Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams is a former Miss USA winner and professional singer. She made history in 1983 when she became the first African-American woman to win the Miss USA title, only to be short-lived due to a scandal. Between her scandal and the launch of her recording career, she appeared on Super Password as a celebrity player for two separate weeks in April and September 1987.

Scandal
Early in 1984, it was revealed that nude photos of Williams ended up being published in Penthouse magazine, which damaged her credibility and image during that time. It is rumored that the scandal was revealed by another celebrity when she appeared on a special celebrity week of the game show Hot Potato supposedly on February 23, 1984, causing her to get angry, and even started swearing on the set. That week of episodes was never rebroadcast on USA Network but did later air on Game Show Network. As a consequence for such scandal, Williams was forced to surrender her Miss USA title in July 1984.

Singing career
Four years after her infamous scandal, she decided to get back into the spotlight and shift her focus on starting a recording career. Her first album was released later in 1988, and her first song to enter the top 40, "Dreamin'", debuted on the radio show American Top 40 (during the Shadoe Stevens era) on February 11, 1989, and later became a top ten hit, peaking at #8.

She also scored several top 40 hits between 1991 and 1995, including her biggest hit to date, the ballad "Save the Best for Last", which enjoyed an eight week run at #1 during the spring and possibly early Summer 1992. She also recorded "Colors of the Wind" for the soundtrack to the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas, which was a big hit, even if it was not a top ten hit.

It can be inferred that Williams is more popular as a recording artist than a former Miss USA winner.