Carol Channing

Overview

Carol Channing was born January 31, 1921, at Seattle, Washington, the daughter of a prominent newspaper editor, who was very active in the Christian Science movement. She attended high school in San Francisco and later worked as a model in Los Angeles. She attended prestigious Bennington College in Vermont and majored in drama and dance and supplemented her work by taking parts in nearby Pocono Resort area. Carol initially made her mark on Broadway in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" playing Lorelei Lee. In "Hello Dolly" she played Dolly Gallagher Levi, the witty, manipulative widow intent upon finding a wealthy husband. The musical won ten Tony awards in 1964, including Channing's for best actress in a comedy. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her two children made their first public appearance after President John F. Kennedy's death by seeing her perform in "Hello Dolly" and later visited her backstage. She appeared in the film Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her son Channing Carson is a Pulitizer Prize-nominated finalist cartoonist and she continued to practice her Christian Science religion.
- IMDb mini biography by: Mike McKinley <alovelyway@aol.com>

She was the daughter of Adelaide (Glaser) and George Channing (who was born George Christian Stucker). Carol's paternal grandfather, George Stucker, was the son of German immigrants, and Carol's paternal grandmother, Clara, was African-American. Carol's maternal grandparents, Otto Glaser and Paulina Ottmann, were both of German origin. Carol stated in her autobiography, "Just Lucky, I Guess", that her father, who was light-skinned, used one accent to help "pass" in the white world and another around the house, where he sang gospel music to entertain his daughter.
Her trademark, poofy blonde hair was always achieved by the use of wigs, as she was allergic to bleach.
She donated a dress she wore in the stage production of "Hello, Dolly!" to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution.
In 1967, Pearl Bailey replaced her on Broadway when "Hello, Dolly!" was recast as an all-black production.
Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame (1981).

I'm terribly shy, but of course no one believes me. Come to think of it, neither would I.
My mother said to me, "You're revolting. And on top of that, you're not very feminine." Well, that led me to the stage, which is an accepting and comfortable place. So in a way, I have my mother to thank.
[on presenting an Oscar at the 1967 Academy Awards] What a thrill for me to fondle an envelope, even in transit!