Vanessa Williams Was Third in Line for “Save the Best for Last”
Talk about saving the best for third. Vanessa Williams has revealed that two music legends passed on “Save the Best for Last” before the now-classic ballad finally came her way.
During a recent appearance on Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Williams explained that Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand were both offered the song before she got her shot.
“They gave it to Bette Midler, who passed,” Williams said. “They gave it to Streisand, and she passed. And I was, like, third one up.”
Third one up turned out pretty damn well. Williams recorded the track for her 1991 sophomore album, The Comfort Zone, and “Save the Best for Last” became her first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, spending five weeks at the top in 1992. The song later earned three Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
More than three decades later, it remains one of Williams’ signature recordings — and one very good reminder that being somebody’s third choice doesn’t mean you can’t make it completely your own.
Revisit Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last”
Press play on the ballad that Bette and Barbra passed on — and Vanessa turned into a career-defining smash.
Source: Vanessa Williams on Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson; additional reporting via Entertainment Weekly.
