American singer, dancer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the age of 81. Her publicist Andrew Freedman said she had died of colon cancer for which she was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
The cancer was detected about two years ago and treated but recurred after a
period of remission.
Mr Freedman said: "She came back strongly. She had been performing until two
months ago. We had dates booked through 2009."
Slinky, sensuous and cat-like, Kitt described herself as a "sex kitten" and used
her seductive purr to charm audiences across the world.
Actor-director Orson Welles once called Kitt "the most exciting woman alive" and,
along with Lena Horne, she was one of the first African-American sex symbols.
Kitt picked up a string of awards during her long career, winning two Emmys and
being nominated for a third, as well as a Grammy. She also had two Tony
nominations.
Her hit songs included C'est Si Bon, Let's Do It and Just an Old Fashioned Girl.
She also was widely associated with Christmas because of her hit Santa Baby. The
song, recorded in 1953, went gold this year and she received the gold record
before she died, Mr Freedman said.
Despite those accolades, Kitt may have been at her best in her nightclub act,
which allowed her to use her feline, seductive manner to its fullest.
"She loved cabaret performances," Mr Freedman said. "If there was ever an
opportunity to do a small intimate venue with about 150 people, that was always
her preference."