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The Vesta Williams Website
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Vesta Williams Has Passed Away
It's with a heavy heart that I am confirming that the unbelievably talented Mary Vesta Williams was discovered on Thursday 09/22/11 at approximately 4:30 pm PST in her hotel room in Los Angeles. The LA Coroner said that it appears that she died of Natural Causes while she was sleeping. Ms. William’s was staying at a Los Angeles area hotel while in transition to a new home. She was very excited about so many beautiful things to come in her career, especially her upcoming TV-1 episode of “Unsung.” After meeting with her nephew this morning, I am releasing this statement to dispel anything floating in cyberspace other than the truth first hand. Vesta was in a safe environment and passed on peacefully. I mourn, as millions of others as well. Celebrate her life and talent… She will be missed. We will keep her Facebook Fan Page www.facebook.com/vestawilliams and running as a memorial to our beloved Vesta, but her personal Facebook page will be shut down shortly in respect.
Seth Neblett- Publicist and Friend
'VESTA: Giving Full Coverage'
Witten By By Karu F. Daniels (12/22/06)
Remember that crop of seasoned vocalists who became staples on black radio across the country in the 1980s. This was before the burgeoning "hip-hop soul" genre changed the face of R&B music as we knew it. Sequined gowns and melodies were traded in for baseball caps to the back and hard edged hip-hop beats. Ha!
Ever wonder what happened to one of the most powerful voices of that era?
Well wonder no more.
Vesta is on the comeback trail with a vengeance -- armed with a new record deal and a forthcoming project that will be music to many of our ears.
Titled 'Distant Lover,' the 10 track opus -- to be released via Shanachie on Jan. 30-- packs a punch featuring the former sought after background and jingles singer's take on some of the greatest R&B 'classics.' Songs popularized by Babyface ("Whip Appeal"), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ("Ooh Baby Baby"), Stevie Wonder ("Knocks Me off My Feet"), Billy Preston ("With You I'm Born Again") and Marvin Gaye ("Distant Lover") get new life breathed into them when Vesta takes hold.
"I don’t think people will expect to hear me sing all the different styles featured on [the album]," the former super-sized Coshocton, Ohio native said about the new project. "I hope to shock people when they learn that these are not only songs that I love but also ones that I can actually sing and capture the essence of all the incredible artists who sang them."
Vesta even makes daring attempts at Deniece Williams' timeless R&B ballad "Free" and Sade's "No Ordinary Love" -- putting her very own stamp on it.
Keeping some forgotten black music alive is not only sometimes fun to listen to, but it's also good for the legacy. Shoot, why should Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart get all the kudos for this new trend of recording covers albums?
