Vanessa Williams talks 'Survivor,' Miss America controversy and working with Elton John

NEW YORK – Vanessa Williams continues to conquer new frontiers.

Williams became the first Black Miss America at the pageant in 1984. She then navigated a media controversy surrounding unauthorized nude photos of her published in Penthouse and went on to have an award-winning career in television, music and theater.

Her next chapter: entrepreneur. Williams independently released her first album in 15 years (“Survivor”), co-founded Black Theatre United to fight for quality in the arts and is a first-time Broadway producer for “A Wonderful World,” which opens in Manhattan’s Studio 54 this November.

Williams says her full plate, which also includes the role of Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada” musical premiering in London’s West End next month, keeps her “alive” and “excited.” For “Prada,” she’s also checked off another first, collaborating with Elton John, who composed songs for the musical.

“The intention is to come to Broadway,” she says of the production. “(The West End version is) a different show than if anyone saw it in Chicago. So I'm really excited to show the audience what it's turned into. And I know Elton is very happy.”

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Looking back at Miss America’s public apology

Williams relinquished her Miss America crown 40 years ago. Toward the end of her reign, Penthouse magazine bought and published unauthorized nude photos of her. Then in 2016, ahead of serving as the head judge for the Miss America pageant, she received a formal apology on live TV from then-president Sam Haskell for how the organization handled the controversy. The actress reveals that she almost did not accept the apology, at the request of her mother Helen.

“I had some big reservations,” recalls Williams. “The most important thing was my mom, who was still living at the time and lived through all the mayhem with me and my dad and my family and the community.

“At first (my mom’s) thing was, ‘Absolutely not,’” she continues. When Wiliams’ mother began to shift her perspective, the former crown-holder spoke with the Miss America Organization. Eventually all parties got on the same page.

“When Sam (Haskell) actually did it on stage, I could see his hands trembling, as he was about to speak,” Williams says. “And I knew that something was gonna happen. So I was happy for my mom that she got the validation and somewhat of a closure. I mean, we're talking 30 years after the fact. But you know, the memories are still obviously scarred.”

Williams’ new album has an emotional dedication

For all of the stress that being an independent artist can bring, Williams found a lot of joy in releasing “Survivor” in August.

“Artistically it's great because I can put whatever I want on the album and I can say, ‘Oh let's do a remix of this,’” she notes, including a remix of the song “Come Dance With Me” on the LP’s final track listing. “I love that people are loving it. They go, ‘Wow, there's dance, there's Latin, there's jazzy stuff, there's musical theater.’ I said, ‘Exactly. That's what I want it to be.’”

The song “Here’s to You” holds a special meaning for Williams.

“Kipper (Jones) sent me a text and said, ‘Give me a list of 10 people that you lost with the AIDS crisis,’” the artist remembers. “So I gave him my list, and then he came back and he said, ‘I just finished crying. I hope you like it.’

Williams and Jones, while reading over the list of names, realized they had a number of mutual friends that died from the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Los Angeles.

“(‘Here’s to You’) is for all the people that we lost through the AIDS crisis,” she says. “And it's a joyous song to remind people that life is fleeting; enjoy all the good times, but also remember that you are living in our hearts always.”