helen both held advanced degrees in music so they were perfect for getting Vanessa started in piano and the French horn. But it was her beautiful and silky voice that came naturally to her. It became such a passion that she pursued singing in Syracuse University as a Theater Arts major.

As Vanessa's beauty and graciousness matured, she started doing beauty pageants. Before she knew it, she was crowned Miss New York. She had to go on to represent New York in the Miss America pageant. Vanessa went on to become the first African American to ever win the Miss America crown. She had the world at her feet. But it was toward the end of her reign that her past had caught up with her. Vanessa had taken pictures for Penthouse Magazine in her pre-Miss America days and they were threatening to reveal them. So she resigned as Miss America.

By 1988 Vanessa's debut album "The Right Stuff" was released. People were starting to appreciate her more. And as luck would have it, her single 'Dreaming' had hit #1 on the charts. It was a good year for her and she was back on top.

In 1991 her second album, "The Comfort Zone" was released. Everyone's favorite song was another ballad ‘Save the Best For Last’ which remained #1 on the charts for five weeks. In the meantime, Vanessa decided to test her acting skills in small roles. Vanessa then released her third album "Sweetest Days" and it went platinum almost instantly. During that time she was featured in the Broadway musical, "Kiss of the Spider Woman". Because audiences adored her, they recorded a new cast version of the CD.

On the big screen, Vanessa finally got a major role opposite Arnold Schwarznegger in the action/suspense movie "Eraser". This opened up a new area of acting for her. Soon she would be gaining more attention by getting roles in "Hoodlum", "Soul Food", and the TV miniseries "The Odyssey". But it was "Dance With Me" that her fans enjoyed the most. It showcased the Vanessa that the public was used to. The one that entertained us all. Somehow she made time in her busy schedule to record and drop her fourth album, "Next". She is now married married to former Los Angeles Laker basketball player Rick Fox.