Eartha Kitt Dies on Christmas Day at the Age of 81

Eartha Mae Kitt passed away December 25, 2008 of colon cancer in New York, New York. She was 81 years old.

Kitt was an actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series, Batman, which aired in the 1960. She is also known for her classic Christmas song, "Santa Baby," released in 1953.

She was born Eartha Mae Keith on January 17, 1927 in North, South Carolina. According to Kitt she was conceived when her mother, who was African American and Native American, was raped by her father who was German and Dutch.

Kitt was raised by a woman who she believed was her mother, Anna Mae Riley, but after Riley died, she went to New York to live with Riley's sister, Mamie Kitt, who Kitt then believed was her mother. She knew little of her father other than that his last name was Kitt and that his father owned the cotton plantation where she was born.

The show business career for Kitt began when was joined the Katherine Dunham Company where she made her film debut in Casbah in 1948. She sang numerous hit songs in which she displayed her unique voice. She began fluent in French after spending some time in Europe. In 1953 she released her classic Christmas song, "Santa Baby."

Kitt got her first starting film role in Helen of Troy and after a number of smaller films she made her first made her feature film debut in 1958 in The Mark of the Hawk. After working in film in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she got a role as Catwoman replacing Julie Newmar in the television series Batman, a role for which she would be remembered for decades to come.

She suffered a setback in 1968 when she made anti-war statements during a luncheon at the White House. There were strong reactions from the public on both sides. Nonetheless, Kitt had to focus her professional energies overseas as a result of the backlash to her comments. Work for Kitt continued on as she performed in numerous Broadway shows. In recent years she make annual cabaret performances appearances in New York. In last 2006 she co-starred in Mimi le duck, an Off-Broadway musical. In 2007 Kitt worked opposite Vanessa L. Williams in an independent film, And Then Came Love.

On October 27, 2008, Kitt released a CD and DVD Eartha Kitt Live at The Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2008.

Kitt has won numerous awards including multiple Annie Awards and Daytime Emmy awards.

From 1960 to 1965 Kitt was married to Bill McDonald. The couple had one daughter, Kitt Shapiro born in 1962. She had two grandchildren.

Kitt shares about her life in three autobiographies entitled Thursday's Child released in 1956, Alone with Me released in 1976 and I'm Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten released in 1989.