Eartha Kitt studied at Metropolitan Vocational High School (Later: High School of Performing Arts). Eartha Kitt's life was scarred by her failure to learn the identity of her white father, says daughter. She had always put 26 January 1926 on her passport, but actually she was born on 17 January 1927. Education. But according to her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, who chose not to co-operate with the biography, when Eartha launched a legal fight to gain access to the birth certificate she fell victim to a cover-up by officials. Eartha’s parentage was uncertain. Kitt's daughter, Kitt Shapiro, has questioned the accuracy of the claim. "She never found out her father's name, but always assumed he was white. He died on May 10, 1992 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. My mother said that she had tried to find her birth certificate during the 1950s but was unsuccessful. We were amazed. Eartha Kitt and daughter, Kitt Shapiro. "To some extent, I think my arrival completed her because it gave her a family that she never had. Eartha Kitt στο TV Guide; 32398636 Έρθα Κιτ στο Find a Grave (Αγγλικά) Video / audio footage "An Evening with Eartha Kitt". 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 1979. It was a female judge who stepped aside while we read the records on her desk. Say Brother. Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedienne, activist and voice artist, known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of “C'est Si Bon” and the enduring Christmas novelty smash “Santa Baby”, which were both US Top 10 hits. 25 Δεκεμβρίου 2008. She was horribly abused in the South. Hughley Show on WZAK [LISTEN], Angie Stone Rocked Out “Family Unity In The…, Exclusive Look At Fox Empires Spring Premiere (Trailer), An Intimate Interview With R&b Singer KEM (Video), Yes, That Was Both Claudia and Kellyanne Conway…, Regina King Set Off ‘SNL’ With Kenan Thompson…, Netflix Drops Trailer For New The Notorious B.I.G.…, Tim Scott Shines Trump’s Shoes One Last Time…, Stacey Plaskett Slams Trump’s Impeachment Lawyers For Video…, The Burden Is On Senate Republicans And Trump’s…, Your email will be shared with wzakcleveland.com and subject to its, Yes, That Was Both Claudia and Kellyanne Conway on ‘American Idol’ Most Recently, Rachel Lindsay Ready to Walk Away From ‘Bachelor Nation’ Following Chris Harrison Controversy, LOCAL NEWS: Cleveland International Film Festival Presents “Bring Film Home” as Theme for 2021. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, in an interview with The Guardian, says her mother was denied access to her birth certificate up until then and had to even go through legal procedures to try to gain access. “She said if anyone can find it, then she would be most grateful. I wonder if he was the son of the man that was named. Now her daughter has set up a business called Simply Eartha in her mother's memory, as well as managing her estate. ", Shapiro, who worked for her mother for more than 20 years, believes that this failure to find out her mother's origins explains her tortured relationship with the South and her own identity. ", Singer's search to discover more about her origins was frustrated by official secrecy, Eartha Kitt in a TV series in 1975 during her stay in Britain. Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, dancer, voice actress, comedienne, activist, author, and songwriter known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby", both of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Newspaper obituaries state that her white father was "a poor cotton farmer".In an August 2013 biography, British journalist John Williams claimed that Kitt's father was a white man, a local doctor named Daniel Sturkie. They were protecting the white man because they would not have gone to that trouble to protect a black man. So much of her life was a complete mystery as she only found her true date of birth when she was 71. Daniel B Sturkie, Jr was born circa 1924, at birth place, Georgia, to Daniel B Sturkie and Mary R Sturkie. Born in 1927 South Carolina, Eartha Kitt became popular in Paris as a nightclub singer, then returned to the U.S. to appear in films and on Broadway. "Singer And Actress Eartha Kitt Dies". Eartha Kitt passed away on Christmas Day 2008, never knowing her father's name At that time, being a light-skinned black person in the black South was 'just as … There is an actor named Daniel Sturkie that was born in Lexington SC which is in the county next to one Eartha was born in. The world-famous singer came from a dirt-poor background and only found out her date of birth when she was 71. She was invited to speak at this college and I went down with her. ", Kitt became a leading light in the civil rights movement in the 1960s but when she condemned the Vietnam war on a visit to the White House her career in the US ended and the CIA branded her "a sadistic nymphomaniac". My mother was not accepted by the black community.”, She added: “She never found out her father’s name, but always assumed he was white. All Things Considered. So the kids found some information that eventually led us going back down to the South.”, She added: “We had to get a lawyer and petition the court to get the records opened and this took about six to seven months. The singer, who died in 2008, wept when she set eyes on the certificate in 1998, only to find that her father's name had been blacked out, said Shapiro, her only child, who had accompanied her mother. She did not even know how old she was. However, Kitt's daughter Kitt Shapiro has questioned the accuracy of the claim. Sam Sylk Welcomes The D.L. During the company's tour to Paris and London, Kitt broke away to make a solo career and Britain would become a second home for Kitt and her daughter. Dan Sturkie, Actor: Lo chiamavano Trinità.... Dan Sturkie was born on January 5, 1924 in Lexington, South Carolina, USA as Jr. Daniel Belton Sturkie. Also did a quick check to see if Strom Thurmond was anywhere near St. Matthews. Same Day Xpress. Born in the tiny hamlet of St Matthew's, South Carolina, Kitt's mother, Annie Mae Keitt, abandoned her daughter at an early age when she found a new man with little time for the light-skinned Eartha. ... Williams claims that Kitt's father was Daniel Sturkie, a local white doctor. Copyright © 2021 Interactive One, LLC. Shapiro, especially, was not sure that it was true or if it even mattered that his identity was revealed at this point. She did not even know how old she was. Williams claims that Kitt's father was Daniel Sturkie, a local white doctor. By then Kitt had divorced the father of her daughter, Bill McDonald, who was a white businessman and wounded Korean war veteran addicted to painkillers, and mother and daughter moved to London to relaunch her career in Europe. ", She added: "We had to get a lawyer and petition the court to get the records opened and this took about six to seven months. Daniel … But Shapiro said: "I do remember the name because we were told they were one of the local white families, but I cannot recall whether it was suggested he was the father. Possibly one of the Keitt family, 'the former slave owners,' or, far more likely, a recently bereaved local doctor called Daniel Sturkie. Shapiro said: "We lived in Knightsbridge and later Fulham. NPR. But Shapiro said: "I do remember the name because we were told they were one of the local white families, but I cannot recall whether it was suggested he was the father. Eartha Kitt passed away on Christmas Day 2008, never knowing her father’s name. According to Williams, Kitt's father was a white doctor named Daniel Sturkie, though some people have questioned the legitimacy of that claim. Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, dancer, activist and comedian, known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby", which were both US Top 10 hits. An out-of-wedlock child, Eartha Kitt was born in the cotton fields of South Carolina. The father's name was blacked out. "She said if anyone can find it, then she would be most grateful. "My mother never really felt comfortable in her own skin because she never really knew who she was until then. The courts still held it as legal to withhold the documentation. *According to her daughter, Eartha Kitt went to her grave at 81 without knowing the identity of her white father; due to officials in the American Deep South keeping it a secret from her. My mother was referred to as a ‘yellow gal’, which was not a compliment. There were a lot of names.” She had always put 26 January 1926 on her passport, but actually she was born on 17 January 1927.”, “To some extent, I think my arrival completed her because it gave her a family that she never had.”, SIGN UP FOR THE WZAK CLEVELAND NEWSLETTER. About Daniel Sturkie From The Guardian's Obituary Her official birth details were established only in 1997, when she challenged a group of students to find the certificate that records her as having been born Eartha Mae Keith in the town of North, South Carolina. The possibility that I want you to entertain is that Eartha Kitt once had a threesome with Paul Newman and James Dean. There were a lot of names. She was visibly nervous about what she was going to see. In the 1960s, Kitt had a recurring role as Catwoman on TV's Batman, but her career waned after she criticized the Vietnam War during a luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson. Singer, Actress, Dancer, Activist, Comedian, Author, Songwriter, Voiceover Artist. All I ask, for those of you who need to be convinced, and are not willing to take my good word for it, is that you accept that the probability of this threesome is not zero . ", Williams claims that Kitt's father was Daniel Sturkie, a local white doctor. During the speech someone asked her about her background and parents since she was from the area. My mother said that she had tried to find her birth certificate during the 1950s but was unsuccessful,” Shapiro shared. She said: "She carried the scar of her rejection with her all her life. It meant someone who thought they were better than everyone else even though my mother was just a child at the time. WGBH-TV. According to her daughter, Kitt died at her home in Weston, Connecticut, her residence since 2002. The amazing press I have received since launching Simply Eartha is a true testament to the way my mother lived her life and the impact she had on this earth. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Dr Daniel Richard Sturkie (12 Jul 1875–19 Jul 1958), Find a Grave Memorial no. I went to school in London and spent many a year in England. My mother was not accepted by the black community. He was born in 1924. Photograph: ITV/REX, America's Mistress: Eartha Kitt, Her Life and Times. She was horribly abused in the South. Much of Kitt's background remained shrouded in mystery, with the performer convinced that her date of birth was 26 January 1926. Occupation. It was spiritual.". I knew the signs because before she went on stage she was always terrified. Shapiro, who now lives in Connecticut, said: "In 1927, to be a light- skinned black person in the South was just as horrible as being a black person in the white South. However, Eartha's daughter, Kitt Shapiro, has questioned the authenticity of this claim. Singer, Actress, Dancer, Activist, Comedian, Author, Songwriter, Voiceover Artist. In a 2013 biography, British journalist John Williams claimed that Kitt's father was a white man, a local doctor named Daniel Sturkie. She was visibly nervous about what she was going to see. Kitt's daughter… But it was only when Kitt was invited to give a speech at Benedict College in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, in 1997 that the singer managed to come to terms with her original home. Kitt’s mother, Annie Mae Keitt, abandoned her daughter at an early age when she found a new man with little time for the light-skinned Eartha. She was beaten, mistreated, emotionally and physically.". Worse, the abuse didn’t stop when she left home. The father’s name was blacked out. Her father was white – but who was he? 1985: Eartha Kitt, Doc Cheatham, Bill Coleman, with George Duvivier & Co. (FR; SW8410) [note: album features four previously unreleased tracks from a Paris recording session in 1950; the original, unreleased 1950 performing credit was "Eartha Kitt with Doc Cheatham & His Trio"] Ariola Records releases 1989 to 1990. 1989: I'm Still Here Born in the tiny hamlet of St Matthew’s, South Carolina, Kitt’s mother, Annie Mae Keitt, abandoned her daughter at an early age when she found a new man with little time for the light-skinned Eartha. My parents told me that when I was born, people came to the nursery in the hospital and would get into arguments when they saw that Eartha Kitts baby was a pudgy, white, girl. Eartha Kitt. Black history month post: Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt in 1960, performing on British television in “Sunday Night at the Palladium.” (From this reference.) It meant someone who thought they were better than everyone else even though my mother was just a child at the time. In 2008 Kitt died on Christmas Day at her US home after being diagnosed with colon cancer. Perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style, Eartha Kitt’s 1953 recording of "Santa Baby" is still a favorite today. Soon after her mother's death, Kitt was sent to live with another relative in New York, where she would later win a place with America's first black modern dance company, run by Katherine Dunham. It was a female judge who stepped aside while we read the records on her desk. Father – Daniel Richard Sturkie (Reportedly) Mother – Annie Mae Keith My mother was referred to as a 'yellow gal', which was not a compliment. During the speech someone asked her about her background and parents since she was from the area. According to Williams, Kitt’s father was a local white doctor name Daniel Sturkie, but Shapiro said: “I do remember the name because we were told they were one of the local white families, but I cannot recall whether it was suggested he was the father. 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. There were a lot of names." She never found out the identity of her father, although it was reported that Daniel Sturkie, a local white doctor, was her biological dad. He was married to Suzanne Emilie Abeille Sturkie. Once called the "most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, Kitt became a singer and dancer whose suggestive and sensuous performances captured the public imagination in the 1950s. She was beaten, mistreated, emotionally and physically.”. We flew down to see the records but were allowed just 15 minutes … She was very nervous and outside the judge's chambers she went quiet. Eartha Kitt was taken in by a relative called Aunt Rosa, but far from finding sanctuary fell victim to her abusive relative and from a young age was obliged to earn her keep by picking cotton. (Original Caption) Singer Eartha Kitt and her husband, real estate man William McDonald are all smiles as they debut their 4 day old baby girl as they left Cedars of Lebanon hospital. My mother assumed it was their dirty little secret.". Ertha’s biological father may have been Daniel Richard Sturkie. He is named as such in the book America’s Mistress: The Life and Times of Miss Eartha Kitt, 2013, by John L. Williams. My mother remembered being brought to her mother who was dying and a baby was passed over her mother's body. 1965) Daughter: Kitt Shapiro (b. In an August 2013 biography, British journalist John Williams claimed that Eartha's father was a white man, a local doctor named Daniel Sturkie. Daniel had 3 siblings: Audrey E Sturkie and 2 other siblings . Across the street or across town, no job is too big or too small Eartha Kitt studied at Metropolitan Vocational High School (Later: High School of Performing Arts).. Possibly one of the Kitt family, ‘the former slave owners,’ or a recently bereaved local doctor called Daniel Sturkie. My mother shed a few tears and then the 15 minutes was up.”, According to Williams, Kitt’s father was a local white doctor name Daniel Sturkie, but Shapiro said: “I do remember the name because we were told they were one of the local white families, but I cannot recall whether it was suggested he was the father.