Notable deaths of 2008
Eartha Kitt was a self-proclaimed "sex kitten" whose sultry voice and catlike purr attracted fans even as she neared 80. Dubbed the "most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, Kitt's career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. She died at 81 on Christmas Day. Files
