Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, dancer, voice actress, comedienne, activist, author, and songwriter known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby", both of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Simply Eartha is an accessories brand designed by Kitt Shapiro, as a tribute to her mother, the legendary entertainer, Eartha Kitt. Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedienne, activist and voice artist, known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby", which were both US Top 10 hits. She was a free-spirited woman that made quite a splash in her day, but since the past isn’t always the most comfortable thing for some people despite the fact that they didn’t have to live it, her legend is becoming something of a history lesson instead of an interesting tableau of a woman that was in fact the first Material Girl. Eartha Kitt was an American singer and dancer noted for her sultry vocal style. 4: She was a staunch liberal Democrat. 3-Ashes and Demons Recap, The Surprisingly Low Salary of The Stars of My 600-lb Life. Fun music facts, trivia, jokes, lyrics stuff about Eartha Kitt on amiright. Updates? Her father's identity is unknown. This version was used in New Faces (1954). In other words she was a black … The importance of this is hard to ignore since like so many others she was one of those that helped to erect the foundations of show business in her own way and is to be thanked and not forgotten for her contributions. Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt was a singer and actress who recorded the hit holiday song “Santa Baby”. Kitt was born in rural South Carolina to a 14-year-old black mother and a white father, whose identity she never knew. Early life and career. She might have had a point, but there’s a time and place for everything and spitting in the First Lady’s eye, so to speak, is not the wisest move anyone could make. Born in 1927 South Carolina, Eartha Kitt became popular in Paris as a nightclub singer, then returned to the U.S. to appear in films and on Broadway. She started her entertainment career in the early 1950s as a dancer with the Katherine Dunham troupe. Her career in the U.S. went into a severe decline. Here are a few things that a lot of people likely didn’t know about Eartha. She will not know about her dad except his surname kitt. Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more. Eartha Kitt is a voice actress known for voicing Yzma, Queen Vexus, and Mrs. Franklin. To each their own I suppose, everyone’s looking for acceptance in their own way. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Did You Know Marvel Made a Freddy Kreuger Comic in 1989? After she publicly criticized the Vietnam War at a 1968 White House luncheon in the presence of the first lady, Lady Bird (Claudia) Johnson, Kitt’s career went into a severe decline; in the 1970s, however, it began to recover after news surfaced that she had been subjected to U.S. Secret Service surveillance. Important Eartha Kitt news! From 1943 to 1948, Kitt began her entertainment career as a … famousbirthdays.com. Eartha's cause of death was colon cancer. We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite facts … The vindication that is brought to a performer by the audience is something that seems quite positive and overwhelmingly desired by most, but it is also a fickle thing that Eartha and many others have discovered over time is bound to turn on them occasionally if they decide to let their inner feelings be known. Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, cabaret star, dancer, activist and voice artist, known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby", which were both US Top 10 hits Her black stepfather was a sharecropper who soon abandoned the family; when Eartha was six, her mother also disappeared, and she and a half-sister survived on berries in the woods or picked cotton in exchange for food and shelter. Eartha Kittsinger, dancer, and actress Born: 1/17/1927Birthplace: North, S.C. Kitt is best known for the holiday hit "Santa Baby." About Singer, actress, and cabaret star who recorded hits like "C'est Si Bon" and "Santa Baby." Her father's identity is unknown. Her biological father was white. Such views aren’t meant to be tamped down or eradicated as free thought and discussion is a part of what makes this country great. In the 1970s it began to recover after news surfaced that she had been subjected to U.S. Secret Service surveillance. Kitt's mother was a sharecropper of African-American and Cherokee Native American descent. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Eartha Kitt purchased a two-story contemporary home in Weston back in 2002 for $420,000. Take a visual walk through her career and see 12 images of the characters she's voiced and listen to 3 clips that showcase her performances.. Trivia & Fun Facts: She passed on just a month shy of her 82nd birthday, and it couldn’t have been a sadder day to pass away on it seems, especially given that she helped contribute to this holiday with a song that a lot of people still enjoy. Kitt’s next performance in the Washington, DC area was scheduled for June 5th at the Music Center at Strathmore in Rockville, MD. The Top Ten Dueling Monsters In Yu-Gi-Oh! Eartha Mae Kitt was an American actress, singer, and cabaret star. Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. How Much Does the Cast of Swamp People Make? Eartha's cause of death was colon cancer. Lucille Ball was told by drama and acting teachers that she didn't have enough talent to make it and … At 15, she quit high school to work in a Brooklyn factory. Given away by her mother, she arrived in Harlem at age nine. She was born on January 17, 1927 in South Carolina to an African American mother and a white father. Notable television roles included Catwoman in the 1960s series Batman and the voice of Yzma in the children’s television program The Emperor’s New School. Orson Welles once called her the “most exciting woman in the world.” She took over … Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more. I think it was "McKenna's Gold". famousbirthdays.com. Simply Eartha is a lifestyle brand of 'accessories with a legacy', created by Kitt Shapiro as a tribute to her legendary mother. She joined movies and tvshows named The Emperor's New Gro... (2000), Batman (1966 – 1968), Holes (2003), Boomerang (1992) and Anna Lucasta (1958). Kitt was the daughter of a Cherokee and Black mother and an white father she never knew, and from the age of eight she grew up with relatives in an ethnically diverse section of Harlem, New York City. For me personally, Eartha Kitt's portrayal of … Even when she faced a Hollywood blacklist and harassment by the CIA she never stopped being herself. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Trying to play up her image as a sophisticated vamp, RCA had her record a French song called "C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)," which put her on the radar. Made her Broadway debut in 1945 with Blue Holiday. She is a celebrated Actor, Singer, Dancer. All the singles and albums of EARTHA KITT, peak chart positions, career stats, week-by-week chart runs and latest news. The two had first met in 1950 during Springer's trip to Massachusetts and Javits had wanted advice about beginning a career as a songwriter, to which he advised against pursuing. With her appearance in the Broadway revue Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952 and with early 1950s recordings such as “C’est Si Bon,” “Santa Baby,” and “I Want to Be Evil,” Kitt became a star. Feb 25, 2020 - Explore Beckyy's Life of Unexpected Ch's board "♥ Eartha kitt ♥" on Pinterest. Eartha Kitt, the biracial actress, singer, and writer played Catwoman in the Batman 1960s series. Later songs that charted in the 1980s are “Where Is My Man,” “I Love Men,” “This Is My Life,” and “Cha Cha Heels.”. Here you will find the most up-to-date 192 Success Facts, Information, and much more. This is just another installment of her anti-war views that got her in trouble in the first place. The English lyrics were written by Jerry Seelen in 1950 but Eartha Kitt sings the song in French. Star Wars, Goonies, Game of Thrones, from fantasy to science fiction to the dramatic and silly, Tom is all about the greatest and most insane stories that can be found. She was a multi-faceted individual who left a mark in every sphere she touched. Kitt’s success continued in nightclubs; theatre productions, such as Mrs. Patterson (1954–55) and Shinbone Alley (1957); films, including St. Louis Blues (1958) and Anna Lucasta (1959); and television appearances, notably the role of Catwoman in the late 1960s series Batman. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Kitt spent her life speaking her mind and living her life unapologetically. Mini Bio (1) An out-of-wedlock child, Eartha Kitt was born in the cotton fields of South Carolina. The late Eartha Kitt was born on this day in 1927. 5: Eartha Kitt passed away on December 25, 2008, a month away from what would have been her 82nd birthday on January 17, 2009. In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about Eartha Kitt's Early life, Career and Personal life right away. Kitt’s next performance in the Washington, DC area was scheduled for June 5th at the Music Center at Strathmore in Rockville, MD. She was still performing up until the time of her death. Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more. In addition, Kitt continued to perform in nightclubs and films and on recordings until her death, and she received two Daytime Emmy Awards (2007 and 2008) for providing the voice of the scheming Yzma in the children’s television program The Emperor’s New School. Important Eartha Kitt news! While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. When the Dunham company returned to the United States, the multilingual Kitt stayed in Paris, where she won immediate popularity as a nightclub singer. She was raised by Anna Mae Riley, as her biological mother had abandoned her. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Because it is currently Black History Month, copious amounts of people post Black American facts on the internet to bring awareness to the public, and one of the posts I saw mentioned Eartha Kitt, a black singer, dancer, actress, and all around performer. It was actually the wild applause that she fell in love with and desperately wanted since she felt the need to be accepted and to have the fans adore her in a way that she’d apparently never felt in her life. However, a group of students from her hometown found the document in 1998 to reveal her true age. She was also an actress.Kitt died of colorectal cancer in Weston, Connecticut.She was the first musician to record the song "Santa Baby". She made her acting debut as Helen of Troy in Time Runs, an Orson Welles adaptation of Faust, in 1950. 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