Vanessa Renee Williams, a resident of Washington, DC, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 28, 1960, and is the daughter of Robert and the late Myrtle Washington Williams. She is the mother of one daughter, Lisa, 22, a 2003 graduate of Philadelphia's Drexel University.  

      Williams is the first artist signed with Detroit-based BAJADA Records, founded by Bishop Andrew and Pastor Viveca Merritt, of the Straight Gate International Church. While others made suggestions, Williams says no one ever made a definite offer to record a project with such promise and faith. "Vanessa", released on May 7, 2002, debuted at  #10, and peaked at  # 7 on Billboard's gospel chart.
     Although she started singing at Washington's Bethlehem Baptist Church in 1972, she never actively pursued formal musical training let alone a singing career. Vanessa majored in Art, and graduated from Howard University 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 Coordinator 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. She is a professional painter and illustrator, whose work is available at Attitude Exact Gallery in Washington, DC.
     Beginning in 1994, she moved with ease between concert dates as a group member with Richard Smallwood, and, until October of 2000, an outstanding trio with Yolanda Adams that included writer/producer Raymond Reeder, and soprano Victoria Purcell.
     Williams began traveling with the "Richard Smallwood Singers" across the United States, and on her very first trips out of the country from Norway to Guadeloupe, Paris to Venezuela, until the group "Vision' was formed in 1996. As a member of Smallwood's Vision, she recorded the breathtaking "Angels" with Stellar Award winner Maurette Brown-Clark, "Oh What a Night", with Darlene Simmons, the Dove Award nominated anthem "Holy Thou Art God", and "I Love The Lord" on "Verity Live at The Apollo".  Williams sang background vocals on Karen Clark Sheard's newest release, "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".
   Smallwood resurrected the classic "Your Love Divine", which features Williams, on "Persuaded: Live In Washington" Williams can also be heard on "Straight Gate Mass Choir's "Faith In the House", "Love So Real", the first independent release by Warner artist, John Stoddart, "Ready" with Mike McCoy and Voices United, "Eternity" by saxophonist Skip Pruitt, and "Not To Us", the debut release by Drexel University's Gospel Choir.
     Her sophomore CD “Here I Go Again” released May 25, 2004 is in stores now.