A Union City memorial service for Denise Matthews, better known as '80s pop star and Prince protegé Vanity, has been closed off to the public amid speculation Prince will attend.
Matthews passed away at a Fremont hospital on Feb. 15.
According to San Jose Mercury News, the Saturday service at the Union City Apostolic Church was initially open to the public but has since been made private due to rumors that Prince, who is scheduled to perform two shows in Oakland on Sunday night, might be there.
Roxane Harper, a family friend of Matthews' who has helped to organize the service, told the publication she hasn't heard anything about him wanting to attend, but that "He was the love of Denise's life."
SADDEN my FRIEND IN CHRIST gone 2day. Vanity, Denise Matthews. MISS YOU DEARLY. U ARE IN HIS ARMS NOW, NO Pain pic.twitter.com/UbCWtl8brc
— SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) February 16, 2016
The cause of Matthews' death has not been revealed, but she disclosed on a GoFundMe campaign four months ago that she had been diagnosed with sclerosis encapsulating peritonitis. She was also known to have spent years on kidney dialysis.
The goal of Matthews' campaign was to widely re-release her out-of-print autobiography, "Blame It on Vanity." She had created a limited-edition second version with more photographs and stories and was selling her last six copies for $250 on the book's website at the time of her passing. They're also listed for $267 and up on Amazon.
A born-again Christian since 1994, Matthews settled in the Bay Area, where she became an ordained minister and maintained close friendships with her church as well as with local music stars like Sheila E. and MC Hammer.
