It is almost mid December which means, whether you like it or not, Christmas music is playing everywhere. Every radio station and every store you walk in to will likely have some sort of holiday jam on. Mariah Carey has officially thawed out and her songs are stuck in my head.
The other day, Santa Baby came on the radio and I noticed someone named Eartha Kitt was singing it. I’ve heard countless other artists cover the song but never knew who had done the original. I had to know more.
Turns out, Kitt was the very first one to sing it. But I had never heard of her or knew anything about her.
The song was released in 1953. It is about a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany.
When it first came out, it got mixed reviews because it was suggestive and maybe too sexy for Christmas. The person who co-wrote it, said it was one of his weakest works. However, in the United States, Santa Baby became the best-selling Christmas song of 1953.
Since then it has been covered and parodied numerous times. Everyone from Madonna, to Michael Buble, to Kellie Picker have recorded their own versions. Taylor Swift has even done one.
These are the versions I normally hear. When I saw Eartha Kitt’s name on the screen on the radio, I was curious. First of all, amazing name. Anyone looking for a baby girl name should consider that.
Her life is also very interesting. She was quite a famous singer and actor, so I am surprised I haven’t heard or seen anything else by her. She released songs from the 1950s through to 2001.
She was born in 1927 on a plantation. Her mother was of Cherokee and African descent. It isn’t known who her father was, but some say it was a white man and possibly the owner of the plantation on which she was born.
Eartha was raised by relatives. She began her entertainment career as a member of a dance company in 1943. She was a talented singer with a distinctive voice. She also became an activist and got in trouble for making anti-war statements during the Vietnam War.
She also appeared on Broadway and did voice-over work.
It seems like she led an incredible life, I’m glad I learned more about her.
Maybe fittingly, Eartha Kitt died on Christmas Day in 2008.
