Eartha Mae Kitt Eartha Mae Keith
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An out-of-wedlock child born in the cotton fields of South Carolina in 1927, Eartha Kitt established herself as a singer with Santa Baby in 1953 and as Catwoman on Batman in 1966. Her anti-war statements at a 1968 White House luncheon led to professional exile. She died of colon cancer on Christmas Day 2008 at age 81.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Eartha Kitt — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Eartha Kitt by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Eartha Kitt — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
An out-of-wedlock child born in the cotton fields of South Carolina in 1927, Eartha Kitt was given away by her mother and arrived in Harlem at age nine. She attended High School of Performing Arts but dropped out to work in a Brooklyn factory. Her aunt brought her to New York, and she lived in friends’ homes and subways as a teenager. The wild applause for José Ferrer‘s Cyrano de Bergerac in 1946 inspired her to pursue show business.
Kitt performed with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe on a European tour in the 1950s and soloed at a Paris nightclub, where Orson Welles spotted her and cast her as Helen of Troy in Faust. In 1953, she recorded C’est si bon and Santa Baby with Henri Rene and his Orchestra. She took over Catwoman in the third season of Batman 1966, replacing Julie Newmar. Her anti-war statements at a 1968 White House luncheon caused professional exile, but she returned to Broadway in Timbuktu! in 1978 and earned a Tony nomination.
Kitt married real estate developer William O. McDonald in 1960; they divorced in 1964 after having one daughter, Kitt McDonald. She had liaisons with Revlon founder Charles Revson and actor Orson Welles. She dated Arthur M. Loew Jr. from 1954 to 1955, but his mother disapproved of her race. Kitt became fluent in French during her years in Europe.
Kitt was the first African American actress to portray Catwoman in live-action, followed by Halle Berry and Zoe Kravitz. She holds Daytime Emmy records: only performer to win Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program three times, consecutively. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Her recording of Santa Baby remains a holiday classic. Two singers paid tribute after her death: René Marie in 2013 and Jody Sternberg in 2026.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Eartha Kitt — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Eartha Kitt — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Am the Original Material Girl.
I Have a Great Need for Affection from an Audience. I Don’t Know Whether This Is Because I Had Such a Tough Life When I Was a Child.
I Don’t Carry Myself as a Black Person but as a Woman That Belongs to Everybody. After All, It’s the General Public That Made Me – Not Any One Particular Group. so I Don’t Think of Myself as Belonging to Any Particular Group and Never Have.
I’m an Orphan. but the Public Has Adopted Me and That Has Been My Only Family. the Biggest Family in the World Is My Fans.
A Man Has Always Wanted to Lay Me Down but He Never Wanted to Pick Me Up.
If Someone Would Even Suggest Such a Vulgar Thing as a Goodbye-themed Event for Me, I Would Pretend I Didn’t Hear It. Goodbye to What? My Whole Life?
When I Was Traveling in the Philippine Islands My Daughter and I, from Time to Time, Used to Stay with Mr. and Mrs. Marcos. and Sometimes She Would Come and Sit Somewhere up Front, and She Would Yell Out, ‘Eartha, Sing ‘Waray Waray!” This Was One of Her Favorite Songs. but of Course, She Always Insisted on Singing Right Along with Me!
Little-known facts about Eartha Kitt — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Eartha Kitt’s real age remained unknown for years until 1998, when students from her South Carolina hometown found her birth certificate. It revealed her birthday was January 17, 1927.
Eartha Kitt recorded Santa Baby in the 1950s and 1960s. She died on Christmas Day 2008 at her home in Weston, Connecticut.
After making anti-war statements during a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson in 1968, Kitt was virtually exiled from the United States. She was welcomed back to the White House in 1978 by Jimmy Carter after a successful return to Broadway in the original production of the musical Timbuktu!.
Among her liaisons with wealthy men were Charles Revson, the Revlon cosmetics founder, and actor Orson Welles, who spotted her in a Paris nightclub and cast her in his Paris stage production of Faust.
Kitt became fluent in French during her long years performing in Europe.
She was nominated in 1996 for a Grammy Award in traditional pop vocal performance for her album Back in Business.
In 1968, she suffered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon. She bluntly told Lady Bird Johnson that they send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed, reportedly making her cry. The public reaction was extreme, and Kitt was professionally exiled from the United States for nearly a decade.
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6656 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
Kitt ranked #89 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.
An aunt brought her to New York City where she attended the High School of Performing Arts before dropping out to take on various menial jobs, including one in a factory.
The wild applause that the audience gave José Ferrer after his stage performance as Cyrano de Bergerac in 1946 inspired her to pursue show business.
In 1953, she recorded her two greatest hits in New York with Henri Rene and his Orchestra: C’est si bon on March 13 and Santa Baby on October 5.
Her husband, William O. McDonald, was a real estate developer. They were married from 1960 to 1964 and had one daughter, Kitt McDonald.
She replaced Chita Rivera for a time in the Broadway revival of the musical Nine.
She was awarded the 1996 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical for Lady Day at the Emerson’s Bar & Grill at the Broadway Productions and New Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Her name can be seen on a marquee in the infamously terrible Edward D. Wood Jr. cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space 1958.
Kitt holds two Daytime Emmy Award records: she is the only performer to win the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program award three times, and the only winner to win three consecutive awards.
She dated Arthur M. Loew Jr. from 1954 to 1955. He wanted to marry her, but his mother disapproved because Eartha was not white.
She was nominated twice for Broadway’s Tony Award: in 1978 as Best Actress Musical for Timbuktu!, and in 2000 as Best Actress Featured Role – Musical for The Wild Party.
Kitt is the first African American actress to portray Catwoman in live-action, followed by Halle Berry and Zoe Kravitz.
She started as a dancer with the Katherine Dunham Group touring America, Mexico, and Europe. While in Paris, Orson Welles saw her solo performing and cast her as Helen of Troy.
She was a year older than Adam West, making her the first actress to play Selina Kyle/Catwoman who is older than the actor playing Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Kitt was friends with Freda Payne and Dick Gregory.
She died on the same date as actress Ann Savage.
On November 4, 1950, she sang C’est si bon for the first time at the opening of the cabaret Le Perroquet Club in Paris with Rudy Castell and his Orchestra.
Two singers paid tribute to Eartha Kitt after her death: René Marie in 2013 with With Love To Eartha Kitt and Jody Sternberg in 2026 with To Eartha With Love.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Eartha Kitt.
Celebrities similar to Eartha Kitt — same craft, ranked by reach.
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