Broadway legend Carol Channing—who was known for her signature lead role in the Jerry Herman musical Hello, Dolly! and who continued performing into her 90s—died of natural causes at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 97.
Along with her 4,500 performances in the title role of Hello, Dolly!, she appeared in productions such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Vamp and Lorelei, Deadline noted. Also, she received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her performance in the film Thoroughly Modern Millie.
In 2014, Channing joined Tony nominee Justin Vivian Bond to celebrate the 50th anniversary Hello, Dolly! in New York City’s Town Hall.
Channing was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995 and was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.
Regarding her personal life, The New York Times noted that, in her 2002 autobiography Just Lucky I Guess, Channing revealed that when she was 16 her mother told her that her father was part Black—and that she kept her racial heritage a secret for fear the revelation would harm her career.
Channing married four times and is survived by son Chan.
The Deadline article is at http://deadline.com/2019/01/carol-channing-broadway-hello-dolly-dies-at-97-1202535318/. The New York Times piece is at http://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/obituaries/carol-channing-dead.html.