Eartha Kitt: RIP

Man, that's sad. I admit I'm a bit young to know a whole lot about her from her early carer, but she was a darn talented actress (I loved her as Ezma in Emperor's new groove).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMSHOPkcVv8

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#5 posted by Foolster41

, December 25, 2008 11:37 PM

Oh Doh! She was cat woman in the Batman TV show (With Adam West and Ceaser Romero). I can't believe I forgot that. I loved watching reruns of that show.

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#6 posted by GermanCityGirl , December 25, 2008 11:53 PM

I was lucky to see her twice this year: once with the Portland Symphony and the second time, on a solo tour in Seattle.

I will never forget her voice, sass and indomitable spirit. And she had some killer legs for an 81 year old!

The firmament lost a shining star today and there will never be another like her : (

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#7 posted by njnorth , December 26, 2008 2:02 AM

Eartha Kitt was a great talent and a great social activist in the 1960's on the unjust Vietnam war as detailed in the New York Times Obituary:

"But she took the steeliness with her, in a willful, outspoken manner that mostly served her career, except once. In 1968 she was invited to a White House luncheon and was asked by Lady Bird Johnson about the Vietnam War. She replied: “You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot.” The remark reportedly caused Mrs. Johnson to burst into tears and led to a derailment in Ms. Kitt’s career."

She will be MISSED. RIP
Robert

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#8 posted by TK

, December 26, 2008 2:48 AM

So sad to see someone with a popular Christmas song kicked the bucket on Christmas day.

So tragic... so ironic.

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#9 posted by Scott Bieser , December 26, 2008 2:59 AM

I've long admired Kitt for her strength and joie de vivre, not to mention her talented singing, but hadn't heard about the Lady Bird incident until now. Anyone who can speak truth to power in a situation like that is a Giant of Integrity and fully deserving of a place in the Pantheon of Heroes for our civilization.

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#10 posted by Stevezilla , December 26, 2008 3:53 AM

Oh, that is some -HARD- news to take the day after Christmas. Hearing "Santa Baby" again is going to be a strange experience.

Of course, like a lot of late 60's kids, Eartha Kitt's Catwoman turn on Batman was the first time I was exposed to her. Since MomZilla was 'down with the cause', I think she may have told me about her activism. She was such a great part of recent, really fun things like My Life as a Teenage Robot and The Emperors New Groove. Eartha Kitt has always been a fantastic entertainer. Hearing her unique, sultry yet fun voice always let you know you were in for a treat.

Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us, Eartha. You will be sorely missed.

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#11 posted by FoetusNail , December 26, 2008 4:21 AM

Puurrrrfect.

Thanks.

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#12 posted by igpajo , December 26, 2008 6:26 AM

Arkizzle, thanks for posting that video for "I want to be Evil!" Man that song rocks! Must have that song now.

I must admit I didn't know much about her before she voiced Yzma for Disney's "Emperor's New Groove." I learned a bit more about her after that. Definitely an amazing talent.

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#13 posted by danwarning , December 26, 2008 7:22 AM

Mrs. Kitt lived in the small town I grew up in, here in rural Connecticut and while I never got a chance to speak to her, many of the people I've spoken to who'd encountered her had the sweetest things to say.

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#14 posted by kpurcell , December 26, 2008 8:03 AM

Wow, how sad.

We just listened to her rendition of "Santa Baby" on Christmas Day. The best version of that song IMO.

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#15 posted by MikeMoore , December 26, 2008 9:13 AM

An original and great artist. She will be remembered fondly.

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#16 posted by jstigma , December 26, 2008 9:22 AM

it's incredible how like condi rice she looks in this vid.

...that apart she'll be sorely missed.

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#17 posted by Bionicrat2 , December 26, 2008 9:22 AM

Fun that she's actually singing live in that video! Weird that trannies are cut in during the middle...

Trivia: She was only the Catwoman in 3 episodes of Batman during the last season.

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#18 posted by minTphresh , December 26, 2008 9:46 AM

she will be missed! as the club-foot assassin in "wild at heart", she made my brother scott so uncomfortable that all i ever had to say to shut him up from that point on was " fuck me reggie!" and of course she was incomparable as the catwoman. RIP eartha!

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#19 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator

, December 26, 2008 11:46 AM

With all due to Eartha Kitt, that amazing woman, I am going to pause here a moment to thank a couple of our readers. Some spam comments got posted here that contained dodgy links. Takuan spotted them; then Imipak, that mensch, diagnosed them as coming from a malware site, and posted a report on who they were and what to do about them, ending with instructions to nuke his-or-her comment when we were done. Though the comments are unpublished, let the egoboo remain: Thank you! Much appreciated!

Applause also for Stevezilla, FoetusNail, Arkizzle, Santa's Knee, Andrew Pam, Alison, and Tavie, for hitting the Eyeball icon and telling us to take a look. Smart readers are the most sensitive and discriminating spam filter a site could ever hope to have.

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#20 posted by Xeni Jardin

, December 26, 2008 12:06 PM

+1, Teresa -- thank you, Takuan and imipak, and I believ there may have been others who spotted them as well. We really appreciate it, guys.

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#21 posted by Santa's Knee , December 26, 2008 1:00 PM

YW - Happy Christmas.

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#22 posted by Anonymous , December 26, 2008 1:21 PM

I'm still surprised their was no mention on boingboing of Yma Sumac passing...

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#23 posted by benenglish , December 26, 2008 1:42 PM

#9, Scott, and others who aren't old enough to remember and have only glowing obits from which to judge -

You should do a bit more research before you form an opinion about that day at the White House. Now, so near her death, is not the time to go into it, so I'll leave it at that.

She was a great artist and now she's gone. We are diminished.

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#24 posted by Maneki Nico , December 26, 2008 2:55 PM

“Michelle Pfeiffer? Ha! The only true Catwoman is Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, or Eartha Kitt.” — Adam West

The Simpsons, “Mr. Plow”

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#25 posted by Chris Griswold , December 26, 2008 4:07 PM

Is there some significance to the drag queens?

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#26 posted by buddy66 , December 26, 2008 4:24 PM

Her Wiki bio notes that Orson Welles cast her as Helen of Troy in his stage production of Dr. Faustus, but I recall (I think) an even more unconventional stage casting of her as Desdemona to his Othello. Of course it scandalized racist America, including, of course, his real-life affair with her.

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#27 posted by Takuan , December 26, 2008 7:17 PM

@17 and 25, no mystery, it clearly says "Eartha and friends"

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#28 posted by Bionicrat2 , December 26, 2008 11:16 PM

@27, Clearly her friends from the future visiting a 1960s broadcast. Can't believe it struck me as odd.

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#29 posted by Takuan , December 26, 2008 11:53 PM

oh I'm sorry,I keep forgetting, you only move in one direction, forgive me.

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#30 posted by Anonymous , December 27, 2008 4:18 AM

Man, first James Brown in 2006 and now Eartha Kitt? Christmas Day just becomes more and more bittersweet :-(

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#31 posted by membrain , December 27, 2008 2:24 PM

Oh my god. I so loved her. :(

RIP

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#32 posted by Takuan , December 27, 2008 2:34 PM

what would you prefer? Hearing today from those who value you? Or having a nice tombstone?

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#33 posted by WWgallery , December 27, 2008 2:50 PM

We saw Eartha Kitt perform at the Shaw Theatre in London last February. She was amazing! A legend who will be sorely missed, she inspired our next exhibition 'Mink Schmink', which opens on 17 Jan 2009 (what would have been her 82nd birthday) at WW Gallery, London, UK. The show, which was planned a while ago, will pay tribute to the themes that run through her songs and performances.

See http://www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com/minkschmink.htm for more details.

We welcome all fans to come along to the preview on Fri 16th Jan and dress accordingly - in memory of Miss Kitt!

Mink Schmink 17 Jan - 15 Feb 2009
Press preview Thurs 15th Jan 6-9pm
Private view Fri 16th Jan 6-9pm

WW Gallery
30 Queensdown Road
London E5 8NN
+447531342128
wwgallery@gmail.com
www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com

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#34 posted by minTphresh , December 27, 2008 2:51 PM

can i design it?

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#35 posted by Takuan , December 27, 2008 3:01 PM

no! the world has seem enough exploding tombstones.

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#36 posted by minTphresh , December 27, 2008 3:18 PM

go with a bang...me likee!

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#37 posted by FoetusNail , December 27, 2008 3:25 PM

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/talking-tombstone-you-know-for-dead-jokesters-183688.php

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#38 posted by Takuan , December 27, 2008 4:21 PM

with a recording of:
"Good Day, I am Dr.Nkrumah Fatanta, recently deceased and in need of someone I can trust because of my present health status.I have a proposal in the tune of US dollars five millions to be secured to an offshore account...

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#39 posted by elsmiley , December 27, 2008 8:44 PM

There's nothing sad about death. She lived a beautiful life. We loved her. Love is in the air. So be it.

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#40 posted by Art Carnage , December 27, 2008 9:38 PM

Srry y'r dd, bt hv t sy, y lwys knd f crpd m t. lt. nd Jl Nwmr ws th bst Ctwmn.

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#41 posted by Takuan , December 27, 2008 10:04 PM

gee Art, you do professional elegies?