Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt
Kitt in 1957
Born
Eartha Mae Keith

(1927-01-17)January 17, 1927
North, South Carolina, U.S.[1][2]
DiedDecember 25, 2008(2008-12-25) (aged 81)
Weston, Connecticut, U.S.
Other namesMother Eartha,[3] Kitty
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • comedian
  • dancer
  • songwriter
  • activist
Years active1942–2008
Spouse
John W. McDonald
​
​
(m. 1960; div. 1964)​
Children1
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Websiteearthakitt.com

Eartha Mae Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby".

Kitt began her career in 1942 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway theatre production of the musical Carib Song. In the early 1950s, Kitt had six US Top 30 entries, including "Uska Dara" (1953) and "I Want to Be Evil" (1953). Her other recordings include the UK Top 10 song "Under the Bridges of Paris" (1954), "Just an Old Fashioned Girl" (1956) and "Where Is My Man" (1983). Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world".[4] Kitt starred as Catwoman in the third and final season of the television series Batman in 1967.

In 1968, Kitt's career in the U.S. deteriorated after she made anti-Vietnam War statements at a White House luncheon. Ten years later, Kitt made a successful return to Broadway in the 1978 original production of the musical Timbuktu!, for which she received the first of her two Tony Award nominations. Kitt's second was for the 2000 original production of the musical The Wild Party. Kitt wrote three autobiographies.[5]

Kitt found a new generation of fans through her various voice acting roles in the last decade of her life. She voiced the villains Yzma and Vexus in The Emperor's New Groove franchise and My Life As A Teenage Robot, with the former earning her two Daytime Emmy Awards. Kitt posthumously won a third Emmy in 2010 for her guest performance on Wonder Pets!.

  1. ^ "Obituary: Eartha Kitt"Archived April 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. Dec 26 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Eartha Kitt dies at 81; TV’s Catwoman, sultry singer of ‘Santa Baby’" Archived December 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Lon Angeles Times. Dec 26 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  3. ^ "Mother Eartha" Archived January 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Philadelphia City Paper. January 17–24, 2002. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  4. ^ Messer, Kate X. (July 21, 2006). "Just An Old Fashioned Cat". The Austin Chronicle.
  5. ^ Kitt, Eartha (1990). I'm Still Here. London: Pan. ISBN 0-330-31439-4. OCLC 24719847.