EARTHA KITT R.I.P. Singer of Holiday Hit "Santa Baby" Died on Christmas Day. LENGENDARY FEMALE PERFORMER of "LET'S DO IT", Women's Rights Activist

This 21st century Pop Superhero was saddened to learn of the loss of Eartha Kitt, who was a women's music history icon.  It is because of women like her that I am afforeded the right to perform freely in this 21st century.  THANK YOU, EARTHA!

Eartha Kitt R.I.P

By Aiden Landman
Published: December 30th, 2008 

Eartha Kitt, musician, actress, mother, and pioneer of African American women’s performance, died on Christmas Day after a long battle with colon cancer. She was 81.  Best known for her chart-topping recording of the Joan Javits- and Phillip Springer-penned “Santa Baby,” a song who's theme presently skims the tragically ironic. Kitt was born January 17th 1927 on a cotton plantation in the South Carolina town of North. Early in her career, Kitt was a member of the Katherine Dunham Company, the first African American modern dance company. It was with the Katherine Dunham Company that she would make her screen debut in 1948's Casbah.

The year 1953 saw the release of Kitt’s biggest hit, “Santa Baby.” The song is a comical look at Christmas excess, and the lengths to which our wants outweigh our needs during the holidays. Later, she had a string of hits including “Let's Do It,” “C'est si Bon,” and “Love for Sale.”

A pioneering force in African American women's performance, Kitt derailed the old idea that African American women were to remain in the background playing the hired help, never to take center stage. From her starring role as Helen of Troy in Orson Well's 1950 stage version of Dr. Faustus to her 3rd season takeover as Catwoman in the 1960s television series Batman, Kitt provided a road map and inspiration to a generation of female African American performers.

Her career stalled in the late 60s, due to critical remarks made about the Vietnam War, and did not rebound until 1978 when she returned to Broadway in the musical Timbuktu!. Later in her career, Kitt worked on Broadway and as a voice-over actor for animated features and television shows including The Emperor's New Groove,Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and My Life as a Teenage Robot.

Her many career accolades include three Annie Awards, two Daytime Emmys, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Despite such triumphs, it is her exotic voice that has cemented Kitt’s place in cultural history. Equal parts gravelly and sultry, her singing talent lent Kitt’s work a distinctive dimension and depth. Orson Wells once remarked that Kitt was “the most exciting woman in the world,” based upon her beauty and cadence. 

Kitt is survived by her daughter Kitt Shapiro and her two grandchildren, Jason and Rachel.