Eartha Kitt
Biography
Eartha Kitt's sultry purr and feline grace made her one of the most distinctive voices in entertainment history, a woman who transformed herself from a cotton-picking child in rural South Carolina into an international icon of sophistication and sensuality. Born Eartha Mae Keith on January 17, 1927, in North, South Carolina, she faced a childhood marked by poverty and abandonment. Raised by relatives after being rejected by her mother, Kitt's mixed-race heritage made her an outsider in the segregated South, but these early struggles would forge the fierce independence and exotic mystique that would define her career.
Kitt's journey to stardom began when she moved to New York City as a teenager, where her striking beauty and natural talent caught the attention of choreographer Katherine Dunham. Joining Dunham's renowned dance troupe, Kitt toured Europe in the late 1940s, absorbing the continental sophistication that would become her trademark. It was in Paris nightclubs where she first discovered her vocal prowess, singing in French cabarets and developing the breathy, seductive style that would make her famous.
Her breakthrough came with the 1953 album "RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt," which established her as a unique force in popular music. The album showcased her ability to seamlessly blend jazz, pop, and international folk influences, singing in multiple languages with an intimacy that made listeners feel like confidants. Her interpretation of "C'est Si Bon" became a signature piece, demonstrating her remarkable ability to make foreign songs feel both exotic and accessible. The album's success lay in Kitt's fearless approach to material that other singers might find challenging, transforming each song into a personal statement delivered with feline sensuality and razor-sharp wit.
The 1954 release "That Bad Eartha" solidified her reputation as music's most provocative chanteuse. The album's centerpiece, "Santa Baby," became one of the most enduring holiday songs of all time, with Kitt's playful yet predatory delivery creating a Christmas classic that was simultaneously innocent and scandalous. Her ability to suggest rather than state, to purr rather than belt, set her apart from her contemporaries. Songs like "I Want to Be Evil" revealed her theatrical instincts and her understanding that entertainment could be both sophisticated and subversive. This album demonstrated Kitt's genius for taking potentially controversial material and making it irresistibly charming through her unique vocal approach and magnetic personality.
"Down to Eartha," released in 1955, represented the full flowering of her artistic powers. This album captured Kitt at her most confident and versatile, moving effortlessly between torch songs, novelty numbers, and international folk pieces. Her rendition of "Just an Old Fashioned Girl" showcased her ability to find irony and humor in traditional material, while tracks sung in French and Spanish highlighted her cosmopolitan appeal. The album revealed an artist who understood that true sophistication came not from pretension but from the ability to find depth and meaning in any material, no matter how seemingly simple.
Throughout the 1950s and beyond, Kitt's career expanded far beyond recording. She conquered Broadway in "New Faces of 1952," appeared in films, and became a television icon as Catwoman in the 1960s "Batman" series. Her political activism, particularly her vocal opposition to the Vietnam War at a White House luncheon in 1968, led to her being blacklisted in America for nearly a decade. Undaunted, she rebuilt her career in Europe before triumphantly returning to American stages in the late 1970s.
Kitt's influence extended far beyond music into fashion, film, and social consciousness. She paved the way for artists who refused to be categorized, showing that sexuality and intelligence could coexist, that vulnerability and strength were not mutually exclusive. Her fearless approach to controversial subjects and her refusal to conform to racial or gender stereotypes made her a pioneer for future generations of performers.
When Eartha Kitt died on Christmas Day 2008, she left behind a legacy that transcended entertainment. She had proven that authenticity trumps convention, that true artistry lies in the courage to be completely oneself. Her distinctive voice, with its unique blend of vulnerability and power, continues to influence singers across genres. More than a performer, Kitt was a cultural force who showed the world that being different wasn't just acceptable—it was essential. Her purr remains one of music's most recognizable sounds, a reminder that sometimes the most powerful voices are also the most intimate.
