Eartha Kitt

Singer

January 17, 1927 North, South Carolina, United States

December 25, 2008 Weston, Connecticut, United States

John W. McDonald (m. 1960-1965)

Eartha Kitt was an American singer, actor, dancer, comedian, activist, and author. She was a multi-faceted individual who left a mark in every sphere she touched. Born to an unwed mother, Kitt faced severe hardships in her early days. When Kitt’s mother abandoned her, she was forced to live with a distant relative. Her love for music brought her to the ‘The High School of Performing Arts.’ The school was previously known as the ‘Metropolitan Vocational High School.’ Kitt started her career as a singer with the ‘Katherine Dunham Company.’ She sang several hit songs for the company. Her unique voice was noticed by many. Kitt received her first acting offer when she was cast in the play ‘Dr. Faustus.’ She was also cast in the musical revue ‘New Faces of 1952,’ in which she sang the popular song ‘Monotonous.’ The Christmas song ‘Santa Baby,’ sung by Kitt, is popular to this day. Kitt was cast as ‘Catwoman’ in the popular series ‘Batman.’ She created quite a sensation with her trademark growl while playing the part. Kitt suffered a serious setback in her career when she made an anti-war statement at a luncheon in the ‘White House.’ Following this incident, she was defamed by the ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ (CIA). A few years later, she made a successful comeback on ‘Broadway,’ with the musical ‘Timbuktu.’ Her performance earned her a ‘Tony Award’ nomination. She performed as a voice actor in several ‘Disney’ movies. Kitt was active in her profession till a few months before her death. She was an activist, too, and supported issues such as women empowerment and same-sex marriage. Kitt breathed her last at the age of 81, after battling colon cancer. She was honored with a “star” on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame.’