R.I.P. Vesta Williams

BET takes a look back at her trailblazing career.

Vesta Williams (12/1/57 – 09/22/11) - Born in Coschocton, Ohio, Mary Vesta Williams and her family moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1960s. She was always surrounded by music with a father that worked regularly as a disc jockey. As a youth, she and her three sisters, Margaret, Marte and Marlena, performed on the television series Jack and Jill as The Williams Sisters. (Photo: David Corio/Redferns)

1 / 11

Vesta Williams (12/1/57 – 09/22/11) - Born in Coschocton, Ohio, Mary Vesta Williams and her family moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1960s. She was always surrounded by music with a father that worked regularly as a disc jockey. As a youth, she and her three sisters, Margaret, Marte and Marlena, performed on the television series Jack and Jill as The Williams Sisters. (Photo: David Corio/Redferns)

Photo By Photo by David Corio/Redferns

Breaking Through - After returning to Ohio, Vesta moved back to Los Angeles to launch her solo career. As she worked her way up the ranks of the recording industry as a session singer, Vesta lent her four octave vocal range to some of the best singers in the music business, including Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Sting, Stephanie Mills, Anita Baker and Luther Vandross. (Photo: David Redfern/Redferns)

2 / 11

Breaking Through - After returning to Ohio, Vesta moved back to Los Angeles to launch her solo career. As she worked her way up the ranks of the recording industry as a session singer, Vesta lent her four octave vocal range to some of the best singers in the music business, including Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Sting, Stephanie Mills, Anita Baker and Luther Vandross. (Photo: David Redfern/Redferns)

Shooting Star - Vesta’s hard work paid off and she landed a recording contract with A&M Records. She released her self-titled debut, Vesta, in 1986. The record produced her first Top 10 R&B hit, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

3 / 11

Shooting Star - Vesta’s hard work paid off and she landed a recording contract with A&M Records. She released her self-titled debut, Vesta, in 1986. The record produced her first Top 10 R&B hit, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Making Her Mark - In 1988, Vesta released her sophomore album, Vesta 4 U, which produced a string of hits including "Sweet Sweet Love", "4 U," and her most successful recording to date, "Congratulations." The track peaked at No. 55 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 5 on the R&B chart and helped make the LP her first and only album to appear on the U.S. Billboard 200. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

4 / 11

Making Her Mark - In 1988, Vesta released her sophomore album, Vesta 4 U, which produced a string of hits including "Sweet Sweet Love", "4 U," and her most successful recording to date, "Congratulations." The track peaked at No. 55 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 5 on the R&B chart and helped make the LP her first and only album to appear on the U.S. Billboard 200. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

Chart Topping - Vesta released her third studio album, Special, in 1991. The album’s title track became the highest charting song of her career reaching No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

5 / 11

Chart Topping - Vesta released her third studio album, Special, in 1991. The album’s title track became the highest charting song of her career reaching No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

ADVERTISEMENT
Don't Look Back - Vesta’s next album, Everything-N-More, produced only a minor R&B hit, "Always." And, in 1998, after her fifth studio release, Relationships, she parted ways with her label.   (Photo: WireImage)

6 / 11

Don't Look Back - Vesta’s next album, Everything-N-More, produced only a minor R&B hit, "Always." And, in 1998, after her fifth studio release, Relationships, she parted ways with her label.   (Photo: WireImage)

Keep On Moving - Vesta's love of music never ceased. When she wasn’t recording her own songs, she sang jingles for major advertising campaigns for brands like McDonald’s, Nike, Baskin-Robbins, Diet Coke and Revlon. She even sang the theme song for the ABC mini-series The Women of Brewster Place, which starred a young Oprah Winfrey, and the UPN comedy Malcolm and Eddie, starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for NAACP)

7 / 11

Keep On Moving - Vesta's love of music never ceased. When she wasn’t recording her own songs, she sang jingles for major advertising campaigns for brands like McDonald’s, Nike, Baskin-Robbins, Diet Coke and Revlon. She even sang the theme song for the ABC mini-series The Women of Brewster Place, which starred a young Oprah Winfrey, and the UPN comedy Malcolm and Eddie, starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for NAACP)

New Expressions - Vesta not only lent her voice to the small screen, but she also showed off her acting chops in Mario Van Peebles's 1993 Black Western Posse, where she portrayed a saloon singer. She even had a recurring role as "Monica," the best friend of Jackée Harry on the television series Sister, Sister, starring twins Tia and Tamera Mowry.  (Photo: WireImage)

8 / 11

New Expressions - Vesta not only lent her voice to the small screen, but she also showed off her acting chops in Mario Van Peebles's 1993 Black Western Posse, where she portrayed a saloon singer. She even had a recurring role as "Monica," the best friend of Jackée Harry on the television series Sister, Sister, starring twins Tia and Tamera Mowry.  (Photo: WireImage)

Season of Change - In 2000, Vesta and her Polygram labelmate CeCe Peniston released a compilation album just before Williams started a new career as a radio personality. In 2002, she began co-hosting a morning show on KRNB, a station based in Dallas/Ft. Worth. This was also the time when Williams conquered a years-long battle with her weight. She shed 100 pounds and became an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.(Photo: vestawilliams.com)

9 / 11

Season of Change - In 2000, Vesta and her Polygram labelmate CeCe Peniston released a compilation album just before Williams started a new career as a radio personality. In 2002, she began co-hosting a morning show on KRNB, a station based in Dallas/Ft. Worth. This was also the time when Williams conquered a years-long battle with her weight. She shed 100 pounds and became an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.(Photo: vestawilliams.com)

Encore - In 2007, she released an album of R&B covers titled Distant Lover. Her last recording was the song "Dedicated," released in December 2010 on Stimuli Music. Several lucky fans caught Vesta’s final performance on September 17, 2011 at the Autumn Jazz Explosion in Portsmouth, Virginia. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

10 / 11

Encore - In 2007, she released an album of R&B covers titled Distant Lover. Her last recording was the song "Dedicated," released in December 2010 on Stimuli Music. Several lucky fans caught Vesta’s final performance on September 17, 2011 at the Autumn Jazz Explosion in Portsmouth, Virginia. (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

Singing Her Praises - On September 22, 2011, Vesta Williams passed due to heart complications. She was scheduled to perform at the 21st annual "DIVAS Simply Singing!" in Los Angeles one-month later, where 1990s singing star Shanice sang "Congratulations" in her honor.  (Photo: vestawilliams.com)

11 / 11

Singing Her Praises - On September 22, 2011, Vesta Williams passed due to heart complications. She was scheduled to perform at the 21st annual "DIVAS Simply Singing!" in Los Angeles one-month later, where 1990s singing star Shanice sang "Congratulations" in her honor.  (Photo: vestawilliams.com)