Who Is Vanilla Ice?
Vanilla Ice is a famous American TV host, rapper, and actor. He is best known for his hit song, “Ice, Ice, Baby,” from the album, Hooked. He suffered from depression and attempted to commit suicide. When it failed, he realized that he needed to change his life. In 2009, he started hosting the Vanilla Ice Project on DIY Network.
Personal Details
- Celebrity Name: Vanilla Ice
- Full Name: Robert Matthew Van Winkle
- Gender: Male
- Birth Date: October 31, 1967
- Birth Place: Dallas, Texas, US
- Age: 52
- Height: 1.8m
- Weight: 76 kilos
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Status: Divorced
- Wife: Laura Giaritta, married 1997 to 2016
- Children: None
- Profession: American TV host, actor, and rapper
- Net Worth: $20 million
Early Life
Robert Matthew Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice, was born on October 31, 1967, in Dallas, Texas. He never knew his biological father and used the family name of the man his mother married when he was born. When he was four years old, his mother got a divorce. Later on, his mother remarried who worked at a car dealership, causing them to move between Miami and Dallas.
At a very young age, he already started to love hip-hop. At 14, he started to learn breakdancing and was given the nickname “Vanilla” since he was the only white kid in the group. It stuck with him even though he did not like the name initially.
Then, he started rapping at parties and was named “MC Vanilla.” After that, he became a member of a breakdance group and was named “Vanilla Ice,” which he continues to use until today.
At 16, he wrote his famous song, Ice, Ice, Baby, with its lyrics based on a weekend he spent with D-Shay in South Florida.
Personal Life
Between 1991 and 1992, Vanilla Ice was in a relationship with Madonna for around eight months. In 1997, he and Laura Giaritta tied the knot and have two daughters together – KeeLee Breeze and Dusti Rain. In 2012, he announced that he was a vegetarian. Laura filed for divorce in 2016 for reasons that their marriage was irretrievably broken.
Career
Vanilla Ice started working through professional racing in Motocross. Before injuring his ankle he was able to win three championships. After that, he began working at nightclubs. In 1987, he was stabbed, which lead him to establish the Stop the Violence tour.
He released his debut album in 1990 titled, To the Extreme. It was a multi-platinum album and had reached the no. 1 spot. He then released his second album, Mind Blown, and the third album in 1998 titled, Hard to Swallow. In 2001, his Bi-polar piece was released and in 2005, he launched Platinum Underground.
His studio album, W.T.F (Wisdom, Tenancy, and Focus) was launched in 2011. Furthermore, he has launched a live album titled, Extremely Live, in 1991.
Some of the hit singles of Vanilla Ice include Jump Around, Cool as Ice, I Love You, and Play That Funky Music.
In 2009, he also started hosting a reality TV show in DIY Network titled “The Vanilla Ice Project.”
Awards and Achievements
In 1991, Vanilla Ice won many achievements. He was nominated in the category of Best Rap Solo Performance in the Grammy Awards. He also won the People’s Choice Award for his song, Ice, Ice, Baby. Furthermore, he won two American Music Awards from the four nominations he was included. In 2011, his show, The Vanilla Ice Project, won the Best Home Show in the Factual Entertainment Awards.
Total Net Worth 2020
To date, Vanilla Ice is known to have a total net worth of over $20 million. Most of his wealth came from the countless copies sold from his various albums. He has also earned a huge amount of money from his TV show, The Vanilla Ice Project.