Vanessa Williams 'Silver & Gold' album

Throughout her performing career, Vanessa Williams has maintained a reputation as one of the most respected and multi-faceted entertainers in the world...

... , amassing accomplishments and accolades, one after another. 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.

Biography
Born and raised in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn, New York, VANESSA's first theatrical training came at age 11 with the New York City Opera Children's Chorus. While attending the High School for the Performing Arts, her professional aspirations led her to getting a manager at age 15 and she started doing commercials and theater. She went on to Marymount Manhattan College where she earned a degree in theater and business management.

After graduation, she started making her living as an actress doing local stage plays and extra work in feature films. An early break came when she auditioned and got a recurring role on "The Cosby Show" playing Jade Marsh, Theo's scene partner in a school play. The writers were so taken with her that later VANESSA came back as Cheryl Lovejoy, Theo's love interest from Barbados, and again she did multiple episodes as the same character.

At the same time, she was piling up stage credits in New York - among them "Death and the King's Horseman" at Lincoln Center, singing and dancing in "Sarafina!" (she was the only American in the cast) and straight dramatic acting in Langston Hughes' "Mule Bone", the latter two on Broadway.

VANESSA's road to stardom has been an exciting ride. Her maiden trip to Los Angeles ("just to check it out") in the fall of '91 resulted almost immediately in a supporting role in the gothic horror film "Candyman", which quickly became a box-office hit. Her previous film work had included a memorable role in "New Jack City" as Keisha, gang member and head of security. But it was after having officially made the move from the east coast to the west in January of '92 that she landed her big break via a co-starring role on "Melrose Place", which established itself as a huge hit on the Fox network and introduced her to Hollywood.

After leaving "Melrose Place" she co-starred in the Spike Lee film production, "D.R.O.P. Squad". She also spent several months overseas in Spain hosting and singing on the Telecinco channel in Madrid, Spain. This was followed by a series regular role on the critically acclaimed Steven Bochco series, "Murder One", in which she earned her first nomination for an NAACP Image Award. During which she had the flexibility to do two film projects, Albert Brook's "Mother", and "Letting Go", a South African film. This was followed by a recurring role on the award winning show, "Chicago Hope" on CBS, as a young ambitious new resident, Dr. Grace Carr, which landed her another NAACP Image Award nomination.

VANESSA has also guest starred on numerous television shows including: "Total Recall", "The Pretender", "NYPD Blue", "The Steve Harvey Show", "Malcolm and Eddie", "Livin' Single" and "Between Brothers" among others. More recently, VANESSA has starred in two BET original movies, "Incognito" and "Playing with Fire", along with the Sundance premiered film "Punks" and voiced a series regular role on the syndicated animation series, "Heavy Gear".

Currently, VANESSA is starring in the Showtime television series, "Soul Food," and received her third NAACP Image Award nomination for the role of Maxine. In addition to that, Vanessa has been asked to return as the Celebrity Spokesperson for the March of Dimes National Ambassador Program for 2001-2002. Also, staying true to her musical origins, she is currently working on songs and poetry for her debut album.

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Tracklisting

Vanessa Williams - Silver & Gold