For the past 60 years, the adored singer, actress, and comedian Carol
Burnett has brought joy and laughter to our televisions.
She was born in San Antonio, Texas, on April 26, 1933. Burnett relocated to
Hollywood to live with her grandmother, where she attended Hollywood High
School and then went on to study theater at UCLA, which helped her go into
acting in part. Following college, Burnett began appearing in nightclubs all
throughout New York City before landing her first major Broadway role as the
evil queen in the musical adaptation of the fairytale "Once Upon a
Mattress."
Burnett is most known for her CBS variety program, "The Carol Burnett
Show," which ran from 1967 through 1978. Popular variety program "The Carol
Burnett Show" had vaudeville roots and featured comic routines, dancing, and
singing. Burnett didn't take long to establish herself as a comedy king in
the performing world. Due to the success of her variety program, she was
cast in a number of prominent parts, including that of Miss Hannigan, the
owner of the orphanage, in the 1982 film "Annie."
Burnett had incredible success in Hollywood, but her good fortune didn't
appear to extend to her life outside of performing. The actress has had
significant hardships in her personal life, including the death of her
youngest daughter, Carrie, from lung cancer when she was just 38 years
old.
Burnett is still doing her absolute best in her 80s. Additionally, she now
knows more about her history. Although it was known that her grandma had
many marriages, Burnett is now certain which one of them was her
grandpa.
When Burnett started her family with TV producer Joe Hamilton, her career
was at its height. "The Carol Burnett Show" was running at the time. Early
in the 1960s, she gave birth to three daughters: Jody Hamilton, Erin
Hamilton, and Carrie Hamilton. All three of her daughters went on to have
successful careers in their own way, but she was not prepared for the
eventual turn of events that would occur. Burnett didn't always appear to be
cheerful, even though she did so from behind the screen.
Carrie, the eldest daughter of Burnett, suffered with substance abuse.
After the cancer advanced to her brain in 2002, she passed away from
pneumonia-related complications. Burnett endured severe suffering at this
time, but he had to find a way to survive. "You don't get over it, but you
cope," she remarked. What other options exist?
Burnett has started to open up more about her private and family life,
especially after she made an appearance on the television program "Finding
Your Roots." There, she discussed the number of husbands her grandma had and
ultimately discovered which one was her grandfather.
Burnett described how her maternal grandmother, Mae White, whom she
referred to as Nanny, reared her for the most part in an interview with
presenter Henry Louis Gates Jr. During her participation on "Finding Your
Roots," she discovered more about her family history.
It's amusing to note that Burnett learned she is distantly related to actor
and comedian Bill Hader, who is well known for his work on "Saturday Night
Live." Hader, though, admitted to having a "huge crush" on her at one
point.
Burnett also said that the ear-tugging motion she does to finish each
episode of her TV program was inspired by her grandmother. It served as
their personal, coded way of saying hello. And Burnett said:
"We came to the conclusion that pulling my ear would signify, "Hello Nanny.
I cherish you. I'm good. And I often said that when I become successful in
the future, it would be "Hello Nanny." I cherish you. I'm good. Your payment
is on its way.
She went into further into regarding her grandmother's past
relationships.
Nanny frequently claimed to have been married three times, according to
Burnett. Nanny was wed to three men: one with the surname Creighton, one
with the surname White, and one with the last name Melton, which is her
middle name. However, Burnett's mother reportedly informed her that Nanny
had been married a total of six times.
Burnett phoned her niece Janice to get additional information about the
other three marriages as she was writing her biography over 30 years ago.
Janice thought it was the man with the last name Melton, while Burnett felt
it was the man with the last name Creighton.
Burnett enquired:
"And I asked, 'Why would my momma name me Carol Creighton Burnett if she
was a Melton?'" she recalled. So I began to wonder, "Did my mother realize
that she wasn't a Creighton?
Burnett was obviously eager to learn the truth. She remarked, "I'd want to
know if I'm a Creighton or a Melton.
Gates disclosed old documents, including Nanny's divorce and marriage
certificates. Gates and his colleagues concluded that the guy with the
surname Creighton was probably Burnett's grandmother after poring over
several records and doing a DNA test.
"I'm glad I know," she remarked.
A fascinating discovery made by Burnett was that one of her ancestors had
fought alongside George Washington in the Continental Army during the
American Revolutionary War.
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