 Photo Album1944_Eartha Kitt in New York with the Katharine Dunham Dance Troupe. |  Photo Album1945_Eartha Kitt with the Katherine Dunham Ballet Company. |
|---|---|
 Photo Album1946_Eartha Kitt with the Katharine Dunham Dance Troupe. |  Photo Album1948_Eartha Kitt as a Katherine Dunham dancer performing in Street scene, part of Motivos, choreographed by Ms. Dunham. |
 Photo Album1949_Eartha Kitt photographed in front of Istanbul University, Turkey. |  Photo Album1950_Orson Welles as Faust rehearses with Eartha Kitt as Helen of Troy at the theatre in Paris on June 14. |
 Photo Album1951_Eartha Kitt and Jazz musician Frank Weir. |  Photo Album1952_Eartha Kitt photographed by Carl Van Vechten. |
 Photo Album1953_Eartha Kitt. |  Photo Album1954_Eartha Kitt and Dizzy Gillespie at Newport Jazz festival. |
 Photo Album1955_Eartha Kitt in fur. |  Photo Album1956_Eartha Kitt performing live. |
 Photo Album1956_Marilyn Monroe photographed meeting Eartha Kitt at the premiere for The Prince and the Showgirl on June 13th. |  Photo Album1958_Eartha Kitt meets the Queen of England. |
 Photo Album1959_Eartha Kitt drinking honey before a vocal performance. |  Photo Album1960_Eartha Kitt marries John William McDonald, an associate of a real estate investment company, on June 6. |
 Photo Album1961_Kitt McDonald (Shapiro) is born to Eartha and John. |  Photo Album1961_Fashion fitting at Givenchy’s Paris showroom. The designer can be seen pinning her pink gown while the photographer can be seen making the image. Photo by Tony Vaccaro. |
 Photo Album1962_Eartha Kit asleep on the tour bus. |  Photo Album1963_Eartha Kitt, Nancy Wilson, Sammy Davis Jr., Sidney Poitier, Berry Gordy and Marlon Brando at Dr King’s funeral services. |
 Photo Album1965_Eartha Kitt. |  Photo Album1966_Eartha Kitt leaping though poster to launch a Citizens Committee on Hill District Renewal program. |
 Photo Album1967_Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. |  Photo Album1967_Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. |
 Photo Album1968_Eartha Kitt. |  Photo Album1968_Eartha Kitt with Ladybird Johnson at the Whitehouse (Bettmann-Getty Images). |
 Photo Album1972_Eartha Kitt in Sunderland in October, when it was announced she was starring in Bunny at the Sunderland Empire. |  Photo Album1976_Eartha Kitt in her dressing room. |
 Photo Album1978_Broadway production of "Timbuktu!“, a musical revision of “Kismet”, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. |  Photo Album1982_Eartha Kitt. |
 Photo Album1984_Eartha Kitt at the Imperial Room in Toronto Canada. |  Photo Album1985_Eartha Kitt. |
 Photo Album1989_Eartha Kitt. |  Photo Album1991_Eartha Kitt at age 74 from her book 'Rejuvenate! (It's Never Too Late). Red version of the dress created by Marc Bouwer . |
 Photo Album1991_Eartha Kitt at age 74 from her book 'Rejuvenate! (It's Never Too Late). Marc Bouwer created this dress in red for Eartha Kitt but we changed it to blue for ColonCancerAwareness month. Photographer for this photo shoot was Monkia Robl. |  Photo Album1996_Eartha Kitt guest stars on "The Nanny" episode, "A Pup In Paris". |
 Photo Album1997_Eartha Kitt Interviewed by local talk show hostess Boo Sheppard for Orangeburg Inside Out. |  Photo Album1997_Eartha Kitt is awarded The Order of the Palmetto which is considered the highest civilian honor in the State of South Carolina. It recognizes a person's lifetime achievements and contributions to the State of South Carolina. |
 Photo Album1999_Kitt Shapiro with her mother, Eartha Kitt for LIFE Magazine January 5. Photo by Marion Curtis. |  Photo Album2001_Eartha Kitt and Ken Paulson on "Speaking Freely". |
 Photo Album2003_Eartha Kitt performing at the Holiday Celebration from Broadway to benefit the Actors Fund December 15, in New York City. |  Photo Album2004_Eartha Kitt attends the 2nd Annual TV Land Awards held on March 7, at The Hollywood Palladium, in Hollywood, California. |
 Photo Album2005_Eartha Kitt poses prior to riding in the 2005 Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 27, in Hollywood, California. |  Photo Album2007_Eartha Kitt. |
 Photo Album2008_Eartha Kitt in a reflective pose. Photo by Duane Michals. |  Photo AlbumEartha Kitt "Walk of Fame" star in Hollywood. |
 Books1956_Thursday's Child by Eartha Kitt. Published by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York. |  Books1961_America's Mistress_The Life and Times of Eartha Kitt. by John Williams. |
 Books1976_AutoBiography by Eartha Kitt. |  Books2001_Rejuvenate!_It's Never Too Late. by Eartha Kitt. |
 Broadway and Stage1945_Carib Song. |  Broadway and Stage1945_Bal Nègre. |
 Broadway and Stage1948_Caribbean Rhapsody. |  Broadway and Stage1952_New Faces of 1952. |
 Broadway and Stage1952_New Faces of 1952 insert. |  Broadway and Stage1955_Mrs Patterson. |
 Broadway and Stage1955_Mrs Patterson performance photo. |  Broadway and Stage1957_Shinbone Alley. |
 Broadway and Stage1957_Shinbone Alley performance photo. |  Broadway and Stage1959_Jolly's Progress. |
 Broadway and Stage1965_The Owl and the Pussycat. |  Broadway and Stage1967_Peg. |
 Broadway and Stage1970_The High Bid program cover. |  Broadway and Stage1970_The High Bid performance photo with Eartha Kitt and Alison Frazer. |
 Broadway and Stage1972_Bunny |  Broadway and Stage1976_A Musical Jubilee. |
 Broadway and Stage1978_Timbuktu. |  Broadway and Stage1978_Timbuktu performance photo. |
 Broadway and Stage1987_Follies (London Revival). |  Broadway and Stage1994_Yes. |
 Broadway and Stage1998_The Wizard of Oz. |  Broadway and Stage1998_The Wizard of Oz performance photo. |
 Broadway and Stage2000_The Wild Party. |  Broadway and Stage2000_Cinderella. |
 Broadway and Stage2003_Nine. |  Broadway and Stage2006_Mimi le Duck. |
 Film1948_Casbah. |  Film1951_Parigi è sempre Parigi. |
 Film1954_New Faces. |  Film1957_The Mark of the Hawk. |
 Film1958_St. Louis Blues. |  Film1958_Anna Lucasta. |
 Film1965_Uncle Tom's Cabin. |  Film1965_Synanon. |
 Film1971_Up the Chastity Belt. |  Film1975_Friday Foster. |
 Film1979_Butterflies in Heat. |  Film1985_The Serpent Warriors. |
 Film1987_Master of Dragonard Hill. |  Film1987_Dragonard. |
 Film1987_The Pink Chiquitas. |  Film1989_Erik the Viking. |
 Film1990_Living Doll. |  Film1991_Ernest Scared Stupid. |
 Film1992_Boomerang. |  Film1993_Fatal Instinct. |
 Film1996_Harriet the Spy. |  Film1997_Ill Gotten Gains. |
 Film1998_I Woke Up Early the Day I Died. |  Film1998_The Jungle Book_Mowgli's Story. |
 Film2000_The Emperor's New Groove. |  Film2002_Anything But Love. |
 Film2003_Holes. |  Film2005_Preaching to the Choir. |
 Film2005_Kronk's New Groove. |  Film2007_And Then Came Love. |
 Audio1953_Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952 front cover. |  Audio1953_Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952 rear cover. |
 Audio1953_Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952 side 01. |  Audio1953_Leonard Sillman's New Faces Of 1952 side 02. |
 Audio1953_RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt front cover. |  Audio1953_RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt rear cover. |
 Audio1953_RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt side 01. |  Audio1953_RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt side 02. |
 Audio1954_Leonard Sillman presents Mrs. Patterson (Original Cast Recording) front cover |  Audio1954_Leonard Sillman presents Mrs. Patterson (Original Cast Recording) rear cover |
 Audio1954_Leonard Sillman presents Mrs. Patterson (Original Cast Recording) side 01 |  Audio1954_Leonard Sillman presents Mrs. Patterson (Original Cast Recording) side 01 |
 Audio1954_Sings Songs from "New Faces" (EP) front cover. |  Audio1954_Sings Songs from "New Faces" (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1954_Sings Songs from "New Faces" (EP) side 01. |  Audio1954_Sings Songs from "New Faces" (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1955_Down to Eartha front cover. |  Audio1955_Down to Eartha rear cover. |
 Audio1955_Down to Eartha side 01. |  Audio1955_Down to Eartha side 02. |
 Audio1955_That Bad Eartha (EP) front cover. |  Audio1955_That Bad Eartha (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1955_That Bad Eartha (EP) side 01. |  Audio1955_That Bad Eartha (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1955_Down to Eartha (EP) front cover. |  Audio1955_Down to Eartha (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1955_Down to Eartha (EP) side 01. |  Audio1955_Down to Eartha (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1956_That Bad Eartha front cover. |  Audio1956_That Bad Eartha rear cover. |
 Audio1956_That Bad Eartha side 01. |  Audio1956_That Bad Eartha side 02. |
 Audio1956_Thursday's Child front cover. |  Audio1956_Thursday's Child rear cover. |
 Audio1956_Thursday's Child side 01. |  Audio1956_Thursday's Child side 02. |
 Audio1956_Just an Old Fashioned Girl (EP) front cover. |  Audio1956_Just an Old Fashioned Girl (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1956_Just an Old Fashioned Girl (EP) side 01. |  Audio1956_Just an Old Fashioned Girl (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1956_Thursday's Child (EP) front cover. |  Audio1956_Thursday's Child (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1956_Thursday's Child (EP) side 01. |  Audio1956_Thursday's Child (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1956_Gold N Kitt (EP) front cover. |  Audio1956_Gold N Kitt (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1956_Gold N Kitt (EP) side 01. |  Audio1956_Gold N Kitt (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1958_St. Louis Blues front cover. |  Audio1958_St. Louis Blues rear cover. |
 Audio1958_St. Louis Blues side 01. |  Audio1958_St. Louis Blues side 02. |
 Audio1959_The Fabulous Eartha front cover. |  Audio1959_The Fabulous Eartha rear cover. |
 Audio1959_The Fabulous Eartha side 01. |  Audio1959_The Fabulous Eartha side 02. |
 Audio1959_That Blue Eartha (EP) front cover. |  Audio1959_That Blue Eartha (EP) front cover with vinyl. |
 Audio1959_Just Eartha (EP) front cover. |  Audio1959_Just Eartha (EP) rear cover. |
 Audio1959_Just Eartha (EP) side 01. |  Audio1959_Just Eartha (EP) side 02. |
 Audio1960_Revisited front cover. |  Audio1960_Revisited rear cover. |
 Audio1960_Revisited side 01. |  Audio1960_Revisited side 02. |
 Audio1962_Bad But Beautiful front cover. |  Audio1962_Bad But Beautiful rear cover. |
 Audio1962_Bad But Beautiful side 01. |  Audio1962_Bad But Beautiful side 02. |
 Audio1962_The Romantic Eartha front cover. |  Audio1962_The Romantic Eartha rear cover. |
 Audio1962_The Romantic Eartha side 01. |  Audio1962_The Romantic Eartha side 02. |
 Audio1963_C'est Si Bon, Live in Tivoli front cover. |  Audio1963_C'est Si Bon, Live in Tivoli rear cover. |
 Audio1965_Love For Sale front cover. |  Audio1965_Love For Sale rear cover. |
 Audio1965_Love For Sale side 01. |  Audio1965_Love For Sale side 02. |
 Audio1965_Canta En Español/Sings In Spanish front cover. |  Audio1965_Canta En Español/Sings In Spanish rear cover. |
 Audio1965_Canta En Español/Sings In Spanish side 01. |  Audio1965_Canta En Español/Sings In Spanish side 02. |
 Audio1965_Eartha Kitt Live at The Plaza front cover. |  Audio1965_Eartha Kitt Live at The Plaza rear cover. |
 Audio1965_Eartha Kitt Live at The Plaza side 01. |  Audio1965_Eartha Kitt Live at The Plaza side 02. |
 Audio1968_ Folk Tales Of The Tribes Of Africa front cover. |  Audio1968_Black Pioneers in American History front cover. |
 Audio1970_Sentimental Eartha front cover. |  Audio1970_Sentimental Eartha rear cover. |
 Audio1970_Sentimental Eartha side 01. |  Audio1970_Sentimental Eartha side 02. |
 Audio1984_I Love Men front cover. |  Audio1984_I Love Men rear cover. |
 Audio1984_I Love Men side 01. |  Audio1984_I Love Men side 02. |
 Audio1985_Swing Disques Collection front cover. |  Audio1985_Swing Disques Collection rear cover. |
 Audio1989_I'm Still Here front cover. |  Audio1989_I'm Still Here rear caddy. |
 Audio1989_I'm Still Here CD face. |  Audio1990_Live In London front cover. |
 Audio1990_Live In London Foldout photo 01. |  Audio1990_Live In London Foldout photo 02. |
 Audio1990_Live In London Foldout photos. |  Audio1990_Live In London inside credit listing. |
 Audio1990_Live In London inside foldout. |  Audio1990_Live In London inside track list. |
 Audio1990_Live In London rear caddy. |  Audio1990_Live In London CD face disc 01. |
 Audio1990_Live In London CD face disc 02. |  Audio1991_Thinking Jazz front cover. |
 Audio1991_Thinking Jazz rear cover 01. |  Audio1991_Thinking Jazz rear cover 02. |
 Audio1991_Thinking Jazz CD face. |  Audio1992_Standards/Live front cover. |
 Audio1992_Standards/Live rear cover. |  Audio1994_Back in Business front cover. |
 Audio1994_Back in Business rear cover. |  1995_The Most Exciting Women in the World front cover. |
 1995_The Most Exciting Women in the World rear cover. |  1995_The Most Exciting Women in the World CD face. |
 1995_The Most Exciting Women in the World front cover Video CD. |  1995_The Most Exciting Women in the World rear cover Video CD. |
 1999_Thinking Jazz (German re-release) front cover. |  1999_Thinking Jazz (German re-release) rear cover. |
 2006_Live from the Cafe Carlyle front cover. |  2006_Live from the Cafe Carlyle rear cover. |
 2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival front cover. |  2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival rear cover. |
 2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival CD face. |  2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival front cover. |
 2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival inside foldout. |  2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival rear cover. |
 2008_Live At The Cheltenham Jazz Festival DVD face. |
There are many stories of talented people growing up with the guidance and support of family and friends who see that hint of greatness and believe it is something worth investing in. These stories are wonderful and heart warming to hear leaving one with a sense of replenished faith in human kindness. The other side of this is the story of that person who must rise up alone to defeat all odds against them and claw their way out of the worst of conditions to forge a better life for themselves.
Because of circumstances beyond her control during a time in cultural history Eartha Kitt was deemed a mistake and of no value. But this woman would survive and she would work hard her entire life to redefine herself and develop her talents, constantly changing and adapting to the times and seasons. She did this with grace, strength, integrity, and honor never losing sight of the place in this world she had carved out for herself to occupy.
After months of research and studying her incredible life and career I have come away with the greatest of respect and admiration and I would have to say in my opinion she is the most accomplished talent this state has yet produced. A very special Thank you to Kitt Shapiro for giving me permission to create this page and also to Jonathan Thompson and the generous folks at Freedom Forum for allowing the use of their "Speaking Freely" episode with Eartha Kitt.
Exerts from the National Visionary Leadership Project website:
Award-winning singer, actress, author, and activist Eartha Kitt was an international star. Her distinctive voice enthralled audiences for more than 50 years and she was one of only a handful of performers to contend for entertainment's "Triple Crown" with two Emmy Awards and nominations for three Tony Awards and two Grammys. Kitt sang in ten different languages, had performed in over 100 countries and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Eartha Mae Keith was born on a cotton plantation near the small town of North, South Carolina on January 17, 1927. Her mother Annie Mae Keith was of Cherokee and African descent. Though she had little knowledge of her father, it was reported that he was a son of the owner of the farm where she had been born. Eartha's mother, Annie Mae Keith (later Annie Mae Riley), soon went to live with a black man who refused to accept Eartha because of her relatively pale complexion; a relative named Aunt Rosa, in whose household she was abused, raised her. After the death of Annie Mae, Eartha was sent to live with another relative named Mamie Kitt in Harlem, New York City. There, she was given the chance to take piano lessons and sing at church. Encouraged by a teacher, she was introduced to dramatics to help with her shyness. Kitt found she had a passion to perform. She was accepted into the Metropolitan Vocational High School (later renamed the High School of Performing Arts).
At 16, Kitt auditioned for the Katherine Dunham School of Dance and Theater. She won a scholarship and landed a role with the Dunham dance troupe as a featured dancer and vocalist. Kitt had a number of firsts with the Dunham troupe, including her Broadway debut in "Blue Holiday" in 1945 and her 1948 film debut in "Casbah."
In 1948, before Kitt's 20th birthday, she performed in the worldwide tour of "Blue Holiday." Suddenly Kitt's exotic looks, which had caused her so much pain, became a distinctive asset. French and English critics singled her out for her unique appearance. Kitt cultivated her stage persona as a sultry and sophisticated femme fatale. In 1950, Kitt quit the Dunham troupe for solo club engagements in Paris. Her show prompted Orson Welles to call her "the most exciting woman alive." Welles cast Kitt as Helen of Troy in a stage production called "Time Runs," an adaptation of "Faust."
Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, Kitt worked in film, television and on nightclub stages. In 1951, Kitt returned to New York to perform her nightclub act. The following year she starred in a stage revue titled, "New Faces of 1952." That success led to a recording contract with RCA Victor. A number of hit singles shot up the charts including "Santa Baby" and "I Want to Be Evil."
Kitt starred in the Broadway play, "Mrs. Patterson" in 1954, for which she received her first Tony nomination. Kitt began to make appearances on television variety programs and wrote the first of her three autobiographies, "Thursday's Child," in 1956. In 1958, Kitt made her feature film debut opposite Sidney Poitier in "The Mark of the Hawk." Her film career in Hollywood took off with roles in "St. Louis Blues" in 1958 and "Anna Lucasta" in 1959.
In 1960, Kitt wed William McDonald and the following year gave birth to her only child, a daughter named Kitt. As the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum in the 1960s, Kitt took steps to champion the cause. She demanded a requirement be written into her contracts that she would not perform before segregated audiences. Kitt traveled with a tuxedo, and if needed, would ask her manager to "grab a bus boy," to integrate the audience.
Kitt and her husband divorced in 1965. She continued to appear on television and earned an Emmy nomination for her appearance in "I Spy." In 1967, she played "Catwoman" in the television series "Batman," where her signature purr became world renowned. Kitt also toured the nation and visited youth groups as she traveled. In light of those efforts, in 1968, Kitt was invited to the White House with other representatives of social action programs on the topic of juvenile delinquency. During the luncheon, Kitt stridently voiced her opinion related to the U.S. involvement in Vietnam which reportedly prompted orders for the Secret Service, FBI and CIA to prepare a dossier on Eartha Kitt. Although Kitt was cleared of any subversive actions, her contracts for upcoming engagements in the U.S. were canceled. Kitt continued, however, to work abroad. In 1974, Kitt returned to the United States and gave a smash hit concert at Carnegie Hall. She wrote a second autobiography entitled "Alone With Me," in 1976. And in 1978, President Jimmy Carter invited her back to the White House. That same year, director Geoffrey Holder cast her in his Broadway musical, "Timbuktu," for which she received her second Tony nomination.
In 1981, filmmaker Christian Blackwood trained his camera on Kitt for a documentary film, "All By Myself." In 1989, Kitt composed a third volume of her life story, "I'm Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten," and in 2001, her fourth book, the best-seller "Rejuvenate! (It's Never Too Late)," was published. Also in 2001, Kitt received a Tony and Drama Desk nomination for her role as Dolores in George Wolfe's "The Wild Party." Kitt then starred in national tours of "The Wizard of Oz" and Rogers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella." In December 2003, Kitt wowed audiences as Liliane Le Fleur in the revival of the musical "Nine." In December 2004, Kitt appeared as the Fairy Godmother in the New York City Opera production of "Cinderella" at the Lincoln Center. In 2006, Kitt starred in the off-Broadway production of "Mimi Le Duck."
Although she was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006, Kitt continued to perform. Singing engagements included appearances with The Atlanta Symphony, The Portland Symphony, Detroit's Music Hall, Washington, DC's Blues Alley, Seattle's Jazz Alley, the 51st Annual JVC Newport Jazz Festival and the Miami Beach JVC Jazz Festival. On January 17 2007, Miss Kitt turned eighty years old and marked the occasion at Carnegie Hall with a celebratory concert, JVC Jazz presents "Eartha Kitt and Friends."
Also in 2007, Kitt performed in the movie "Somebody Like You," and lent her sultry voice to "Madagascar Two," released in 2008. She also played "Yzma," the villain, in the Disney animated feature "The Emperor's New Groove" and the Disney Channel series "The Emperor's New School," for which she won Emmy Awards in 2007 and 2008.
Also in 2008, NVLP paid tribute to Kitt during its Wisdom Award Celebration. Kitt was honored for her leadership and contributions to the performing arts, along with dancer/choreographer Carmen de Lavallade; Grammy-winning gospel and soul music recording artist Cissy Houston; and composer, arranger, record and film producer, Quincy Jones. The next day, Kitt met with students from the Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program in Harlem, New York as part of an NVLP educational outreach program.
On December 25, 2008 Kitt's long battle with cancer ended. She was 81. She is survived by her daughter, Kitt Shapiro and two grandchildren.
