Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images
Carol Channing, who died on Tuesday at the age of 97, was a one-of-a-kind performer who left a unique mark on the entertainment industry.
A Broadway veteran with stage roles inGentlemen Prefer Blondes, Hello, Dolly!,Wonderful Town,The Vamp, and more, Channing’s gravely voice and quirky personality helped her stand out from her contemporaries. Throughout her seven-decade career, Channing created a number of memorable roles — though the beloved actress’ uniqueness made her the sort of star who rarely disappeared into a role.
“Doesn’t matter what the name of the character, it’s always Carol,” explained one commentator in Channing’s 2012 documentary,Larger Than Life.“And that’s what makes a star. Nobody ever says, ‘Get me a Carol Channing type. There aren’t any.”
Below, here are the Channing’s most memorable moments.
Carol Channing.Photoshot/Getty Images
Diamonds are Channing’s best friend
Singing her signature songs inHello, Dolly!
Gentlemen Prefer Blondesmay have been the show that catapulted Channing into stardom, but it was Jerry Herman’sHello, Dolly!that made her a legend. Her role as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi in the original 1964 Broadway production earned Channing her first Tony. She would later tour with the show all over the world, and return for two Broadway revivals — first in 1978 and again in 1995. Here, at the 1971 Tony Awards, Channing sings “Before the Parade Passes By,” her character’s rousing Act 1 closer. And below, she performsDolly!‘s title song on British television in 1979.
Flying high inThoroughly Modern Millie(1967)
Duetting with Goldie Hawn onRowan& Martin’s Laugh-In(1969)
By the late ’60s, Channing was a frequent variety show guest, including a visit toRowan & Martin’s Laugh-Inon NBC where she sang a duet with then-newcomer Goldie Hawn about the misconceptions about blondes called “Blondes Aren’t Necessarily Dumb.” All went well until the end, when the two fittingly flubbed the lyrics.
Channeling her inner “Soul Sister” onRowan& Martin’s Laugh-In(1970)
A year after her tune with Hawn, Channing returned toRowan& Martin’s Laugh-Inwhere she wigged out with singer Theresa Graves in “Soul Sister” — a song about Channing trying to channel her inner “sister with a lot of soul.”
Jamming as a Queen inAlice in Wonderland(1985)
The television film musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’sAlice in Wonderland —which Channing starred in alongside Sherman Hemsley, Shelly Winters, Scott Baio, Sammy Davis Jr., Martha Raye, Sid Caeser, Ringo Starr, Ernest Borgnine, Steve Allen, Beau Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, Patrick Duffy, Merv Griffin, Donna Mills, John Stamos, and Sally Struthers — isn’t necessarily a classic in an of itself. But Channing’s wild and kooky turn as the White Queen has become a bit of a cult favorite over the years, especially for her inspired performance of the song, “Jam Tomorrow, Jam Yesterday.”
Rapping on the 58th annual Tony Awards (2004)
Leave it to LL Cool J to get Channing to rap! While presenting the award for best original score at the 2004 Tony Awards, the “Mama Said Knock You Out” emcees rhymed a hip-hop version of “Hello, Dolly” — which had Channing dancing and rapping herself!
Returning to the stage at Gypsy of the Year (2010)
Channing’s longtime publicist B Harlan Boll confirmed the star’s death to PEOPEL on Tuesday, saying the star died at 12:31 a.m. at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, of natural causes.
“It is with extreme heartache, that I have to announce the passing of an original Industry Pioneer, Legend and Icon – Miss Carol Channing,” the statement read. “I admired her before I met her, and have loved her since the day she stepped … or fell rather … into my life. It is so very hard to see the final curtain lower on a woman who has been a daily part of my life for more than a third of it.”
source: people.com
