Post by Journey2herpast on Oct 23, 2005 17:59:25 GMT -5
Nell Carter, a onetime nightclub singer who won a Tony for the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin' and sassed her way to stardom as the feisty housekeeper in the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break!, died in january 2003 at age 54.
According to publicist Roger Lane, the rotund entertainer collapsed on the floor of her Beverly Hills home, where she was found by one of her young sons.
Lane says Carter's death is believed to be the result of natural causes. The actress had battled diabetes for years and underwent brain surgery to remove an aneurysm in 1992. No immediate word on whether an autopsy will be performed.
"I am saddened to hear this news. My heart goes out to her children and her family," Hollywood pal Rosie O'Donnell said in a statement.
Although she once aspired to be an opera singer, Carter kicked off her show-biz career as a cabaret performer, belting out jazz, blues, rock and pop tunes on the nightclub circuit, first in her native Birmingham, Alabama, and later in New York.
In the late '70s, she appeared in the soap opera Ryan's Hope and the sitcom The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo. Her first taste of fame, however, came as the lead in the hit 1978 Fats Waller-based Broadway revue Ain't Misbehavin'. Carter commandeered the stage, and her brassy performance earned her a Tony Award.
A TV broadcast of the show also garnered her an Emmy Award in 1982.
Still, Carter will be forever remembered as her Gimme a Break! alter ego Nell Harper, the wisecracking but matronly housekeeper who kept things lively for widowed Police Chief Carl Kanisky and his three daughters. The show, which ran on NBC from 1981 to 1987, earned Carter two Emmy nominations and made TV Land history by becoming the first sitcom in nearly 30 years have an episode broadcast live. Carter also sang the show's title song.
Lara Jill Miller, who played Sam Kanisky on the show, recalled how proud Carter was when the former child actress decided to go to law school following the end of the series.
"I loved her dearly. I shared my entire childhood with her. She was like a mom and best friend to me rolled into one. She called me 'her baby,' " Miller told E! News Live. "I'm so sad."
"I am stunned and deeply saddened by Nell's passing at such a young age," said Telma Hopkins, another of Carter's Gimme a Break! costars. "She was a vibrant personality. While we have lost a very talented actress and singer, my heart goes out to her family."
Carter's other credits included the 1981 Chevy Chase vehicle Modern Problems and the 1992 sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. She also did voiceover work for film and television, including Bebe's Kids (1992) and Fox's animated Spider-Man.
"She was one of the most talented actresses I ever worked with," said Mr. Cooper costar Holly Robinson Peete. "She had a heart like gold, she was a true inspiration to me. I loved her, and today my heart is broken."
Born Nell Ruth Hardy September 13, 1948, in Birmingham, Alabama, was the fifth of nine children and grew up listening to her family's record collection, which included of Dinah Washington, Doris Day, the Andrews Sisters, B.B. King and Elvis Presley--all of whom she synthesized into her unique vocal style.
Though short of stature (she was only 4-foot-11), Carter had powerful pipes and knew how to use them. She began singing gospel in churches and local concert halls. She expanded her repertoire and took her act to Alabama coffehouses and clubs before eventually making her way to the Big Apple.
"She was an amazing talent [and] a loving mother. She will be so missed," said a tearful Debbie Allen. The dancer-choreographer was a longtime friend.
Despite suffering from diabetes and having brain surgery a decade ago, Carter rebounded, scoring a role in the 1995 film The Grass Harp and returning to the Broadway stage as Miss Hannigan in the 20th anniversary revival of Annie in 1997. More recently, she made several guest appearances on TV series, including Ally McBeal, Touched by an Angel and Reba. Before her death, Carter was rehearsing for Raisin--a musical version of the classic drama Raisin in the Sun--scheduled to open in Long Beach, California, next month.
She is survived by an adult daughter, Tracey, from her former marriage to George Krynicki, and two adopted sons, Joshua and Daniel, both 13.