Legendary Performer Eartha Kitt Dead at 81

Eartha Kitt, the legendary singer, dancer and actress, is dead at the age of 81. The cause was colon cancer, according to the Associated Press.

Kitt was born on January 17, 1927. She made her Broadway debut in 1946 in Bal Negre and went on to make a big splash in New Faces of 1952. She followed that popular musical revue with the play with music, Mrs. Patterson. Kitt was nominated for a Tony Award in 1978 for the tuner, Timbuktu!. She received a second Tony nomination for her stand-out supporting work in The Wild Party in 2000. Her other Broadway credits include Shinbone Alley, Jolly's Progress and Nine. Despite her illustrious stage credits, Kitt was best known for playing the sultry Catwoman in the Batman television series—which fit perfectly into her self-proclaimed ''sex kitten'' status with her feline purr and seductive manner. She was nominated for three Emmys in her six-decade long career, and won twice. She also received a Grammy nomination for her work as a recording artist and penned three autobiographies. Her single "Santa Baby" has been a Christmas favorite ever since she recorded it in 1953.

She is survived by her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, and two grandchildren.