EARTHA KITT- an international star whose career as an actress and singer spanned six decades - died on 25 December, 2008, aged 81.Miss Kitt is remembered by many as Catwoman in the TV series Batman and her distinctive, sultry voice - with its cat-like purr - is heard every Christmas on the song Santa Baby.But her career also saw her distinguish herself in films, cabaret and in the recording studio. She was nominated for three Tony awards, two Grammy awards and two Emmy awards.Born on 17 January, 1927, Eartha Mae Kitt suffered in her childhood due to her mixed-race heritage. At the age of eight, she was given away by her mother and sent from the South Carolina cotton fields to live with an aunt in Harlem.Miss Kitt was unsure of her birthplace or birth date until in 1997 a group of South Carolina college students located her birth certificate. Up until then Miss Kitt had always celebrated her birthday on 26 January."I'm an orphan. But the public has adopted me and that has been my only family," she said.In New York, when she was still a teenager she auditioned for the famous Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe. She won a spot as a featured dancer and singer and before she was 20 she had toured worldwide with the company. Her fame spread and Orson Welles called her "the most exciting woman in the world". Welles was so taken with her talent that he cast her as Helen of Troy in his production of Dr Faust.Success on the Broadway stage led to a recording contract and a succession of best-selling records including Love for Sale, I Want to Be Evil, Santa Baby and Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa, which earned her a Grammy nomination.Singing in 10 different languages, Miss Kitt performed in more than 100 countries and was honoured with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.In 1966, she was nominated for an Emmy for her role in the series, I Spy. In 1967, Miss Kitt made an indelible mark on pop culture as the infamous villain Catwoman in the television series, Batman.In 1968, at a White House luncheon hosted by Lady Bird Johnson, Miss Kitt spoke out against the Vietnam War. For years afterward, Miss Kitt was blacklisted in the U.S. and was forced to work abroad where her status remained undiminished.In December 2006 she returned to Washington and lit the National Christmas Tree alongside President and Mrs. George W. Bush.A family spokesman saidthe singerdied in Connecticut after treatment for colon cancer.The cancer was first treated in 2006 but recurred after a period of remission. Andrew Freedman told Reuters: "She came back strongly. She had been performing until two months ago," he said. "We had dates booked through 2009."
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