Sneak Peek - Vanessa Williams Featured on Tonight's OPRAH'S MASTER CLASS

An all-new episode of the Emmy nominated series "Oprah's Master Class" with multiple award-winning singer and actress Vanessa Williams airs tonight, July 13 at 10:00pm ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

One of the most respected, multi-faceted performers in entertainment today, Vanessa Williams most recently earned rave reviews as a special guest star on Broadway's Tony Award-winning Duke Ellington hit, "After Midnight" and has performed in dozens of hit films and television shows. In this unprecedented first person account, the multiple Emmy and NAACP Award-winning singer and actress opens up about being the first African-American to ever win the Miss America title, enduring controversy, coming back with her Grammy-nominated hit single, "Save the Best for Last," being a mother of four and how she believes success comes from 'giving your whole heart.'

To watch a sneak peek of the episode, click here

First Look:

EXCERPT: Vanessa Williams on Becoming the First Black Miss America

VANESSA: Tapped to be in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant which I blew off time and time again. I'm not going to do it. Then I ended up winning Syracuse, New York and Miss America in September within six months period of time. You know we have a whole week of competition so it was theWednesday night I won swimsuit and then Friday night I won talent [CLIP]. So I had a pretty good shot being in the top ten. I sang a song that was easy for me. You know majored in musical theatre so it wasn't like I had to come up with an act. So I just basically was there to have a good time, I really did not think that I would win because I didn't think that it was the time. You know there had never been a black Miss America so why would it be this year. If so, possibly I knew that I had what it took, but I didn't think I'd actually go for it.

Sneak peek here!

EXCERPT: Vanessa Williams: "I'm a Romantic"

VANESSA: When you look at relationships you got to figure out what kind of person you are. I'm a romantic. I like having a partner. I like being married. I like being a mom. That's who I am. I've had some wonderful opportunities to obviously create four amazing kids but to know who I am as a romantic I give my whole heart and when you give your whole heart you get hurt because that's the dare, that's the danger that happens when you don't guard it. But that's how I live. I want to give my whole heart, I want to thoroughly enjoy everything that happens with me in a relationship. When I feel I feel deeply but I move through. Whether it's pain, whether it's transition. When you talk about divorce, it's the death of a marriage. So you're going through the same process that you do with a death of a person. First you're in shock then you go to the denial, well this can't happen. And then you have to accept, okay it's over. If someone doesn't want to be Married to me, then I want somebody who wants to be Married to me and you have to deal with that realization and then once you deal with all that then you can move through and say okay well you know what maybe there's somebody that's gonna be on the same page, maybe not. But it's my time to relax, explore and see what comes.

Sneak peek here!

EXCERPT: Why Vanessa Williams Is Always Full of Gratitude

VANESSA: I think I'm a person of great faith and spirit. I always thank the lord for everything that has been given to me in my life. Of course my beautiful family, but I also ask for guidance, show me the way. Give me a sign. I'll follow it, just show it to me and it always comes. It always shows up. When you are aware, when you look for it, even when you're not looking for it it's having that sense of faith and optimism and security knowing that things will be alright. I think that's always been part of my life. Always being full of gratitude that everything, whether it's tragic or tough has always still allowed me to have a life that I love, that I'm appreciative and I'm still living. That's the big, that's my big thank you.

Sneak peek here!

About "Oprah's Master Class"

The acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series "Oprah's Master Class" returns for its fourth season featuring unprecedented first-person insight into the brilliant minds of entertainers we love, respect and admire, with modern masters hand-picked by Oprah Winfrey for their unique impact on the world. From award-winning actors and musicians to groundbreaking journalists, "Oprah's Master Class" tells the stories you've never heard from the people you thought you knew best. This season includes Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Tim McGraw, Lionel Richie, Robin Roberts, Vanessa Williams, Billy Bob Thornton and Sharon Stone. Co-produced by the award-winning production companies, Harpo Studios and @radical.media, the series is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Jon Sinclair, Jon Kamen and Justin Wilkes.

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