Nell Carter
Nell Carter was an American singer and actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Aint Misbehavin, as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television.
Born Nell Ruth Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama, she was one of nine children born to Horace and Edna Mae Hardy. When she was two years old, her father was electrocuted after he stepped on a live power line.
Source: Wikipedia