Vanessa L. Williams discography
| Vanessa L. Williams discography | |
|---|---|
 Vanessa Williams on July 4, 2006 | |
| Studio albums | 8 |
| Live albums | 1 |
| Compilation albums | 3 |
| Singles | 29 |
| Soundtrack albums | 6 |
Vanessa L. Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American actress and singer. In 1983, Williams became the first African–American woman to win the title of Miss America (Miss America 1984). Williams was forced to resign a few weeks prior to the end of her reign on July 22, 1984 due to a scandal surrounding the publication of unauthorized nude photographs in Penthouse magazine. After her resignation as Miss America in 1984, Williams rebounded with a successful career in the entertainment industry. She received a number of Grammy nominations for her work in the music industry, including hits such as "The Right Stuff," "Save the Best for Last," "Colors of the Wind," and "Oh How the Years Go By."
Miss America 1984
Williams first received public recognition for her musical abilities when she won the preliminary talent portion of the Miss America pageant with her rendition of "Happy Days Are Here Again" (Williams would later be crowned Miss America 1984).[1] In July 1984, after Williams was forced to resign from the Miss America pageant after the unauthorized publication of nude photographs, she turned all of her energies towards a career in entertainment.
Releases
Four years later in 1988, Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff.[2] The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, "Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams' first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album reached platinum status in the U.S. and earned her a NAACP Image Award and three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist.[2]
Her second album The Comfort Zone became the biggest success in her music career.[2] The lead single "Running Back to You" reached top twenty on the Hot 100, and the top position of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on October 5, 1991. Other singles included "The Comfort Zone" (#2 R&B), "Just for Tonight" (#26 Pop), a cover of The Isley Brothers' "Work to Do" (#3 R&B), and the club-only hit "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)." The most successful single from the album, as well as her biggest hit to date, is "Save the Best for Last". It reached No. 1 in the United States, where it remained for five weeks, as well as No. 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada, and was in the top 5 in Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2.2 million copies in the U.S. at its time of release and has since been certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA, gold in Canada by the CRIA, and platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI. The Comfort Zone earned Williams five Grammy Award nominations.[2] The Sweetest Days, her third album, was released in 1994 to highly-favorable reviews.[2] The album saw Williams branch out and sample other styles of music that included jazz, hip hop, rock, and Latin-themed recordings such as "Betcha Never" and "You Can't Run", both written and produced by Babyface. Other singles from the album included the adult-contemporary and dance hit "The Way That You Love" and the title track "The Sweetest Days". The album was certified platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA and earned her two Grammy Award nominations.[2]
Other releases include two Christmas albums, Star Bright, released in 1996, and Silver & Gold in 2004; Next in 1997, and Everlasting Love in 2005, along with a greatest-hits compilation released in 1998, and a host of other compilations released over the years.[2] Notable chart performances from subsequent albums, motion picture and television soundtracks have included the songs "Love Is", which was a duet with Brian McKnight, the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind", "Where Do We Go from Here?", and "Oh How the Years Go By".[2]
On June 2, 2009, she released her eighth studio album on Concord Records titled The Real Thing. It features songs written and/or produced by Babyface, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Bebel Gilberto, and Rex Rideout. Williams described the album as "a hybrid of samba, bossa nova, some salsa and also some pop and R&B". The title song "The Real Thing", the fourth single released from the album, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.[3]
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [4] |
AUS [5] |
CAN [6] |
GER [7] |
NLD [8] |
UK [9] | ||||||||
| 1988 | The Right Stuff | 38 | 18 | — | — | — | 45 | — |
| |||||
| 1991 | The Comfort Zone
|
17 | 1 | 29 | 24 | 52 | 28 | 24 | ||||||
| 1994 | The Sweetest Days
|
57 | 25 | 72 | — | 74 | — | — |
| |||||
| 1996 | Star Bright
|
36 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||||
| 1997 | Next
|
53 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2004 | Silver & Gold [A] | 120 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2005 | Everlasting Love
|
159 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2009 | The Real Thing [B]
|
91 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
- A Peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart and at No. 6 on the ARIA R&B Albums chart.
- B Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Live albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
AUT [12] |
GER [7] | ||
| 2001 | Our Favorite Things (with Tony Bennett, Charlotte Church, & Plácido Domingo) [C]
|
102 | 48 | 79 |
- C Peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover chart and at No. 25 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums chart.
Soundtracks
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | AUS | CAN | GER | NLD | NZ | ||||||||
| 1991 | Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1992 | Beverly Hills 90210
|
76 | — | 44 | — | 22 | 35 | — |
| |||||
| 1994 | The Mask: Music from the Motion Picture
|
80 | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1995 | Panther
|
37 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| |||||
Pocahontas [D]
|
1 | — | 19 | 3 | 70 | — | 8 | |||||||
| 1998 | Dance with Me: Music from the Motion Picture [E]
|
54 | — | — | 61 | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
- D Peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Kid Audio chart.
- E Peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and at No. 1 on the Billboard Tropical/Salsa Albums chart.
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
|
| 2003 | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Vanessa Williams
|
| 2004 | Love Songs
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [4] |
US Dan [4] |
US A/C [4] |
AUS [5] |
CAN [6] |
GER [7] |
IRE [17] |
NLD [8] |
NZ [18] |
UK [9] | |||||||
| 1988 | "The Right Stuff" | 44 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 71 | The Right Stuff | ||||
| "(He's Got) The Look" | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Dreamin'" | 8 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 16 | — | — | 40 | 19 | 74 | ||||||
| 1989 | "Darlin' I" | 88 | 10 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "The Right Stuff" (7" Remix) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 62 | ||||||
| 1991 | "Running Back to You" | 18 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | The Comfort Zone | ||||
| "The Comfort Zone" | 62 | 2 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1992 | "Save the Best for Last" | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 3 |
| ||||
| "Just for Tonight" | 26 | 11 | — | 2 | — | 10 | — | — | 46 | 45 | — | ||||||
| "Work to Do" | 52 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1993 | "Love Is" (with Brian McKnight) | 3 | 55 | — | 1 | 49 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | Beverly Hills 90210 | ||||
| 1994 | "The Sweetest Days" | 18 | 40 | — | 3 | 47 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 41 | The Sweetest Days | ||||
| 1995 | "The Way That You Love" | 67 | 23 | 6 | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | 52 | |||||
| "Colors of the Wind" | 4 | 53 | — | 2 | 16 | 11 | — | 16 | 8 | 25 | 21 |
|
Pocahontas | ||||
| "You Can't Run" | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Sweetest Days | |||||
| 1996 | "Where Do We Go from Here?" | 71 | 90 | — | 5 | — | 29 | 87 | — | — | — | — | Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years | ||||
| "Do You Hear What I Hear? | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Star Bright | |||||
| 1997 | "Happiness" | — | 38 | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | 49 | — | Next | ||||
| "Oh How the Years Go By" | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1998 | "Who Were You Thinkin' 'Bout?" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "First Thing on Your Mind" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Refugio de Amor (You Are My Home)" (with Chayanne) [F] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dance with Me | |||||
| 2004 | "Silver and Gold" | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Silver & Gold | ||||
| "Merry Christmas Darling" | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2005 | "You Are Everything" | — | — | 5 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Everlasting Love | ||||
| 2009 | "Breathless" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Real Thing | ||||
| "Just Friends" [G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Close to You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "The Real Thing" | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||
- F Peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart and at No. 5 on the Billboard Tropical/Salsa Songs chart.
- G Peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart.
Featured singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||||
| 1995 | "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" | Various Artists | 45 | 18 | Panther |
Other appearances
| Year | Song | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Save the Best for Last" (live version) | Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume II[19] |
| 2015 | "Oh How the Years Go By" (live version) | Miss America 2016 [20] |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "The Right Stuff" | Rebecca Blake |
| "(He's Got) The Look" | Alek Keshishian | |
| "Dreamin'" | ||
| 1989 | "Darlin' I" | |
| 1991 | "Running Back to You" | Ralph Ziman |
| "The Comfort Zone" | ||
| 1992 | "Save the Best for Last" | |
| "Just for Tonight" | David Cameron | |
| "Work to Do" | Pam Thomas | |
| "What Will I Tell My Heart" | Ralph Ziman | |
| "Save the Best for Last" (Holiday Version) | Kevin Bray | |
| "What Child is This?" | ||
| 1993 | "Love Is" (with Brian McKnight) | Ralph Ziman |
| 1994 | "The Sweetest Days" | Kevin Bray |
| 1995 | "The Way That You Love" | Matthew Rolston |
| "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" (with Various Artists) | Antoine Fuqua | |
| "Colors of the Wind" | Dominic Orlando | |
| 1996 | "Where Do We Go from Here?" | Andy Morahan |
| 1997 | "Happiness" | Francis Lawrence |
| 1998 | "Refugio de Amor (You Are My Home)" (with Chayanne) | Gustavo Garzón |
| 2009 | "Breathless" | Mike Ruiz |
| "Just Friends" | ||
| "Close to You" | ||
Concert videos
| Year | Video details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Vanessa Williams & Friends: Christmas in New York | |
| 1997 | Vanessa Williams live in Japan | |
| 1998 | Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia | |
| 2000 | Our Favorite Things: Christmas in Vienna | With Tony Bennett and Plácido Domingo |
| 2004 | Vanessa Williams Christmas: Live by Request | |
Video releases
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1989 | The Right Stuff
|
| 1992 | The Comfort Zone Collection
|
Memoir
- Wiliams, Vanessa and Helen Williams. You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Holly wood, Love, Loss (and Each Other). New York: Gotham/Penguin Group, 2012.
See also
References
- ↑ Singleton, Don (1983-09-18). "Vanessa Williams is crowned the first African-American Miss America in 1983". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Vanessa Williams Biography". biography.com. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- ↑ "Vanessa Williams". Allmusic. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "US Charts > Vanessa Williams". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 "AUS Charts > Vanessa Williams". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 "CAN Charts > Vanessa Williams". RPM. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 3 "GER Charts > Vanessa Williams". Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 "NLD Charts > Vanessa Williams". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 "UK Charts > Vanessa Williams". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "US Certifications > Vanessa Williams". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "CAN Certifications > Vanessa Williams". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "AUT Charts > Vanessa Williams". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ↑ "US Certifications > Beverly Hills 90210". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "US Certifications > Panther". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "US Certifications > Pocahontas". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "CAN Certifications > Pocahontas". Music Canada. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "IRE Charts Search > Vanessa Williams". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ↑ "NZ Charts > Vanessa Williams". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ↑ "Grammy's Greatest Moments Vol. 2: Various Artists". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ↑ "Oh How the Years Go By (Miss America 2016)". Miss America Organization. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
External links
- Vanessa Williams interview with Marcus Jones - Journalist Marcus Jones 1988 interview
- "Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams Interview with Bill Boggs" - Bill Boggs 1983 interview (includes music performance)
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