Pop Singer Vanity AKA Denise Matthews Dies At Age 57

The singer more commonly known as Vanity, Denise Matthews, passed away on Monday in hospital located in Fremont, California. At the tender age of 57, the model has achieved several milestones in her life: from fronting the 1980's group, Vanity 6, as well as joining Prince on his "1999" tour.

Matthews' death was confirmed by Washington Hospital Health Care System spokewoman, Gisela Hernandez, who did not disclose any information on the cause and date of death, CNN reports.

Vanity's sister, Renay Matthews, also confirmed the death to the New York Times. According to the publication, the sister claims that Denise suffered from kidney problems for several years now, and was admitted in the hospital on Saturday night.

Matthews started her career as a model. She slowly took on film roles, majority of which were sultry characters, in 1980. Among the movies and television shows sh appeared in were "52 Pick-Up," "Never Too Young to Die," "The Last Dragon" and "Action Jackson."

Prince and Matthews met back in 1980 at the American Music Awards and later became romantically involved. It was in 1892 when Prince offered her to be the headliner for Vanity 6, a funky girl group that had hits like "Nasty Girl."

By the time the mid-1990s came, Matthews decided to let go of the entertainment industry. Instead, she dedicated her life to Christian faith, and later on becoming an evangelist.

Since turning a new leaf, Matthews has since condemned the life she once lived, even recalling that it was a miserable time for her. "All I had become was thus painted on my face - vanity," she later wrote on her personal website.