Wayback Wednesdays
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s. They released one album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B and funk.
In 1981, Prince presented his high school girlfriend Susan Moonsie, his wardrobe mistress and Boston native Brenda Bennett and his personal assistant Jamie Shoop with an idea: Prince, himself a rising musical star, suggested that his three female friends form a girl group that would be called “The Hookers.”
Ideally to Prince, the three women would perform in lingerie and sing sensual songs with lyrics about sex and fantasy. The original trio recorded a few demos before Prince met Denise Matthews, a nude model and Canadian B-movie actress, in January of 1982. Prince was so taken by Matthews’ charisma that he decided that she would be the perfect front-woman for his “Hookers” project. Around this time, Prince and Matthews began a romantic relationship. With Matthews’ arrival, Shoop bowed out of the group. Prince suggested that Matthews use the stage name “Vagina.” She refused this idea, and instead took up the name “Vanity.”
With the new trio finalised, Prince renamed the group Vanity 6 (the 6 represented the group's breast count). Keeping with Prince’s initial “Hooker” concept, the women were photographed wearing lingerie and high heels, and were written provocative songs to sing (although within the album credits, group members were sometimes given sole writing credits). Their first single, “He’s So Dull,” did not do much on the charts, but did appear in the film National Lampoon's Vacation.
The second single “Nasty Girl” was a hit on both the US R&B chart and US Dance chart (where it hit number one).
“Nasty Girl” still has lasting significance to this day,
In 1983, Vanity recorded a demo for a new song, “Sex Shooter,” and started training for her lead role in Purple Rain opposite Prince. Prior to the shooting of the movie, Vanity decided to leave the Prince camp later in 1983. Many reasons were given for her sudden split with him, including money, the end of their romantic relationship, and, most importantly, having been offered a lucrative solo offer from Motown Records.
Denise Matthews AKA Vanity Website
Other Vanity Information
Vanity Six Tribute Page
Vanity was replaced in Purple Rain by Patty Kotero, who would later use the stage name Apollonia. She also inherited the lead role in Vanity 6, which was renamed Apollonia 6, alongside Bennett and Moonsie. The new trio recorded one album in 1984 that went on to outsell the Vanity 6 album, mainly on the strength of Apollonia’s newfound fame, thanks to her movie role and its popularity.
In the years since the group’s breakup, Matthews renounced her Vanity persona and music and became a born again Christian. Susan Moonsie married actor David Garfield in the 90’s. David died in the late 1990s.
Born Patricia Kotero on August 2, 1959 in Santa Monica, California, Apollonia Kotero is a swimsuit model, actress and singer of Italian and Mexican descent. She joined Prince's entourage after the departure of Vanity, Denise Matthews, as lead in the film Purple Rain and as lead-singer of recording group Vanity 6.
The newly renamed Apollonia 6 released one album in October, 1984 and released the hit single "Sex Shooter". The band became famous for appearing on stage in lingerie only. Although the album is credited to a producer named Jamie Starr, it has always been obvious that the album was completely produced by Prince himself.
Susan Moonsie from Minneapolis was Prince's High School girlfriend.
She became a member of Vanity 6 in 1982. Susan was given a "teenage Lolita" image by Prince and he knocked her age back to 16 for shock value. Susan and Brenda joined Patty Kotero as Apollonia 6 in 1984 while filming Purple Rain. In addition to 'Private Joy', Prince's hit "When Doves Cry" was inspired by his relationship with Susan.
Brenda Bennett is an American singer from Boston, Massachusetts, USA who married Prince's set-designer Roy Bennett, and then became Prince's "wardrobe mistress". Prince gave her a "tough-girl, cigarette-smoking" persona and enlisted her in a girlgroup that he was attempting to create, Vanity 6 in 1982.
Um I have both that woman's solo albums as well - I'm saving my favorite song for my tribute to the Last Dragon - coming in the ver near future, lol lol