JumpinJack AJ

Vesta Williams, Hit 80's R&B Singer, Found Dead In Her California Hotel Room First Posted: 9/23/11 09:36 AM ET Updated: 9/23/11 05:41 PM ET [uPDATED AT @2:34 PM] Vesta Williams, the diva known for her powerful voice and 80's hits, was found dead in her California hotel room last night, according to reports. Though news sources have reported the singer was 48 years old, Williams can be seen in a 2010 interview saying she was 53. TMZ is reporting that bottles of prescription pills were found in the hotel room, and that the authorities are treating the singer's death as an accident or suicide. Williams scored a big hit with "Congratulations," a song about a woman who is distraught upon learning that her former lover is getting married. "Congratulations," with its vocal acrobatics and dramatic story, became a talent show staple. Jackeé Harry, the television actress, tweeted her condolences about the singer's passing. "...just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams (@vesta4u), has passed away. #RIPVesta" In the 1990s, Williams made headlines for her dramatic weight loss. She told Ebony that she started to rapidly gain weight when her singing career began to falter. Williams, who was 5-foot-3, eventually reached a size 26. She said her size was the reason she lost her recording contract. "When I lost my record deal and my phone wasn't ringing, I realized that I had to reassess who Vesta was and figure out what was going wrong," she said. "I knew it wasn't my singing ability. So it had to be that I was expendable because I didn't have the right look." The singer went on to lose 100 lbs, and got down down to a size 6, while finding something of a second career as a songwriter and session singer. In recent years, Williams had become an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is one of those artists that I've always liked and always INTENDED on getting their music but for the most part, never did. I have two of her albums. She truly was an amazing talent that simply didn't get any shine in the last decade-plus.

Yeah, I'm not sure how many people still have the same opinion of him. I know I don't...LOL!

I was introduced to Vesta by her many appearances on The Arsenio Hall Show back in the early 90's. I didn't follow her incredibly closely but the sad news still hit me hard. She truly is a legend to soul music. Vesta Williams Found Dead at 47 Posted on 23 Sep 2011 at 4:56am By Danny Fein Reportedly, R & B Singer Vesta Williams has been found dead in a L.A. hotel room, we are trying to confirm. The 47 year old singer had a huge hit with Congratulations. According to reports, she was announced dead on September 22nd, 2011. Stay tuned for more information as the story develops. About Vesta: Vesta Williams (born 1963, Coshocton, Ohio) was an American R&B singer. She was sometimes credited by her full name and sometimes simply as Vesta. She was known for her full four-octave voice range. The daughter of a disc jockey, Williams began performing at an early age as a stand up comic and singer in high school. Her family moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in the 1960s. Williams and her sisters once appeared on the television show Jack and Jill as The Williams Sisters. She returned to Ohio in 1977 and sang in her cousin’s band in Dayton, but soon went back to Los Angeles to launch a solo career. Former Fifth Dimension member Ron Townsend put Williams in his band Wild Honey. She eventually became a highly sought after studio singer with stints with Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Stephanie Mills. Williams sang on the original version of Joe Sample’s “The Survivor”, and met producer David Crawford while working with his group Klique. She scored her first record deal in 1986 with A&M records which released her first self entitled album Vesta. The album featured her first Top 10 R&B hit “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”. Her 1988 album, Vesta 4U, produced the quiet storm singles “Congratulations” and “Sweet Sweet Love”. The up-tempo dance track “4 U” also hit the R&B Top 10. In 1991, Williams released the album Special and the title track as a single. Both became her biggest charters. Her next album, Everything-N-More, was not as successful and she soon left A&M. She continued to be a popular session singer, landing regular spots on albums by such artists as Phil Perry, Howard Hewett and George Duke. In 2007 she released an album of R&B classics on the Shanachie label titled Distant Lover. Produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis, it features songs originally recorded by Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Sade and Deniece Williams.

SPEECH - Spirit Child The Grown Folks Table (2009) Best Hip-Hop album in the last 5 years...I don't think I'm lying when I say this.

FP didn't diss Jay-Z, but even he said Jay-Z needed to open up his subject matter. I thought Jay-Z was good in the mid-90's. By the late 90's I was less into him. I liked Blueprint and some of the stuff off his Unplugged album but I didn't like hardly anything he did from 1999ish and on. Around 2005 when he came out with Kingdom Come, I thought he started to mature a little and make a few nice songs. I don't dislike him but I'm not a big fan or anything. I don't have anything nice to say about Rick Ross or Lil' Wayne. I think everything about them sucks...period.

I honestly don't think this is that bad. I mean, the female vocalist is a bit annoying, but I'd say about 3 quarters of the lyrics are proper for a Summertime joint. That's 1/4th to be a bit common or stupid. Their voices and flows are alright. I'd easily say these guys are better than 99% of the rappers on the radio right now. The only thing about would have been better is if they had their own instrumental since there's no way this would ever stand up to the classic song.

SPEECH -I'ma Fight Back Right Now ? (2011) This is dope!!!! Speech is one of Hip-Hop's most greatest and most consistent emcees EVER. How often can you say that an artist has NEVER made a bad song? U can actually say this about him.

Get it, Ice-T. Preach on! I get kinda disappointed when some of my favorite emcees are play supportive of the idiotic gutter trash that is making rap music. They suck. Let's stop sugar coating it. Disagree if you want, but ask yourself this. If Rick Ross, Lil' Wayne or Jay-Z say they are going to gun you down, would you be scared? NO! If Ice-T said he would...you'd probably be a little worried...lol. Fantasy raps were cool back in the day but there's nothing "fantasy" about being a studio gangsta.

MARKY MARK - Don't Sleep The Big Hit Soundtrack (1998) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsAyKiqS328

I have a feeling we'll see occasional things that show small signs of music activity but that we don't see anything official for awhile. That seems to be the trend he's had with the last few albums. I don't feel that he's rushed to get it completed and out. He usually takes his time. I'm not saying anything that we all don't know...lol.

JASON MRAZ - Prettiest Friend (unreleased) (2008ish)

AMERIE - Talkin' To Me All I Have (2002) 2002 might R-N-B's last great year.

DIGABLE PLANETS - 9th Wonder Blowout Comb (1994)

When I first saw the title of this post, you know I was about to kill someone...lol. The clip is freaking AMAZING! I hope it gets put up on YouTube as well. There were 100% on point and it sounded amazing.

2PAC - Representin' 93 Strictly For My... (1993) 15 years...R.I.P.

More news and pix... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/13/will-smith-marc-anthony-photos_n_959768.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl10|sec1_lnk3|95184#s359396

Tim, it's so cool that your friend's song made it big. It's not my cup of tea but I appreciate it for the art that it is. Does the girl know it's about her? LOL, if she does, that HAS to be weird. JASON MRAZ - Curbside Prophet (Robbie + Sly Dancehall Mix) New York Minute Soundtrack (2004) Some of the footage in this is touching.

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us" is one of my least favorite Hammer joints. I was upset he chose that for a video when every other song on that album was better. "Papa Luv It" is a mid-90's CLASSIC!! LOOSE CANNONS - (She Put A) Jihad On Me (unreleased) (2007) Easily one of the funnest Hip-Hop groups ever.

COOLIO - Gangsta's Paradise (Sannyboi + Kwame Old Skool Recall Mix) Gangsta's Paradise 2K II (2011) I found this new 16 track CD promo of new remixes for Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise." Unfortunately most of them are are upbeat club mixes that aren't that great and certainly take the song away from it's original dopeness. The video is not one of the remixes but I stumbled upon it and it's dope! Check how had someone added verses from 2Pac, Snoop, and Biggie to this classic.

Thanx! I really hope MIB3 turns out great. It has had its bumps along the way but there's a lot weighing on this movie.

Wow, thanx for introducing me 2 this!

And hopefully he puts values like this in his future music. You can't go around acting like a common fool in your music and then do something positive and "keep it real." I urge him to be real man in his music.

AVRIL LAVIGNE - Wish You Were Here Goodbye Lullaby (2011) I've loved this song for a few months. I'm happy she did a music video 2 it.

LFO - Baby Be Mine self titled (1999)

I give him props for making something like this a priority.