You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (35 page)

Rudin, Scott, 221

Russell, Chuck, 186

salsa dancing, 181, 212–14

Santamaria, Mongo, 78

“Save the Best for Last,” 166, 168–70, 262

Saw Mill Summer Theatre, 115,
123

Scacchi, Greta, 210

Schaefer, Laurie Lea, 59

scholarships

and beauty pageant titles, 21, 23, 30, 57

and Vanessa’s parents, 10, 100, 121

School Daze, 161

Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 183, 185, 187–88

“The Second Time Around,” 21

Selma, Alabama, 52

Sesame Street,
29

Sex and the City,
258

Shaft,
220, 221, 228

Sheil, Richard,
282

Shelby (classmate), 14

Shepard, Richard, 262

Show Boat,
174

Showtime at the Apollo,
157

Shriver, Maria, 185–86, 187

“Silent Night,” 187

Sinatra, Frank, 78

singing.
See
music career

Singin’ in the Rain,
108

Singleton, John, 228

The
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,
261

“Sister Moon,” 182

Slater, Wilhelmina (
Ugly Betty
character), 113–14, 257–64, 265

Smith, A. H., 174

social issues, 44, 137.
See also
race issues

Solimine, Chris, 210–11,
215

solo recordings, 63

Sondheim, Stephen, 277–78, 279,
281

Sondheim on Sondheim
, 277–78,
281

Sorkin, Aaron, 21

Soul Food,
201, 210

South Beach,
237, 247, 257, 258

South Street Theater, 152

Special Olympics, 50

Spencer, Lara, 268

sponsorships, 39

stalkers, 46–47

Staple Singers, 78

state dinners, 26, 47–51

State University of New York at Fredonia, 100, 131

Steffi Nossen School of Dance, 93

Stern, Howard, 180

Stevenson, Midge, 8,
34
, 39–40, 44

Stewart, Phil, 22–23, 280

Sting, 182

Stompin’ at the Savoy,
162
, 171

Stowe, Madeleine, 186

Streep, Meryl, 22–23, 68

Streisand, Barbra, 166

The
Sweetest Days
(album), 171, 182, 183

“The Sweetest Days” (song), 275

swimsuit competitions, 21, 23, 26, 28–29, 31–32, 57

Swingin’ on a Star!,
21

Syracuse University, 21–23, 138,
124

Taddeo, Eugene, 24

talent competitions, 23, 25–26, 28–29, 57

Talladega 500, 60

Taylor, James, 238

“Tears in Heaven” (Clapton), 169–70

television career

and the nude photo scandal, 159–60

and
Ugly Betty,
113–14, 257–64, 265–68

and Vanessa’s childhood, 81–82

and writers’ strike, 266–67

the Temptations, 78

Thanksgiving, 203–5

Thayer, Tim, 24, 279

theater career.
See also
specific productions

and community theater, 115,
123

and De Niro, 62–63

and Devin, 276

and family background, 78

first professional work, 152

and motherhood, 181

and music industry, 153

and nude photo scandal, 65–66

and school, 21–23, 107–8, 114–15

and Sondheim tribute, 277–78

and summer studies, 8, 25, 29

and
Into the Woods,
279–80

“There Won’t Be Trumpets,” 279

Thomas, Isaiah, 211

Thomas, Keith, 167–68

Tinch, Edward (grandfather),
101

Tinch, Gretta (Helen’s sister), 97, 99,
102
,
134

Tinch, Sandra (Helen’s sister), 97, 99,
102
,
134

“Today and Everyday,” 232, 242

Today
show, 159

Toni (friend), 91,
95
, 120, 144, 149

The
Tonight Show,
45–46, 60

Tony Awards, 175

Tony Brown’s Journal,
69

traditionalism of Vanessa, 148, 224, 227

The
Trojan Horse,
108

20/20 Club, 172

Tune, Tommy, 65

Turner, Tina, 49

Twiggy, 65

Uggams, Leslie, 23

Ugly Betty,
64, 113–14, 257–64, 265–68, 274, 276–77, 279

Urie, Michael, 261, 265

USS
Intrepid,
51

Valenzuela, Rick,
216

The Value in the Valley
(Vanzant), 199, 252

vandalism, 58

Vandross, Luther, 210

Van Heusen, Jimmy, 21

Vanzant, Iyanla, 199, 252

Vereen, Ben, 51

The View
, 69–70

Wagner, Brent, 23

Waldman, Wendy, 166

Wang, Vera, 229, 231

Warhol, Andy, 152

weddings

Ramon Hervey, 144, 149–50

Rick Fox, 206, 228–29, 231–33

Westchester Baroque Chorus, 78

Westchester Medical Center, 249

Westorchard Elementary School,
95
, 107–8

“What Will I Tell My Heart?,” 166

White House visits, 47–51,
54,
55

Whitfield, Lynn,
162

Whitman, Gregg, 13–16, 67

Wilder, Gene, 171

The
Wild Party,
220

Wilhelmina (
Ugly Betty
character), 113–14, 257–64, 265

Williams, Arthur (“Artie”), 103, 105, 132

Williams, Chris (brother)

family background, 98, 100, 132

and family life, 84, 88,
94,
108, 111, 116

and independence, 45

and Milton’s illness/death, 247–48, 250

and music, 81,
94,
108

relationship with Helen, 185, 274, 277

and show business, 185, 220

and Vanessa’s wedding, 231

Williams, Helen (mother),
55,
94,
101,
102,
134,
268

and abortion, 138

and adolescence of Vanessa, 110–13, 115–16

on basketball, 239

and bike accident, 1, 3–4

and birth of Vanessa, 31, 73–74

and Bruce, 121–22, 125–27

and career of Vanessa, 108–10, 156, 157, 163, 178, 219, 264

and childhood abuse, 98–99

and childhood of Vanessa, 77, 79, 80–81, 85

difficulty with affection, 107

family background, 97–100, 145

and family life, 271–72, 277

and home renovations, 205

important calls from Vanessa, 221

and independence of Vanessa, 145

and Joe, 119

and Milton’s illness/death, 245–46, 246–47, 247–53, 255–56

Milton’s relationship with, 83, 88–89, 131–33

and Miss America pageant, 26, 69, 225

move to Millwood, 91–92

and music, 77–82

and nude photo scandal, 16–18, 53, 57

and parenting, 37, 152, 159, 171, 185, 195, 228

on perfect men for Vanessa, 237

and pregnancies of Vanessa, 221, 224–26, 227–28

on premarital sleeping arrangements, 151

on puberty, 113

on questionable behavior, 19

and racism, 89

and Ramon, 143–45, 150, 189–90

and rebelliousness of Vanessa, 115–16, 135, 144

and Rick, 214–15, 217–18, 224–26, 227–28, 231

and secrecy of Vanessa, 103

sensitivity of, 88

shocking moments with Vanessa, 225

teaching career, 79

and Thanksgiving, 203–5, 206

on Vanessa’s children, 273

and Vanessa’s divorces, 196–97, 199, 235–36

Vanessa’s regard for, 256

and Wilhelmina Slater character, 257, 260–61, 265

Williams, Milton (father),
94,
134

and adolescence of Vanessa, 112

and beauty pageants, 23–24

and birth of Vanessa, 73–74

and career of Vanessa, 156, 178, 265

and childhood of Vanessa, 80, 82–84, 86–88

contracts with Vanessa, 86

family background, 98

and grandchildren, 152

and Helen’s mother, 100

Helen’s relationship with, 83, 88–89, 131–33

and home renovations, 82–83, 201–5

illness and death, 50, 133, 245–46, 246–47, 247–53, 255–56

and independence of Vanessa, 4

introduction to Helen, 131–33

memorial service for, 256

and Miss America pageant, 31, 33

move to Millwood, 91–92

and music, 77–82, 85

and nude photo scandal, 17, 41–42, 53

and psychology, 87

and rebelliousness of Vanessa, 115–16

and relationships of Vanessa, 122, 126–27, 145, 150, 196–97, 215, 224–25, 239

and religion, 87, 180–81

teaching career, 79

and Thanksgiving, 204–6

Winans, BeBe and CeCe, 167

Withers, Bill, 78

The
Wiz,
109, 174

The
Wizard of Oz,
108

Wolfe, George C., 220

Wolfe, Staci, 241

Woodard, Alfre, 279

“Work to Do,” 166

writers’ strike, 266–67

Yellow Elephant Music, Inc., 167–68

“You Can’t Run,” 182

“You Don’t Have to Say You’re Sorry,” 182

YoungArts Week, 247

“With One Look”

Sister Sandra and me—notice my expression. It means hurry up and take this photo or else you will end up on “the List!”

“Always on My Mind”

My sister Gretta. I miss her so much.