Eartha Kitt, Actress and Singer, Dies at 81

Legendary singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died of colon cancer at the age of 81, according to various media reports.

Born in South Carolina in 1927, Kitt broke out as a lounge singer and film actress in the 1950s and recorded the memorable song "Santa Baby" in 1953. In that same decade she would record a number of hits and worked in films beside Orson Welles and Sydney Poitier.

She received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame in 1960. And in 1967, made an indelible mark on pop culture when she played villain Catwoman in the Batman TV show after Julie Newmar left the show.(keep reading)