Carol Channing, the legendary Broadway actress known for her performance in Hello, Dolly! has passed away at the age of 97-years-old.
According to a statement from Channing’s publicist on Tuesday, January 15, Channing died at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.
Here is the full statement from Channing’s publicist B Harlan Boll:
“It is with extreme heartache, that I have to announce the passing of an original Industry Pioneer, Legend and Icon – Miss Carol Channing. 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. We supported each other, cried with each other, argued with each other, but always ended up laughing with each other.
“Saying good-bye is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but I know that when I feel those uncontrollable urges to laugh at everything and/or nothing at all, it will be because she is with me, tickling my funny bone.”
Channing, born on January 31, 1921, in Seattle, Washington, began her career as Broadway musical actress when she starred in the play Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949, and Hello, Dolly! in 1964. For her performance in Hello, Dolly!, Channing won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
In 1981, Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
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