Although Vanessa began singing at Bethlehem Baptist Church in SE Washington, DC in 1972, she never actively pursued formal musical training, let alone a singing career.
Williams sang in and around Washington, D.C. with local groups and choirs including Steve Lawrence and Friends, The Tabernacle Echoes, the late Freddye Jackson’s "Agape", Toby Palmer and Chosen Generation, and the Benning Heights Community Singers.
A professional painter and illustrator, she admits, "Singing was simply something I liked to do". From the time I was in kindergarten at Abram Simon Elementary, all I really wanted to do was draw and paint! In seventh grade, I played clarinet in the band at St. Thomas More Catholic School, but it's resting in the case now", she laughs. "I suppose playing a musical instrument was among the zillion other things you try as a kid until you zero in on the thing you really love".On career path in the visual arts, Williams was encouraged to continue her studies by teacher, printmaker and calligrapher, Laurie Siegel. Upon graduation from The Academy of Notre Dame in 1978, Williams was accepted at Howard University's College of Fine Arts. She was instructed at Howard by some of the most noted artists in the country, including the late Lucille Malkia Roberts and Jeff Donaldson, Starmanda Bullock, Alfred J. Smith, Tritobia Benjamin, Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Lila O. Asher, E.H. Sorrells-Adewale, A. Michael Auld, and Raymond Dobard. She earned a BFA degree in 1982.As an elementary Art teacher at Patricia Roberts Harris Educational Center in Southeast Washington from 1987 until 2002, Williams served at the school as Key Communicator for the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative "Art for Every Student" Program and co-coordinator for the nationally acclaimed "Best Friends", a character-building based youth development program for adolescent girls. (This year she shared an artistic and musical hand with the first all girls public charter school in Washington, DC's Ward 8. The Excel Academy Public Charter School opened it's doors to little girls from age 3 to 5 and Vanessa is had a great time "teaching them the songs every little kid ought to know".Her path to the Gospel music industry began at the close of the 1994 school year. Williams received a phone call from soprano Darlene Simmons, concerning a role as a pit singer in a local production of "Bubbling Brown Sugar", produced by Helen Hayes Award winner, the late Mike Malone, and under the musical direction of Raymond Reeder. Not long after, a call came from Smallwood himself, which she initially thought was a practical joke! Williams moved, with ease, between concert dates as a group member with Smallwood, and, until October of 2000, an outstanding trio with Adams that included Grammy winning writer/producer Raymond Reeder, and stellar soprano, Victoria Purcell. She traveled with "The Richard Smallwood Singers†across the United States, and on her very first trips out of the country from Norway to Guadeloupe, Paris, France to Venezuela, until "Vision" was formed in 1996. "Richard shared the vision the Lord had given him for an upcoming project, and asked if I would participate. THAT time, I knew it was no practical joke, and my answer was an immediate "yes"!
It's no secret that Williams prefers the alto section. “Richard says I’m just lazy and I get grief from Vision", she laughs. " In any conversation concerning music ministry, she quickly honors Gospel music's living legend Richard Smallwood, and the phenomenal Yolanda Adams. “I can't talk about music in my life and not mention them repeatedly. Meeting them was divinely ordered. Before I met them, their songs encouraged and ministered to me the way I think music is supposed to. I’ll always support their ministries. Their great generosity, and the opportunities they've provided have enriched my life. Teaching children about the Mona Lisa from a textbook was one thing. Describing what I’d seen with my own eyes, as a result of traveling, really made a difference in my lesson plans."As a member of Smallwood’s "Vision", Vanessa recorded the breathtaking "Angels" with Maurette Brown-Clark, "O What a Night" with Darlene Simmons, the Dove Award nominated anthem “Holy Thou Art God", "Oh, How He Loves You and Me", "Your Love Divine" and "I Love The Lord" on "Verity: Live at The Apollo".Williams sang background vocals on Karen Clark Sheard’s "The Heavens Are Telling", "Yolanda Adams: Live In Washington", the Canton Spirituals’ "Living the Dream: Live In Washington", "A Tribute to Rosa Parks", and the Grammy award winning "Mountain High, Valley Low†single, "Fragile Heart". She can also be heard on "Love So Real", the first independent release by John Stoddart, "Megachurch Gospel", "Ready" with Mike McCoy and Voices United, "Eternity" by saxophonist Skip Pruitt, "Not To Us" by Drexel University’s Gospel Choir, Kim Waters' "All for Love", Anthony Walker's "Love Calling", the Shanachie compilation "Touch Me In The Morning", Rev. Nolan Williams’ "InSpiration", and the 2006 releases by DC’s own El Shaddai, and jazz artist Maysa Leak. She is also featured on the recently released "Jimmy Russell and BOC Live", John Bucky Tillery's Stellar Award nominated "The Next Level", "Continue to Continue" the 2008 release from Mike McCoy and Voices United, WHUR's "Soul of the Holidays" DVD/CD featuring Spur of The Moment, Maysa, Phil Perry, Brian Culbertson, Angie Stone, Joe and Tony Rich and the 2009 release of "The Alaskan Project" produced by Norris Garner. She is also featured on the upcoming summer 2009 project by Detroit's Straight Gate Mass Choir.
There was a phenomenal roster of producers on her first CD "Vanessa" which debuted at number 7 and peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Gospel Chart. Minister Steven Ford, Bishop Andrew Merritt, Richard Smallwood, Kevin Bond, PAJAM, and Fred Hammond all blessed Williams with their assistance. “Each one possessed his own approach, yet the continuity among them was unbelievable."She teamed up with Ford and PAJAM (Paul D. Allen and J. Moss) once more, in addition to Noel Hall and Luther "Mano" Hanes on her sophomore release, "Here I Go Again".Williams proudly participated in the 1996 "Federation Francaise de Gospel/Best of Gospel on Tour" in Paris and Strasbourg, France, the "Barbados World Gospel" in 1997, the 1998 "Amerique: Gospel Cite de la Musique" in Paris, France, the "Umbria Jazz Gospel and Soul" Festivals 1 and 2 in Terni, Italy in 1997 and 1998, the Glaxo Wellcome "Living Proof" Gospel tour in 1999, the Daimler Chrysler “Shout 2000†tour, The Alliance Tour in 2002, featuring Karen Clark Sheard, Donald Lawrence, Richard Smallwood, Ted and Sheri, and Maurette Brown Clark, McDonalds' Gospelfest 2005, the 2007 Parks-King Lecture Series at Yale University, the Kingdom Powerful 2007 European Believers' Conference in Abano Terme, Italy, Coro Gospel Agua Viva featuring the Madrid Gospel Choir at the 2008 Expo Zaragoza/World's Fair in Zaragoza, Spain, the 2008 Novara Gospel Festival in Novara, Italy, and the 2009 Women's Conference at JWOC in Heidelberg, Germany.Williams, a resident of Washington, DC, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is the daughter of Robert and the late Myrtle W. Williams. She is the very proud mother of one fantastic daughter, Lisa.
Visit ATTITUDE EXACT GALLERY 739 8th Street, SE Washington, D.C. For information on Vanessa's portfolio of works on paper, see Mr. Barry Lester, or call (202)546-7186.Shop online for art and printed tees at www.cafepress.com/vanessawilliams
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