American puppeteer, ventriloquist, author, magician and singer.
A beloved TV personality, her shows started in 1951 and her big break came on an appearance on the “Arthur Godfrey Show” in 1952, followed by her network program airing 1957-1963 through NBC. When cartoons swept the networks, Lewis reshaped her career by appearing in Las Vegas as a performer until the tone of Vegas went strongly to rock and country acts. From there she moved on to TV celebrity game-shows for a stint, moving on to such versatile accomplishments as conducting a symphony orchestra and appearances on dramas and movies.
She has written over two dozen children’s books, over 60 books total and has produced 17 home videos. The winner of over seven Emmy’s as Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series by 1992, a Peabody Award, the John F. Kennedy Center Award for Excellence and Creativity, seven Parents Choice Awards and the Action for Children’s Television Award.
Still working TV at the age of 64, with her beloved puppets Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse, Lewis has blessed many households with her extraordinary talent and generosity of spirit. A hard worker, she is tiny, all eyes, mouth, charm and spirit. The President of PBS, Ervin S. Duggan states, “she was a weaver of magic, bringing laughter, knowledge and joy to the hearts of children and adults alike.”
Her first marriage to Stan Lewis didn’t last long and she married publisher Jeremy Tarcher in 1958; one daughter, Mallory, who resides in L.A.
Lewis beat breast cancer in 1984, but was diagnosed with uterine cancer in June 1998. On 22 June 1998 she began her chemotherapy treatment program. She died of pneumonia while undergoing chemotherapy, on 2 August 1998 in Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Link to Wikipedia biography