Nell Carter
| Nell Carter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Nell Ruth Hardy September 13, 1948 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 2003 (aged 54) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart disease complicated by diabetes |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Nell Ruth Carter Nell-Ruth Carter |
| Education | A. H. Parker High School |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1970–2003 |
| Known for | Gimme A Break! |
| Spouse(s) |
George Krynicki (m. 1982–92) Roger Larocque (m. 1992–93) |
| Partner(s) | Ann Kaser |
| Children | 3 |
Nell Carter (September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin', as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television.
From 1981 to 1987, Carter starred in the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break!. She received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her work on the series.
Born Nell Ruth Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama, she was one of nine children born to Horace and Edna Mae Hardy. When she was two years old, her father was electrocuted after he stepped on a live power line.
As a child, she began singing on a local gospel radio show and was also a member of the church choir. At the age of 16, she was raped at gunpoint and became pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, Tracey, who was raised by her aunt. She sang in guitarist David Walbert's jazz band The Renaissance Ensemble at his coffee house/jazz club Society's Child in Birmingham, Alabama in 1969 (Lee Edmundson, Personal History in Birmingham). At the age of 19, she left Birmingham and moved to New York City with The Renaissance Ensemble, changing her surname to Carter. (This citation is in error. Nell was singing as Nell Carter in Birmingham before moving to NYC (Lee Edmundson, Personal History in Birmingham). While living in New York City, Carter sang in coffee shops before landing her first role on Broadway in 1971.
Carter made her Broadway debut in the 1971 rock opera Soon, which closed after three performances. She was the Music Director for the 1974 Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective's production of "What Time of Night It Is". Carter appeared alongside Bette Davis in the 1974 stage musical Miss Moffat, based on Davis' earlier film The Corn Is Green. The show closed before making it to Broadway. She broke into stardom in the musical Ain't Misbehavin, for which she won a Tony Award in 1978. She won an Emmy for the same role in a televised performance in 1982. Additional Broadway credits included Dude and Annie.
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