Vitiligo can affect any gender or any race. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the extremely loved artists could also be affected by the same skin disorder. Just like any of us, many artists have had to cope with vitiligo while living in the public eye. The good news is many of them remained positive toward life and had a successful career ahead. ‘Unite For Vitiligo’ applauds these 12 artists with vitiligo who exhibited that vitiligo cannot derail one’s hopes or dreams.
1. Michael Jackson
Who doesn’t know the king of pop – Michael Jackson? While many wondered why the artist was bleaching his skin, autopsy reports done in 2009, after Jackson’s death confirmed that he had vitiligo. Since he also suffered from Lupus, he turned whiter sooner than others.
To know more about his difficult journey with the chronic skin disorder, read Michael Jackson and his vitiligo story.
2. Rigo Tovar
Rigoberto Tovar García, best known as Rigo Tovar, fused electric guitars, synthesizers and rock melody with traditional Mexican music. This fusion gained him worldwide popularity. The singer was diagnosed with vitiligo in his late life. Rigo passed away in March 2005 and also suffered from Retinitis Pigmentosa and Diabetes.
3. Joe Rogan
Once a Martial Artist, all of us know Joe Rogan as a famous stand-up comedian now. The host, actor, and writer has white patches on his hands and wrists. He is one of the very few celebrities with vitiligo who talk about the skin disorder without any fear or inhibition.
4. Richard Hammond
The star of Top Gear, Richard Hammond has vitiligo on his hands and face. The radio host, writer, and journalist is most recognized for his work on “Brainiac: Science Abuse.”
5. Sisqó
Known by his stage name Sisqó, Mark Althavean Andrews had a successful musical career, both as a solo singer and as the frontman for the R&B group – Dru Hill. The “Thong Song” singer was diagnosed with stress-induced eczema and vitiligo during the promotions of Snowdogs.
6. Godavari Dutta
A Madhubani Painting artist and Padma Shri, Godavari Dutta was diagnosed with vitiligo during her adulthood. The 87 years old Indian artist has seen a lot of struggle throughout her life, but she held forth with her artistic abilities and used Madhubani art as her tool of empowerment.
Godvari has been to Germany and Japan several times where her paintings are on display in the museums. She has been honored by the prestigious National award for her astonishing works in Madhubani painting in 2006.
7. Fez Whatley
A contributor of The Ron and Ron Show, Fez is an excellent talk radio host and comedian. He has been a flamboyant man on the air for more than 20 years now.
8. Krizz Kaliko
A talented rapper and singer, Krizz made vitiligo his strength. The artist, who has vitiligo on the face, named his debut album after the skin disorder. This album peaked at number 19 on the Top Independent Albums, in 2008.
9. Eric Arthur Hammer
Best known as Doc Hammer, Eric has vitiligo on his scalp. The writer and voice artist has played an instrumental role in the creation of “The Venture Bros”, a popular animated program. The artist, whose most obvious passion is painting, has played in several gothic rock bands as well.
10. Kara Tointon
A beautiful actress and trained dancer won the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing show in 2010, for her excellent dancing moves. Kara is best known for playing the character of Dawn Swann in EastEnders.
11. Michaela DePrince
A rising American ballet star, Michaela was mistreated due to her vitiligo during her childhood. After being adopted by a family, she built a successful career in ballet. The ballerina was voted as Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s “125 Women of Impact” in 2013.
12. Don Alder
Often referred to as the “Hendrix” of Acoustic Guitar, Alder is the recipient of many awards. He has revolutionized the world of music by blending traditional finger-style work with extended techniques. A compassionate friend, the guitarist took a ‘2.5 years break’ from his music career so that his friend Rick Hansen could tour around the world in a wheelchair.
13. Dudley Moore
British filmmaker, pianist, comedian, film producer and screenwriter, Moore has many shows and movies to his credit. Famous for his acting role in Arthur (which also won him an Academy Award nomination), Dudley passed away in 2002.
14. Countess Vaughn
Countess Vaughn recently disclosed to a fan on Instagram that she is living with vitiligo. The singer, who has been open about her struggles with her weight, has been in the public eye since she was 9. Vaughn first sang on Star Search in 1988 and later went on to act in many iconic productions.
15. Manuel Gutierrez
Manuel is a make-up artist, YouTuber, and beauty blogger. Best known as Manny MUA among his fans, Manuel was diagnosed with vitiligo in 2015 and currently has white patches on his hips and fingertips. Manny is the only male brand ambassador for the makeup brand Maybelline.
16. Ashley Soto
The Instagram Star is known to turn her vitiligo into beautiful art. A beauty blogger by profession, Ashley rose to fame after sharing a body art shot on Instagram in 2016. Her IG followers have been multiplying since then. Ashley was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with vitiligo. Today, the skin disorder affects over 75% of her body.
17. Saran Thompson
A bilingual rapper and a spoken word performer, Saran raps in English and Japanese. The artist strives to make music that promotes positivity and reinforces integrity. Widely known as S-Wrap, Saran has carved a niche for himself in a short span of time.
18. Marcus Haran
A man of many talents and abilities, Haran is a rising hip-hop sensation, producer, and beat boxer. He is a living reminder that true creativity is unbound by vitiligo. Haran is one of the 8 Instagrammers Vitiligo Fighters should start following now.
19. Tiffany Grant
A writer by profession, Tiffany, was just seven years old when she got diagnosed with vitiligo. She got an “It’s called vitiligo” tattoo inked on her forearm to educate people on the skin disorder. What followed was media coverage in Dailymail, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Inked. After thousands of Instagram shoutouts, she has been seen as an inspiration in the vitiligo community.
20. Shante Artis
A Rapper, songwriter and a Youtuber, Shante began rapping and performing at the early age of 11. With her skillful wordplay, engaging stories, and powerhouse stage performance, Shante (aka L.U.V. aka the Rapping Housewife) has carved a niche for herself.
21. Jasmine Colgan
The talented photographer was diagnosed with the skin disorder when she was 21. The shocking news sent her into a depression, but a year after the diagnosis, Colgan began the “Tough Skin” photo project. Today, she travels across the country to meet and photograph vitiligo fighters from different races and states.
22. Lauren Reid
A famous Instagrammer, Lauren Reid uploaded watercolor illustration of her own vitiligo on the occasion of the World Vitiligo Day (2017). Within the hour, she was requested to paint others with requests coming from around the world. Today Lauren has painted many portraits on her account and has dozens more in the queue.
23. Ashish Satyavrat Sahu
Ashish is a 27-year-old Fashion Designer from Ranchi, India who is currently working on making Khadi (handspun, hand-woven natural fiber cloth from Indian subcontinent) globally accepted fabric. Ashish was diagnosed with vitiligo in 2011.
24. Prarthana Jagan
Prarthana was 11 years old when she was diagnosed with the chronic skin disorder. Over the years, being happy and exercising on a daily basis have had a positive impact on her vitiligo. A model and Beauty Vlogger, Prarthana has been using makeup as an expression since 2016.
The “Famous Artists with Vitiligo” list has been curated from many online and offline references. If you detect any discrepancy, please write to us at reachus@uniteforvitiligo. We will amend the entry.