Just minutes before Prince was scheduled to kick off his world tour, he learned that his protégée Denise “Vanity” Matthews had died of kidney disease.
Prince Protege Vanity Passes Away At 57
Rolling Stone reports that Prince took multiple moments out of his set to honor the late Vanity 6 singer, and shared stories remembering her.
“Can I tell you a story about Vanity?” he said. “Or should I tell you a story about Denise? Her and I used to love each other deeply. She loved me for the artist I was; I loved her for the artist she was trying to be. She and I would fight. She was very headstrong because she knew she was the finest woman in the world. She never missed an opportunity to tell you that.”
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We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to the fans, friends and family of Vanity.