Eartha Kitt 1927-2008

Last year on Christmas Day 2007 , James Brown passed away, this year Eartha Kitt, singer and Catwoman from the 1960's Batman series passed away. Eartha was 81 and had suffered from colon cancer . Ms. Kitt was involved in entertainment industry from her 1948 movie debut until recently.The late great director Orson Wells , once called her "the most exciting woman in the world".
Ms. Kitt had escaped the poverty of rural South Carolina to reach success in Hollywood . According to wikipedia "

she had stated that her mother was of Cherokee and African-American descent, and her father, German and Dutch descent. She claimed she was conceived of rape. Kitt was raised by Anna Mae Riley, a black woman whom she believed to be her mother, but after Riley's death, she was sent to live in New York City with Mamie Kitt, reportedly Riley's sister. Eartha Kitt believed that Mamie Kitt was her biological mother; she had no knowledge of her father's identity, except that his surname was Kitt and that he was the son of the owner of the plantation on which she had been born.

In the 1960's her career suffered the blackballing of President Lyndon Johnson only to be revived on stage in Europe.


The following clip is from the classic Nat "King" Cole show .



The 1960's "Batwoman" series a favorite of mine , this is a throwback to my youth.


In the 1990 's she maintained a feverish pace as a Hollywood actress starring with Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry in "Boomearang" and also on stage plays. Eartha also had an extensive voice over career .


Eartha Kitt will be missed ,another Christmas and another legend.