Vanilla Ice

Robert Matthew Van Winkle was born October 31, 1967 in Dallas, Texas. As an early teen, he was interested in breakdancing. It was his breakdancing friends who started calling him Vanilla Ice, and it stuck. He wrote his first hit, "Ice Ice Baby" at 16. It was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts and has been nominated and won several musical awards, including winning People's Choice Award and an American Music Award in 1991. Also in 1991, Vanilla Ice made his feature film debut in the film "Cool as Ice." He went on tour for a few years before doing competitive jet skiing and faded from the music spotlight. Although he released several other albums, none were as popular or successful as his first. In 2010, Ice began hosting the series "The Vanilla Ice Project" (DIY Network, 2010-19) and continues to make music and tour.