She was the first black actress to star in her own TV series called "Julia" in 1968 which aired on NBC. "Julia" was a top Nielsen-rated show for which she received an Emmy nomination. In 1984 Diahann Carroll became the first black actress to star in the award-winning night time TV drama series "Dynasty", playing the memorable role as a jet-setting "Dominique Deveraux".
She has also had a number of recurring roles on programs like "A Different World", "Grey's Anatomy", "Soul Food" on Showtime, "Strong Medicine" on Lifetime and "Whoopi" on NBC. Her stage work is also quite impressive; her Broadway debut was a starring role in Harold Arlen and Truman Capote's "House of Flowers". Followed by the Broadway production "No Strings" for which she won a Tony Award. She also starred on Broadway in the award-winning plays "Agnes of God" and "Sunset Boulevard". If all that were not enough, her film credits are equally compelling:
In 1954 she was noticed for a supporting role in "Carmen Jones" which put her on the map and led to Broadway roles. She continued to pursue film work with great success. She received a 1974 Best Actress Academy Award nomination for "Claudine", and went on to star in the acclaimed films "Carmen Jones", "Paris Blues", "Porgy & Bess", "Hurry Sundown", "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" and "Eve's Bayou". A few years ago she wrote her memoir, "The Legs Are The Last To Go" which was a New York Times best seller. Her show this week in Palm Springs will be filmed by PBS; Ms Carroll offered this performance to public television as part of their fundraising event in August 2010. Viewers will have the opportunity to buy a DVD of this week's special performance in Palm Springs to help support PBS programming. You can find Ms Carroll's contact information from her website. I do recommend reading her book, or check out some of her music on iTunes. Diahann Carroll is the subject of The Palm Springs Savant & Co Radio Show #108. Tune in from Blog Talk Radio, or on podcast from iTunes for free. I'll post photos from Wednesday's concert with a mini-review, so check back here again later this week!
1 comment:
I've always loved her! Such an incredibly talented woman....We shared the same accompanist waaaay back in the early 1950's....I liked her book a lot and was stunned when she wrote about how truly rude Andrew Lloyd WEbber was to her....Though, I must say, it was in a way, not surprising. He is famous for treating people in a very off hand manner. What stunned me was that he would treat her in such an insulting manner...!
Can't wait to see this show of hers on PBS. And I wish I could have seen the concert at The Ahmanson.
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