-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died , her publicist , Patty Freedman , told CNN on Thursday . Actress Eartha Kitt , shown at a benefit for the Actors Fund in 2003 , performed almost until the end of her life . Kitt , 81 , died in New York , where she was being treated for colon cancer , Freedman said . Her daughter , Kitt Shapiro , was by her side . She was performing almost until the end , taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago , Illinois . The show is set to air in February . The ringtone version of her recording of the saucy Christmas song `` Santa Baby '' was certified gold earlier this month . Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series `` Batman . '' That role produced Kitt 's recognizable sultry cat growl . She worked in film , theater , cabaret , music and on television during her lengthy career . According to Kitt 's official Web site , she was nominated for a Tony three times , a Grammy and Emmy twice . According to the biography on that site , Kitt lived in Connecticut near her daughter and four grandchildren . Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage , the biography says . At age 8 , she was sent from the cotton fields of South Carolina by her mother to live with her aunt in New York City 's Harlem neighborhood , the site said . As a teen , she auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe , was hired as a featured dancer and vocalist , and toured worldwide with the company . This launched Kitt into a life of roles in the entertainment field . According to the book `` Contemporary Black Biography , '' she was adored in Europe in the 1950s as a cabaret singer . In the United States , her dance career led to a critically acclaimed stint on Broadway , including the play `` New Faces of 1952 , '' which was later made into a movie . Broadway stardom landed Kitt a recording deal that led to a string of best-selling records , including `` Love for Sale , '' `` I Want to Be Evil , '' `` Santa Baby '' and `` Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa . '' She recorded more than 20 albums , worked in hundreds of television and movie roles , and was invited as a guest to the White House several times . CNN 's David Daniel contributed to this report .