Vanessa Williams 'Real Thing' album

Internationally-renowned singer and actress Vanessa Williams, will release her thirteenth album and debut for Concord Records entitled THE REAL THING, on June 2nd, 2009. The collection marks a return to her love for the rhythms of jazz and Latin music, a key part of her musical roots. In addition, THE REAL THING delves into the sophisticated pop and R&B that have been the hallmark of her dynamic musical career.

THE REAL THING is a passionate song cycle about relationships, and Williams hand-picked each song on the record as it relates to a phase of the modern-day love affair seen from a woman’s perspective. From the two new songs penned for the CD by Babyface (“Loving You” and “Just Friends”) to “Hello Like Before” by Bill Withers (Williams’ late father’s favorite artist) to Stevie Wonder’s “The Real Thing” to Babel Gilberto’s “Close To You,” THE REAL THING taps into the wide breadth of Williams’ musicality and artistry.

“After playing a power-hungry character like Wilhelmina Slater on “Ugly Betty” on a soundstage for three seasons, it was a pleasure to step back into the recording studio and be myself behind the microphone,” stated Ms. Williams. “The familiarity and comfort of making music is always a joy to come home to. It was especially a treat to sing Phil Galdston's "I Fell In.” Our biggest hit together was "Save the Best for Last.”

“Vanessa Williams in an artist of rare talent, depth and creativity,” states Concord Music Group executive vice-president of A&R, John Burk. “In this album she explores her musical range and influences perhaps more so than ever before. We couldn’t be more proud to have her as a member of the Concord family.”

With a career spanning over 20 years, Williams is the consummate performer. From her chart-topping pop star music career, to her Emmy-nominated role on “Ugly Betty” and her upcoming co-starring performance in the feature film “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” Vanessa Williams remains one of the industry’s most, versatile and accomplished artists. She has appeared in numerous films including “Soul Food,” “Eraser,” “The Pick-Up Artist” and “Shaft,” and has numerous television credits to her name as well as critically-acclaimed performances on Broadway in “Kiss Of The Spider Woman” and “Into The Woods,” which garnered her a Tony nomination.

Since the release of her first studio album, 1988’s The Right Stuff, Williams has garnered a total of 16 Grammy nominations, released seven albums of original material, as well as four compilations and two holiday-themed albums, selling millions of albums world-wide. She was nominated for yet another Grammy for her hit single, “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s “Pocahontas,” which went on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy for “Best Song In A Motion Picture.” THE REAL THING is her first studio album since 2005’s Everlasting Love.

Vanessa Williams’ charitable contributions are many and varied, embracing and supporting such issues as education, homelessness, abuse, women’s issues and health concerns, AIDS and anything having to do with children. She is also well-known for her outspoken support of gay rights, having won the Human Rights Campaign "Ally for Equality" award in 2008. She is on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics, as well as the Board or Advisors for the Westchester Children’s Museum and supports numerous other charitable and humanitarian organizations.

Vanessa Williams biography
Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures, and has sold millions of albums worldwide. Vanessa has also achieved widespread critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television.

On June 2nd, 2009, Vanessa will release her thirteenth album and debut for Concord Records entitled THE REAL THING. The collection marks a return to her love for the rhythms of jazz and Latin music, an integral part of her musical roots. In addition, THE REAL THING delves into the sophisticated pop and R&B that have been the hallmark of her dynamic musical career. From the two new songs penned for the CD by Babyface (“Loving You” and “Just Friends”) to “Hello Like Before” by Bill Withers to Stevie Wonder’s “The Real Thing” to Babel Gilberto’s “Close To You,” THE REAL THING taps into the wide breadth of Williams’ musicality and artistry.

Vanessa’s albums “The Right Stuff,” “The Comfort Zone and “The Sweetest Days” earned multiple Grammy nominations and have yielded such classic hits as “Save the Best For Last,” “Dreamin,” “Work To Do” and “Love Is,” and the Academy Award-winning single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s “Pocahontas,” among many others. Her recordings also include two holiday albums, “Star Bright” and “Silver & Gold,” “Vanessa Williams Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years” and “Everlasting Love,” a romantic collection of love songs from the 1970’s.

In 1994, Vanessa took Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” winning the hearts of critics and becoming a box-office sensation. She garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award for the 2002 revival of “Into the Woods.” She also headlined a limited special engagement of the classic, “Carmen Jones,” at the Kennedy Center and starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of “St. Louis Woman.”

Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in “Under the Gun.” She has starred in such features as “Eraser,” “Hoodlum,” “Soul Food,” “Dance With Me,” “Light It Up,” “Shaft” and “Johnson Family Vacation.” She starred recently in the independent features, “My Brother” and “Somebody Like You” and co-stars in Disney’s new feature film, “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”

On television, Vanessa has starred in such movies and mini-series as “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “The Boy Who Loved Christmas,” “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” ABC’s revival of “Bye, Bye Birdie,” “Nothing Lasts Forever,” “The Odyssey,” “Don Quixote” and “Keep the Faith, Baby,” and she executive produced and starred in Lifetime’s “The Courage to Love” for Lifetime and the VH1 Original Movie, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol.” She stars in ABC’s critically-acclaimed hit series, “Ugly Betty,” currently in its third season, and for which she has won or been nominated for numerous individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards.

In 2007, Vanessa achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer. Her charitable endeavors are many and varied, embracing and supporting such organizations as Special Olympics and many others.

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Vanessa Williams - Real Thing