12.04.09 - Tune in to ABC tonight @ 8pm to watch Vanessa host "Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation" then stay tuned for an all new Ugly Betty with special guest Shakira!
12.03.09 - Visit the VanessaWilliams.com Official Contests Page before December 17th to win a copy of "Letters to Santa: A Holiday Musical Celebration" autographed by Vanessa! The rare collection, being sold exclusively at select U.S Post Offices through January only, includes her new song "Just Like Me" and boasts seasonal cheer from an all-star roster including Nat King Cole, Dave Koz, the Muppets and more! Enter now for your chance to win!
12.02.09 - Betty's moving! Starting January 2010, tune in to Ugly Betty at it's new day and time - every Wednesday at 10pm/9c on ABC!
11.30.09 - Vanessa hosts a look back at 75 years of Disney filmmaking with Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation, Friday December 4th @ 8pm/7c on ABC!
11.28.09 - Watch special guest Shakira on ABC's Ugly Betty December 4th @ 9pm/8c on ABC.
11.25.09 - Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this wonderful holiday with your family and loved ones. May your stomachs be filled with delicious food and let safety and good health surround each dinner table. We all have so much to be thankful for and I am reminded each day of all the blessings in my life. Life is beautiful. Cherish each moment. Love, V.
11.20.09 - Be sure to get your copy of "Letters to Santa: A Holiday Musical Celebration." The collection, being sold exclusively at select U.S Post Offices and Concord Records online through January only, boasts seasonal cheer from an all-star roster including Vanessa, Nat King Cole, Dave Koz and the Muppets.
Happy Holidays!
11.15.09 - Watch Vanessa's exclusive interview with EW.com about Ugly Betty and her role as Wilhelmina Slater!
11.11.09 - Watch Vanessa's exclusive interview with My Fox Orlando about her involvement with Dress for Success!
11.8.09 - Join Vanessa at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center on December 12 as D23 celebrates its first holiday season with their exclusive weekend of Magic & Merriment. Delight in the warm embrace of Walt Disney World's perennial Christmas favorite, Candlelight Processional, at America Gardens Theatre. This time-honored tradition of classic carols and hymns sung by a choir of hundreds will be narrated by V, herself!
10.29.09 - Check out the brief article on Vanessa in Ontario's Barrie Examiner!
10.16.09 - Read Vanessa's interview with TV Guide about the new season of Ugly Betty and watch the two-hour season premiere tonight on ABC at 8pm/7c!
10.15.09 - Check out Vanessa's exclusive interview with Theater Mania! And don't forget to tune in to ABC tomorrow night at 8pm/7c for the two-hour season premiere of Ugly Betty!
10.8.09 - Watch Betty get some unexpected career advice from Wilhelmina in this sneak preview of the two-hour Ugly Betty season premiere!
10.3.09 - Miami Area Fans: Join Vanessa and Dress for Success on October 6th for an evening celebrating the spirit of giving back at the “Express Success” charitable education event. Learn fast and simple beauty tips, including hairstyling and make-up, for working women from local stylists and make-up artists, followed by presentations from Vanessa and Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success. The price of admission is the contribution of nearly new professional attire, accessories, or a monetary donation. Express Success will take place at the Epic Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way in Miami, and begins at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, please visit www.expresssuccesscampaign.com.
10.2.09 - ABC has moved its two-hour season premiere of Ugly Betty to October 16th! Be sure to tune in at 8pm on ABC!
10.1.09 - Vanessa's going back to Broadway! She's signed on with Barbara Cook, Michael Arden and Leslie Kritzer to take part in "Sondheim on Sondheim," a look at Stephen Sondheim through his music, film and videotaped interviews. Directed by James Lapine, "Sondheim" opens April 22, 2010 at Studio 54. Previews begin March 19.
9.16.09 - Vanessa will be on The Joy Behar Show (CNN) Oct. 2nd, Wake up With Al (Weather Channel) Oct. 5th, and Rachael Ray (CBS) Oct. 12th!
Tune in to watch the never-before-seen interviews!
9.15.09 - If you missed Vanessa on the Today show this morning, you can watch her interview here!
9.11.09 - Be sure to watch Vanessa on the Today show Tuesday, September 15th at 7am on NBC!
9.09.09 - Vanessa and her mom, Helen, have signed on to support teachers everywhere by taking part in Teachers Count's "Behind Every Famous Person Is A Fabulous Teacher" campaign. Check out the photo below that will appear on Teachers Count posters nationwide!
8.25.09 - Hang out with Vanessa for a great cause! You and a guest can enjoy a fabulous lunch visit with V on set of one of her varied activities -- photo shoot, talk show appearance or performance!
Proceeds for this opportunity benefit Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and there's less than two days to win! Visit CharityBuzz.com now!
8.22.09 - Vanessa's single The Real Thing debuted at No. 42 on Billboard's Dance Club Chart! It's her seventh song to make the Billboard Dance Club Chart since The Right Stuff hit No. 1 in 1988!
8.09.09 - Be sure to watch Who Wants To Be A Millionaire tomorrow on ABC at 8pm (ET) as Vanessa attempts to win $50,000 for The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project!
8.08.09 - Vanessa will perform at Primm Valley Resort in Primm, NV September 25th! Get your tickets now at Ticketmaster!
8.06.09 - Vanessa will participate in the upcoming new season of ABC's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire! She and other celebrity guests, including Snoop, Patricia Heaton, Shawn Johnson, Steve Nash, Katy Perry, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, and Wynonna Judd, will have the chance to win $50,000 for the charity of their choice by answering a single question! Vanessa is playing on behalf of The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project at the Amas Musical Theatre. Millionaire premiered August 9th at 8:00om (ET) and air for 11 nights, Sunday - Thursday. Check in with vanessawilliams.com for details on when Vanessa's episode of Millionaire will air.
BIO
Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold over four million albums worldwide and her skills as an actress on stage, in film and on television have earned praise from the most seasoned of critics.
Performing – and music in particular – has always played an important role in Vanessa’s life. Born in Millwood, New York, Vanessa’s early years were spent surrounded by music. Her parents were music teachers who recognized her musical gifts early on and encouraged her to pursue her love of the arts. When she was young, she acted, danced, played piano and French horn in her high school orchestra, concert band and marching band and she sang in the concert choir and chorus. Her early interest in performing led to a passion for musical theatre. She won an NFAA scholarship was a finalist for a Presidential Scholarship in acting in 1981 and chose to continue her education at Syracuse University, where she majored in musical theatre. While at college in 1983, Vanessa was sought after by local talent scouts who invited her to participate in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant. Three months later, Vanessa won the 1983 Miss America title and the $30,000 scholarship that accompanied it. The controversy that followed only left Vanessa stronger and more empowered in her commitment to a career in the world of entertainment.
Vanessa launched her recording career in 1988 with her first album, “The Right Stuff,” which went gold and earned her first three Grammy Award nominations. Her 1991 multi-million selling follow-up, “The Comfort Zone,” which featured the unforgettable “Save the Best For Last,” and her third album, “The Sweetest Days,” each yielded multiple hits and Grammy nominations. She was nominated for yet another Grammy for her hit single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s “Pocahontas,” which went on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe and the Grammy for Best Song in a Motion Picture. Her numerous recordings also include two holiday-themed albums, “Star Bright” and “Silver & Gold;” “Vanessa Williams Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years;” “Our Favorite Things,” with Tony Bennett, Placido Domingo and Charlotte Church and “Everlasting Love,” a romantic collection of her favorite love songs from the 1970’s.
In 1994, Vanessa realized a life-long dream, taking Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Her performance won critics over and was a box-office sensation, firmly establishing Vanessa as a multi-talented triple-threat. Vanessa also garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award in the 2002 revival of Stephen “Into the Woods,” taking a brief break from the production to headline a limited special engagement of the classic, “Carmen Jones,” at the Kennedy Center, playing to sold-out houses and achieving glowing notices. Previously, Vanessa captivated theatre-goers off-Broadway in “One Man Band” and in the Los Angeles production of Ron Milner’s “Checkmates.” She also starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of “St. Louis Woman,” which was also released as a cast recording.
Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in “Under the Gun” and she appeared in the films “The Pick-Up Artist,” “Another You” (with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder) and “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man” (with Mickey Rourke). She starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Warner Bros.’ action thriller, “Eraser,” followed by a leading role opposite Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia in “Hoodlum” and an NAACP Image Award winning performance with the box-office hit, “Soul Food.” She has starred in the romantic dance-musical “Dance With Me,” “Light It Up,” “The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland” and “Shaft,” opposite Samuel L. Jackson. She recently starred in the independent features, “My Brother” and “And Then Came Love,” and co-starred in “Johnson Family Vacation” with Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey.
Vanessa has also played diverse roles on television, in such productions as “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “The Boy Who Loved Christmas” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” for which she won an NAACP Image Award. She commanded rave reviews for her performance in ABC’s revival of “Bye, Bye Birdie” and starred in the mini-series “Nothing Lasts Forever” and the Emmy-nominated “The Odyssey,” which also garnered impressive ratings and an Image Award nomination for Vanessa. Vanessa starred opposite John Lithgow in TNT’s “Don Quixote” and she executive produced and starred in “The Courage to Love” for Lifetime Television. She starred in the VH1 Original Movie, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol,” which was the highest rated movie ever for VH1, their second highest rated telecast overall of in 2000 and their fourth highest rated telecast of all time. She co-starred in the Showtime movie “Keep the Faith, Baby”and the UPN drama, “South Beach.” She currently stars on ABC’s new hit series, “Ugly Betty,” which won the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Series, Comedy.
Among Vanessa’s many awards and honors, she was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for her role of Wilhelmina Slater on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty. That same year she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1996, she received the coveted Lena Horne Career Achievement Award at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Vanessa’s charitable contributions are many and varied, embracing and supporting such issues as education, homelessness, abuse, women’s issues and health concerns, AIDS and anything having to do with children. Specifically, she is actively involved with such organizations as Green Chimneys, a working farm in Westchester County that provides educational and residential programs to help troubled inner-city adolescents; The Open Door, which provides walk-in medical care for homeless families; The Cottage School for displaced young women and the Special Olympics, among many others.
you sound great on JOY TO THE WORLD with Brian McKnight. i'm adding that to my myspace playlist right NOW! my absolute favorite version - always have been ;)
i think it's fabulous that you're sending out copies of Letters to Santa to your fans. now i know what i want for christmas.... to be one of the lucky 5.
starting to feel a lot like christmas. i'll write again soon! good night!
Wassup Princess, how are you pretty lady? Just wanted to say hello and see if I can get ur attention 4 a min. Hope I hear from you sometime....stay wonderful!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TO BE PRESENT IN MY FRIEND LIST. I LOVE ALL YOUR PERFORMENCE AS DANCER AND SINGER. I LOVED SPECIALLY, YOUR PERFORMENCE IN PAVAROTTI AND FRIENDS AND IN YOUR MOVIE WITH CHAYANE.
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