Shari Lewis | |
|---|---|
 Lewis withLamb Chop in November 1993 | |
| Born | Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz (1933-01-17)January 17, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 2, 1998(1998-08-02) (aged 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1952–1998 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Mallory Tarcher |
Shari Lewis (bornPhyllis Naomi Hurwitz;[citation needed] January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998) was aPeabody-winning Americanventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, and symphony conductor.[1] She famously created and performed thesock puppetLamb Chop forCaptain Kangaroo in March 1956.
Lewis was born to Jewish parents, Ann (née Ritz) and Abraham Hurwitz, an education professor atYeshiva University originally from Vilnius, Lithuania. She had one sister, Barbara. Her father was named New York City's "official magician" by MayorFiorello H. La Guardia during theGreat Depression.[2] Hurwitz taught his daughter to perform specialized magic acts by the time she was 13. Lewis also received instruction in acrobatics, baton twirling, juggling, ice skating, piano, and violin.[3]
In 1952, Lewis and her puppetry won first prize on theCBS television seriesArthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. She hosted several New York children's series through the decade. On July 5, 1953, Lewis made her television hosting debut onFacts N'Fun onNBC-owned WRCA-TV. The program was a variety show in which she engaged her viewers and studio audience members in games, hobbies, craft making, songs, stories, informational segments, interviews with guest performers and personalities. She also performed witty comedy skits with twoventriloquist's dummies, Samson and Taffy Twinkle. The one hour show remained on the air until September 26, 1953.[4]
She moved toWPIX in 1953 to replaceTed Steele as host ofKartoon Klub, which featured a variety format with a live studio audience. Lewis performed with Randy Rocket and Taffy Twinkle, and the program also featured reruns ofCrusader Rabbit cartoons.Kartoon Klub later changed its title toShari & Her Friends on September 23, 1956, and then toShariland a month later. Lewis won New York-areaEmmy Awards for her work onShariland and a succeeding series on WRCA-TV,Hi Mom (1957–1959), which introduced Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy, and Wing Ding. Lamb Chop, also appearing, had previously been introduced during Lewis's guest appearance onCaptain Kangaroo in March 1956.[4]
NBC gave Lewis her first network program,The Shari Lewis Show, which debuted on October 1, 1960, replacingThe Howdy Doody Show. The show ran until September 28, 1963, and featured such characters as Hush Puppy, Charlie Horse, Lamb Chop, and Wing Ding, a black crow. Lamb Chop, which was little more than a sock with eyes, served as a sassy alter-ego for Lewis. Hush Puppy had a Southern accent with a reserved, shy and goofy personality, while Charlie Horse was a snarky, sarcastic character.
In 1961, she played title character Dulie Hudson inWatching Out for Dulie, aUnited States Steel Hour production. She occasionally guest-starred in TV shows such asCar 54, Where Are You?,The Man from U.N.C.L.E., andLove, American Style.[4][unreliable source?]
From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, she appeared in a number of British shows, such astheVal Doonican Show and theRoyal Variety Performance.[4][unreliable source?] In 1975, Lewis briefly hosted another, syndicated puppet show calledThe Shari Show. In 1992, her showLamb Chop's Play-Along began a five-year run onPBS,[5] created as an audience participation "anti-couch potato" show.[6]
WhenLamb Chop's Play-Along ended, Lewis and her husband Jeremy Tarcher createdThe Charlie Horse Music Pizza.[7] A third of elementary schools were skipping music classes from their curriculum at the time, and Lewis and Tarcher felt they could introduce children to music through the show.[8]
The faith-based videoLamb Chop's Special Chanukah was released in 1996 and received the Parents' Choice Award of the year. Lewis and Lamb Chop both appeared in a commercial forPrimeStar in 1997.[4][unreliable source?] When Lewis appeared before Congress in 1993 to testify in favor of protections for children's television, Lamb Chop gained permission to speak.[9] An accomplished musician, Lewis conducted major symphonies in the United States, Japan, and Canada. She wrote many books and produced 17 home videos.[10]
Lewis's other work included providing the voice of Princess Nida in the cartoon segmentArabian Knights, part of the 1968 seriesThe Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Her other voice work in animation includesFamous Studios'Honey Halfwitch theatrical cartoon shorts. Lewis voices the title character as well as her Cousin Maggie.
With her husband, Jeremy Tarcher, she co-wrote an episode for the original series ofStar Trek, "The Lights of Zetar" (1969). Lewis wrote over 60 books for children.[11]
Lewis kept her surname from her first marriage to Stan Lewis (1932–1958). Her second husband was publisher Jeremy Tarcher (1932–2015), a brother of novelistJudith Krantz. Lewis met Tarcher on the set of a radio show; they married a year later.[12] They had a daughter,Mallory Tarcher.[13]
Mallory Tarcher wrote for the showsLamb Chop's Play-Along andThe Charlie Horse Music Pizza. She legally changed her last name to Lewis and took overher mother's work with Lamb Chop in 2000.[13] On September 20, 2015, 17 years after her death, Shari Lewis's husband Jeremy Tarcher died fromParkinson's disease; he was 83.[14][15] Prior to her death, Shari Lewis sold the rights to Lamb Chop to Golden Books Family Entertainment. When Golden filed for bankruptcy these rights were transferred toClassic Media which was later acquired byDreamWorks Animation (now part ofNBCUniversal). Her daughter Mallory still owns the live performing rights to the Lamb Chop character.[16]
Lewis was treated forbreast cancer in 1984.[17] In June 1998, she was diagnosed withuterine cancer. She had ahysterectomy, but her doctors informed her that the cancer was inoperable and she was given six weeks to live.[18][19] After her diagnosis, Lewis insisted on taping a final episode ofThe Charlie Horse Music Pizza.[20] After recovering from the hysterectomy, she beganchemotherapy atCedars-Sinai Hospital.[21] While undergoing chemotherapy, she developedviral pneumonia and died on the evening of August 2, 1998, at the age of 65.[22][23][24] After her death,The Charlie Horse Music Pizza was canceled. A private funeral was held, and a public memorial was planned.[25] The last episode ofThe Charlie Horse Music Pizza aired on January 17, 1999, on what would have been her 66th birthday.[18]
Lewis was the recipient of numerous awards during her lifetime, including:
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