Singer Vesta Williams, whose powerhouse vocals were spotlighted on R&B hits like "Congratulations" and "Don't Blow A Good Thing," was found dead of a possible drug overdose Thursday in a Southern California hotel room. She was 53.
Williams never scored a Top 40 pop hit during the prime of her career in the late '80s and early '90s, but she was a fixture on the R&B charts, hitting the Top 10 six times. Her first hit came in 1986 with "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," from her debut record Vesta. Her highest ranking single, "Special," was released in 1991, peaking at No. 2. Williams parlayed her chart success into an acting career, appearing in the film Posse and the television series Sister, Sister, playing Jackee Harry's best friend, Monica.
An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death, with the toxicology results due in six weeks.