How old is eartha kitt

But the horror did not end there because she witnessed the death of her mother when she was around seven years old. Shapiro, 51, said: "She was convinced her mother was poisoned. My mother remembered being brought to her mother who was dying and a baby was passed over her mother's body. My mother's interpretation was that this was because the death was not natural: it was voodoo. It was spiritual. Soon after her mother's death, Kitt was sent to live with another relative in New York, where she would later win a place with America's first black modern dance company, run by Katherine Dunham.

During the company's tour to Paris and London, Kitt broke away to make a solo career and Britain would become a second home for Kitt and her daughter. But it was only when Kitt was invited to give a speech at Benedict College in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, in that the singer managed to come to terms with her original home. Shapiro said: "It was like much of my mother's life: it was just a case of a door opening. She was invited to speak at this college and I went down with her.

During the speech someone asked her about her background and parents since she was from the area. My mother said that she had tried to find her birth certificate during the s but was unsuccessful. So the kids found some information that eventually led us going back down to the South. She added: "We had to get a lawyer and petition the court to get the records opened and this took about six to seven months.

We flew down to see the records but were allowed just 15 minutes … She was very nervous and outside the judge's chambers she went quiet. Self - Panelist. Self uncredited. Self - Guest. TV Series documentary Catwoman - Superheroes Self - Musical Guest. Game 4 Self - Celebrity Contestant. Self voice, uncredited. Self voice. Self - Guest Host. Self - Singer segment "Eartha Kitt". Self - Musician. Self - Performer. Self - Vocalist. Show all 16 episodes. Self - Singer. Show all 14 episodes.

Show all 8 episodes. Self - Guest Artist. Show all 6 episodes. TV Series Self - Episode 8. Self - Host. Self - Panellist. Self - Top of the Bill. Self - Co-Host. Show all 12 episodes. Mike Connors Eartha Kitt and Lizabeth Scott Self - Guest Panelist. Robert Clary Self - Mystery Guest. Self - Guest Perfomrer. But the public has adopted me and that has been my only family. The biggest family in the world is my fans. A man has always wanted to lay me down but he never wanted to pick me up.

That's why he didn't have the money to make films. If someone would even suggest such a vulgar thing as a goodbye-themed event for me, I would pretend I didn't hear it. Goodbye to what? My whole life? When I was traveling in the Philippine Islands my daughter and I, from time to time, used to stay with Mr. And sometimes she would come and sit somewhere up front, and she would yell out, 'Eartha, sing 'Waray Waray! But of course, she always insisted on singing right along with me!

But I flew in every day to Los Angeles to help Nat with his television show. And on the last day, when I returned to my hotel in Las Vegas, my cabin was covered with bouquets of red, red, red roses, with a letter from Nat that said 'It is a pity that those of us who work in show business very seldom get a chance to know each other.

I'm so glad that I got to know you. That was the bitchiest letter I ever read in my life. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Getting Started Contributor Zone ». Edit page. Create a list ». Gorgeous Actresses. The future is female. She picked up a Daytime Emmy Award for her vocal performance on the animated children's series The Emperor's New School that same year, and again in She continued to wow audiences as she had so many decades before, when she was the toast of Paris.

With her voice, charm and sex appeal, Kitt knew how to win over a crowd. Kitt learned that she had colon cancer in , a disease that ended up taking her life on December 25, We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music.

Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as 'Cabin in the Sky' and 'The Wiz' as well as her trademark song, "Stormy Weather. Althea Gibson was the first African American tennis player to compete at the U.