Celebrity Graveland

September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003

I wanna happy ending
I’m tired of pretending
Won’t let ’em get the best of me
Whoa, whoa, whoa Gimme a break

If anyone ever deserved a break, it was Nell Carter.  The diminutive singer and actress persevered through many trials as a kid in Alabama. She discovered singing in church as a young girl and made it all the way to Broadway, winning a Tony for her breakout role in Ain’t Misbehavin’. She had other successes on the stage but it was her Emmy-nominated turn as Nell Harper on NBC’s Gimme a Break! from 1981-1987 that made her a household name. But her life was mired by hardship even after fame struck. She struggled with drugs, depression and bankruptcy. Not to mention health issues like multiple aneurysms and diabetes. Still, she did the best she could and managed guest starring roles and more stage work later in her career. But, her heart eventually gave out and she died of complications from diabetes at the age of 54.

Burial

Hillside Memorial Park – Culver City, CA

Specific Location

Acacia Garden, Wall KK, Crypt 7040, In the Acacia section at the south edge of the park, there are three outcroppings of wall crypts, Nell is buried on the west side of the middle one all the way at the top, the first space in from the left as you’re looking at it.

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