Vanessa Williams is a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award–nominated singer, actress, and dancer. She has four children and divides her time between Los Angeles and Westchester County, New York.
You
Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They
Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other)
Click to order via
Amazon
The highly anticipated first book by a widely respected entertainer whose
career highlights include The Right Stuff, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and
former Miss America
When Vanessa Williams was growing up, she had a plan: She’d go to college and
major in musical theater; afterward she’d get her MFA from the Yale School of
Drama, and then she would embark on a successful career on Broadway. And to make
sure she stayed on that path, her mother, Helen Williams, gave her a list of
things that she should never— ever—do. Near the top of that list was
“never ever pose nude for anyone.” So when Vanessa became the first
African-American woman to win the title of Miss America in September 1983 (an
accomplishment that she never planned for or desired), only to be forced to
resign ten months later due to a nude photo scandal, the lives of both Vanessa
and Helen took an unexpected turn. But Vanessa survived this setback, and many
others to come, to enjoy a thirty-plus-year career as an award-winning singer
and actress. Vanessa has been asked to write her memoir many times, but only
now—with the help of her mother—is she ready to tell her story.
Vanessa grew up in Millwood, New York, part of one of the town’s only black
families. As a teenager, Vanessa defied Helen, flirting with boys, drinking, and
smoking pot. But despite their early conflicts, Helen has always ardently
protected her daughter, staying in contact with the FBI about the multiple death
threats Vanessa received after being crowned and being there for her during the
dissolution of her two marriages.
Now the mother of four children, Vanessa describes how she’s made it through the
ups and downs of her life as well as her career. Jointly written by Vanessa and
Helen and filled with dozens of personal family photos and mementos, You Have No
Idea is an empowering celebration of the love between a mother and daughter and
the life of a woman who beat the odds to achieve her destiny.
Helen Williams retired in 1998 after 37 years in the
Ossining Public Schools as a vocal music educator and former adjunct
professor at Manhattanville College School of Education. She has two
children, Vanessa and Chris, and four grandchildren. She lives in
Westchester County, New York.
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