Eartha Kitt’s Difficult Life: Revelations
Like Carol Channing, Eartha Kitt in her purring performer’s persona was a wonderful cartoon come to life. But Kitt’s onstage persona masked a challenging existence. Kitt’s daughter has now revealed that the singer died without knowing the identity of her white father, after being denied the truth by officials in the Deep South. Kitt’s extraordinary life and elusive past has come under the spotlight five years after her death, with publication of a biography called “America’s Mistress: Eartha Kitt, Her Life and Times” by British journalist John Williams. Just two tidbits: The world-famous singer came from a dirt-poor background and only found out her date of birth when she was 71.
