Eartha Kitt Dies at 81

[+ Hoover42]

From the BBC news website:

 

"American singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the age 81, a family friend has said.

 

Ms Kitt was said to have been suffering from cancer.

 

She was one of the few artists to be nominated in the Tony, Grammy and Emmy award categories and was a stalwart of the Manhattan cabaret scene.

 

She famously played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series and this century continued to perform regularly in theatre shows and concert halls.

 

Ms Kitt was blacklisted in the US in the late 1960s after speaking out against the Vietnam War at a White House function. "

 

May she rest in peace.

 

...Hoover

[+ deej]

Wow. C'est si bon, Santa Baby.

 

This one we'll miss.

[mmk]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28386832/?GT1=43001

 

 

Such a loss to the entertainment world. She was so outspoken yet always remained very classy and dignified. Eartha is someone who has left her mark and will defintely be missed.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

Rest in peace Eartha Kitt

[Troyster]

It was not the holidays until I heard Santa Baby on the radio. What a wonderfully sultry voice has fallen silent .... I am sure she will stir up heaven!

[Trixie]

She was one my idols, my inspirations, my Guiding Lights. Many's the time I found myself in a sticky wicket and asked myself, "What would Eartha Do?" And lead by her guiding consciousness, I emerged on the other side, perhaps a bit bruised & dissheveled, but still a Lady.

 

M'Lady, I raise my glass of 80 year old Port to you. May the World forever remember Miss Kitt!

 

 

Miss Trix

[seaboy4hire]

I've been a fan of Miss. Kitt for a number of years and I did shed a tear over this great loss of talent. Even at 81 she was still that sexy cat woman and sophisticated young lady that I've known. I am really kicking myself because she'd come to Seattle many times but for what ever reason I could never get my work sched right to see her. I'm not a big fan of cloning but this time I'd make an exception. Here are a couple clips of Miss. Kitt I enjoyed on youtube:

This clip she talks about the quality of life and entertainment here in the US. It was from 1981 and she nailed it right on the head. This clip:

She does a number from her off Broadway show. Very emotional imho. I am glad that she is no longer suffering and I hope she is raising brows and making the men sweat while doing some sultry numbers up in heaven.

 

Hugs,

Greg

http://seaboy4hire.tripod.com

seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

Your low rent escort http://www.daddysreviews.com/newest.php?who=greg_seattle

http://www.rockbox.org/mail/archive/rockbox-archive-2008-07/att-0126/Sheeple.gif

2 months and counting!

[Guest Wetnwildbear]

Ms. Kitt was an excellent performer. However, like most mortals there

 

is more than one side to the story. My brightest up close and

 

personal recollection of Ms. Kitt goes back to circa 1984 Fort

 

Lauderdale.

 

 

Like many of the time she was working the "Disco" Circuit and had a

 

Gay-Mega Hit - "Where is My Baby" See Lyrics at:

 

http://www.lyricsondemand.com/e/earthakittlyrics/whereismymanlyrics.html

 

With much fanfare/ado and buildup - Eartha was scheduled to appear at

 

"BACKSTREET" for Sunday Tea Dance - Eartha had been to town before

 

and loved to party with the Gay Boys - and Saturday Night/Morning was

 

no Exception.

 

 

Literally, several thousand Queens linedup and were jamming

 

Backstreet (police directing traffic and all) for the the paltry door

 

charge of $30.00 to see Eartha - show scheduled at 4pm. Quite pricey

 

for 1984 when TDance was usually Free and came with Entertainment -

 

Food and Nude Swimming.

 

 

Onward to 6pm - Rumors circulate that Eartha Has Arrived via police

 

and a neighboring alley and quite a commontion. Her Grand Entrance

 

was to be accomplished via Trapeeze decending from the 3rd floor

 

ceiling above the DJ Booth complete with lights/smoke/dancers

 

swinging out from the balconies and greeted by the shows host

 

Ms. Belle Kincaide - The Biggest (largest) Drag queen Lauderdale Ever

 

Knew - At least 7ft tall/260lb in barefoot).

 

 

Queens Screaming Everywhere for Eartha - People Drunk of their asses

 

have been there since 1pm - its is also Ft. Laud in the Summer and

 

Steamy - Sultry and Sweaty don't quite capture the aroma at this

 

point.

 

 

Enter Eartha - A little wobbly on the Trapeeze and swinging wildly

 

into the Dancers - Belle Kincaide on Stage Reaching and Trying to

 

Steady Eartha as the ropes come down! Lights - Music - Dance

 

 

Eartha Gets almost to Earth - PLOPs off her Trapeeze - Right onto her

 

Ass on stage - Rolls back laughing - on the stage dress over her ass -

 

Pulls herself up the side of Belle Kincaide - And passes out.

 

 

Belle - Throws Eartha over her massive/sleeveless satin dress

 

shoulders - Grabs onto the the Trapeeze - Yells UP SIMBA! and off

 

they go up into the ceiling. BOOING - SCREAMING - GLASSES BREAKING!

 

 

Music Up - Belle Kincaide - Riding and Sliding Back Down the Trapeze

 

Cue Dance Boys! Belle Provides a rousing impromptu live-to-track

 

version of

 

"Where is My Eartha" -

 

 

Some Get Refunds - Eartha to her Credit Comes Back for a Free Show

 

a few weeks later and apologizes to a much smaller crowd for

 

her "Lady Trouble" during her previous visit.

 

 

Fierce - But Tarnished -

 

But Still PPUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRFFFFFEEEECCTTT

[Guest CURIOUS35]

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

I love Eartha and her version of the VISAYAN ( a Philippine language from the south)song, WARAY-WARAY!

 

I don't speak the language but was told by Visayan friends it was a hoot to listen o her slur the words and give it a jazzy, raspy tonality, no one in the islands can ever copy.

 

She is inimitable.

 

I am sure Jessie, Peter, paul and Mary will be producing her musical revues from now on.

 

Eartha you are the boner to a song.

[JT Brooklyn]

R.I.P. Ms KITT.. A True Entertainer!

 

I definitely will be looking forward to her PBS Appearance in Feb 2009! Gone But Never Forgotten by her Many Fans of All Ages..

[pegasian]

I saw EARTHA KITT in her 70's performing in BIG PARTY on Broadway. She STOPPED the show... Singing as ONLY she could and doing high kicks. She received a Tony nomination but did not win because she really was the only good thing in the show.

 

Her life story will make an AMAZING MOVIE that will span major issues of our times. MAYBE after it is made she will get the credit she is due.

 

 

>From the BBC news website:

>

>"American singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the

>age 81, a family friend has said.

>

>Ms Kitt was said to have been suffering from cancer.

>

>She was one of the few artists to be nominated in the Tony,

>Grammy and Emmy award categories and was a stalwart of the

>Manhattan cabaret scene.

>

>She famously played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television

>series and this century continued to perform regularly in

>theatre shows and concert halls.

>

>Ms Kitt was blacklisted in the US in the late 1960s after

>speaking out against the Vietnam War at a White House

>function. "

>

>May she rest in peace.

>

>...Hoover

[Luv2play]

Eartha Kitt was one of those entertainers I was aware of but didn't really appreciate until she made her mega-hit "I Need a Man" which was just so perfect for the crazy disco days of the '80's. I had the chance to see her perform in Provincetown on the Labor Day weekend in 1999 I believe. She would have been around 70 then and still looked terrific in a black leotard and sang and danced like an old trooper.

 

The day they announced her death I just happened to be reading Liz Carpenter's memoirs about her days as Lady Bird Johnson's press secretary. Mrs. Carpenter shamefully distorted the record of what transpired that day when Miss Kitt appeared at a White House luncheon.

 

The New York Times obituary gave what I assume is the correct version of events and it has Lady Bird crying when Kitt denounced the Vietnam War and said it was leading the young to rebel and take pot. Mrs. Carpenter said that the First Lady put up a spirited reply and neglected to mention the tears. Whatever!

 

Jimmy Carter, bless him, invited her back to the White House in 1979 and from there her career took off again. What is most amazing is to know that her early life was such a hardship, being the illegitimate child of a white man and a black sharecropper and being homeless in her teens. And from that she rose to the heights of the entertainment world through her sheer talent and guts. Some lady!