As the world mourned the death of comedian Carol Channing Jan. 15 at age 97, locals note that she was originally from Alderwood Manor.
“Carol Channing never forgot her roots in Alderwood Manor,” said historian and Lynnwood Today columnist Betty Lou Gaeng. “When my mother and father were back in New York in the 1960s they went to one of her shows, and when she mentioned she was from Alderwood Manor, they let her know they were too, and they were invited backstage to meet her.”
Wikipedia reports that Channing’s father — a city editor at the Seattle Star — took a job in San Francisco and the family moved from the Seattle area when Channing was two weeks old.
Channing — an actress, singer, dancer and comedian — was known for starring in Broadway and film musicals, Wikipedia says.
Also from Wikipedia:
“Her characters typically radiated a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect. Channing also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.
“Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hallof Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.”
There will never be another entertainer with Carol Channing’s talent and ability to light up a stage and the world around her. She was one-of-a-kind. My mother and father never forgot the opportunity they had to personally meet her backstage.
What a fun memory, I too heard about her having been born here, my Mom who grew up in Alderwood told me about it.