| Eartha Kitt |
Jazz
EARTHA KITT is nothing less than a household name, with an enduring career that has spanned theater, film, cabaret, television, and the recording industry. An international star who has given new meaning to the word "versatility," she is one of a handful of performers to be nominated for The Tony Award (twice), The Emmy Award, and The Grammy (three times).
Born on a cotton plantation in South Carolina, she learned early to overcome adversity brought on by poverty, prejudice, and familial indifference. After being given away by her mother in the South, she was sent to live with an aunt in Harlem at the age of eight. It was in New York that her distinct individuality and flair for show business manifested itself.
The early part of her career saw her performing in Europe where Orson Welles discovered her and dubbed her "the most exciting woman in the world." He signed her to star with him as Helen of Troy in his acclaimed stage production of "Dr. Faust," which opened in Paris and toured Europe. Upon her return to the U.S., Ms. Kitt played a twenty week run at the Blue Angel--setting a still unbroken record for cabaret artists--before moving on to The Village Vanguard, where producer Leonard Stillman saw her and cast her in "New Faces of 1952." Her legendary performance of "Monotonous" stopped the show for a year on Broadway. A national tour, and the Twentieth Century Fox film of the same name followed.
Recording contracts followed with a succession of best selling records, including Love For Sale, The Romantic Eartha, St. Louis Blues, and Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa. Favorites "Santa Baby" and "C'est Si Bon" were released during this era. Still more successes on Broadway followed, as well as many films and television including guest appearances on "Mission Impossible," "I Spy," and "Batman," still in international syndication, in which she was the famous Catwoman.
Three autobiographies have been released over the years: "Thursday's Child" in 1954, "Alone With Me" in 1976, and "I'm Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten" in 1989. Her most recent recording, Back In Business, was released on DRG in 1996 and received a Grammy nomination.
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