Eartha Kitt, who overcame an impoverished childhood in segregated South Carolina to become a legend of stage and screen, died from cancer on Christmas Day at age 81. Kitt was discovered performing in Paris by Orson Welles in the 1950s and rose to fame and fortune on Broadway and through her chart-topping, soulful recordings. (Her sexy Santa Baby remains a mainstay on radio stations during the holiday season.) Kitt was an activist when it was not fashionable for celebrities to speak out. At a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson in 1966, Kitt stunned the world by publicly chastising the First Lady about Vietnam War policy. This resulted in her being investigated by the FBI. However, during this period, she also thrived through her acting roles - landing an Emmy nomination as Bill Cosby's love interest in a ground-breaking episode of I Spy - at a time when most African American roles on TV were presented in a comedic or condescending manner. She is also remembered by fans for taking over the role of Catwoman from Julie Newmar on the Batman TV series. Kitt remained enormously popular throughout her career and authored three autobiographies. For more click here