Who was Helen Williams? Vanessa Williams' mother dies during a birthday trip to London

Singer and actress Vanessa Williams recently shared that her mother, Helen Williams, had died during her visit to London to see her daughter perform on stage as Miranda Priestly in the musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada.

On January 2, Vanessa took to Instagram to announce the news, saying that her mother died at The London Clinic due to acute liver failure on December 28. Vanessa added that the trip was to celebrate Helen Williams' 85th birthday.

"On December 28th, the world lost a powerhouse, dynamo and force of nature packed into a 5ft frame. Our mom, Helen Williams, aka Gaga to many, took her final bow in London 20 days after celebrating her 85th birthday surrounded by family and friends," Vanessa wrote.

Helen Williams, a music teacher, was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1939. She and her husband, Milton A. Williams Jr., had two children, Vanessa and Chris.

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Helen Williams retired from teaching in 1996

Vanessa Williams attached a lengthy obituary extolling her mother, Helen Williams' various achievements to her Instagram post announcing her death. According to the obituary, Helen Williams studied at East High School as one of the few Black students in the institution.

At age 16, she was the youngest Black student at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where she enrolled to study Music Education. She received her master's degree from Manhattanville College and started her profession soon after as a vocal music educator.

She spent over 4 decades teaching the students of Ossining and Manhattan School Districts. While working as a music educator in schools, she also gave private piano lessons to the youth of Westchester County. According to her obituary, she motivated her students with the mantra:

"Work the best you can and don't let anyone tell you that you cannot do something - ever! Make up your mind, prepare yourself, study hard, and be very, very confident."

Helen's many accolades include the Jessie Hillman Award for Excellence in Education in 2010 and the Fredonia Alumni Association's Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017. The university also founded a scholarship in her name that same year.

Helen Williams also co-authored the book You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other) with her daughter and Irene Surtell in 2012.

On the personal front, Helen met her husband Milton while studying in Fredonia. The couple was married for 45 years until Milton's death in 2006 from pancreatitis. In her obituary, Helen was described as a "shopping devotee, theatre aficionado, and voracious global visitor."

Helen is also the grandmother of four grandkids and one great-grandson. The obituary concluded by requesting that friends and followers pay tribute to Helen by donating to The Helen Tinch Williams Vocal Performance Fund. The family added that they will be holding "intimate private memorial services" to honor her this month.

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Following Helen Williams' death, The Devil Wears Prada show released a statement explaining that Vanessa Williams would not perform on stage between January 8 and January 15.

"Due to a sudden loss in her family, Vanessa Williams will not be appearing from Wednesday 8 to Wednesday 15 January. During this time, the role of Miranda Priestly will be played by Debbie Kurup. Vanessa will return to The Devil Wears Prada from Thursday 16 January."

Vanessa Williams, aged 61, starred in the musical adaptation as Miranda Priestly (portrayed by Meryl Streep in the 2006 film) from its opening night on December 1, 2024.