Biography
Who is Vanilla Ice?
Early life and upbringing
Robert Matthew Van Winkle was born on October 31, 1967, in Dallas, Texas. He grew up moving between Dallas and Miami after his mother divorced when he was four years old. While living in Miami, he spent time with a stepfather who worked at a car dealership.
During his youth, he attended R. L. Turner High School. He was heavily influenced by the poetry and movement of hip-hop. Between the ages of 13 and 14, he practiced breakdancing. This hobby eventually led his friends to give him the nickname Vanilla, as he was the only non-black member of the group.
How Vanilla became famous
The performer eventually combined his nickname with a breakdance move called The Ice to create his stage name. Before his music career took off, he focused on motocross in 1985 and won three championships. After a broken ankle, he turned his attention to perfecting dance moves and beatboxing.
He began performing at a South Dallas nightclub called City Lights. He eventually signed with Tommy Quon and Ultrax, releasing his debut album Hooked through Ichiban Records in 1989. The song Ice Ice Baby was originally a B-side, but it gained big popularity after a Georgia disc jockey played it on the radio.
Film and television career
Vanilla Ice appeared in the 1991 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, where he performed the song Ninja Rap. He also starred in the movie Cool as Ice that same year. Although the film featured a single with Naomi Campbell, it was not a success at the box office.
In the 2000s, he appeared on reality television shows like The Surreal Life. He later hosted The Vanilla Ice Project on the DIY Network for nine seasons from 2010 to 2019. He also started a new home improvement program called The Vanilla Ice Home Show in 2022.
Personal life and family
He has one daughter named Priscilla Love VanWinkle. During a period of high popularity in late 1990, he had an eight-month relationship with Madonna and appeared in her book titled Sex.
He has dealt with various media controversies regarding his background. He once expressed regret regarding his business dealings with SBK Records. He noted that the label had published biographical details about him that were not true and were done without his permission.
Birthday and age
Vanilla Ice was born on October 31, 1967, which makes Vanilla 58 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Vanilla shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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