Ex-Prince Protege Recalls Abuse

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) - Denise Matthews, formerly part of Prince's posse, recalled an abusive childhood and years of cocaine abuse during an hour-long church sermon.

Matthews, 42, was known as Vanity while in Prince's band in the 1980s. She cut four solo albums and appeared in 17 movies, but said she wasn't happy until she recently found God. "I have learned now how to be abased, to suffer need,'' Matthews told the packed crowd at Owensboro's Church Alive on Sunday. ``I've learned these things through Christ.''
Matthews said her struggles began when her mother left her as a child. She said her father beat her with wooden blocks and his fists. "I had a horrible childhood,'' she said. ``I didn't know what it was to be happy. I loathed myself.''

Once her musical career took flight, she said she started using cocaine.

She said she's been clean for nine years and has learned to overcome her bitterness for her father. She now travels to churches across the country, preaching and urging others to turn to religion to overcome their problems.