Singer, dancer, actress, writer... and the greatest Catwoman ever. Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman in the world". Not a bad way to have spent 81 years of life. And a mighty far road to have come from the cotton fields of North, South Carolina.
This was the woman who, in my mind, defined what it truly meant to be sexy. And it had nothing to do with her ravishing good looks. It was Kitt's unrelenting spirit that enchanted her many admirers. All her life, she was her own person and she never backed down. Eartha Kitt told it like she saw it. It cost her years of a career in the United States following a now-legendary argument at the White House with a wrathful Ladybird Johnson. But Kitt came back. As she said in 1992, "I'm still here!", while everyone who had tried to stop her had already gone.
I think my favorite memory of Eartha Kitt was when she appeared on Politically Incorrect at the height of President Clinton's scandal with Monica Lewinski. Kitt said something that the sorry lot of elected officials in this land would do well to remember: "He's in our house!", talking about the White House... and how it did not belong to Bill Clinton at all, but to "the people". If that didn't scream out that she was smart sharp and sexy, I don't know what would.
The sensual, seductive, vivacious Eartha Kitt passed away today after a battle with colon cancer. She was 81.
And I must grieve that there does not seem to be any performer of my own generation who can even come close to the class and style that this fine lady had.
2 comments:
Eartha-
You were a wonderful Catwoman, and nobody can EVER sing Santa Baby like you!
You'll br missed!!!!
A fine tribute to a fine woman.
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