Began singing in public as part of Tiny Tots choir in Adam Clayton
Powell's Abyssinian Babtist Church when she was six years old.
Made TV debut on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, where she
won the talent contest. It lead to a three weeks long guest stint
on his radio show.
Won yet another talent contest during her freshman year at New
York University. The talent contest, Chance of a Lifetime,
was aired on TV and the prize she won was three thousand dollars and
a week's engagement at the Latin Quarter
First film role in Carmen Jones, 1954.
First Broadway appearance in Harold Arlen's House of Flowers,
1954. She played Ottilie and A Sleepin' Bee became her
trademark song, and she is nominated for a Tony Award.
Her first album, Diahann Carroll Sings Harold Arlen Songs, was
released 1957. Strangely, Diahann Carroll will never have a charting
album in her entire career except for Broadway Cast recordings. (This
in spite of getting good reviews for most of her albums and singles.)
Had a role in the 1959 movie adaptation of Porgy and Bess.
Co-starred along with Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Sidney Poitier
in the 1961 movie Paris Blues.
Starred with Richard Kiley in No Strings, a 1962 Broadway
musical written especially for Diahann by Richard Rodgers. The Original
Cast soundtrack remained on the Billboard chart for 274 weeks. Diahann
receives a Tony Award.
Gets her own TV sitcom in 1968. Julia becomes a huge success
(rated the no 1 TV show several times by Nielsen ratings) and stays
on air for three years, until Diahann decides to not renew her contract.
Stars in the 1974 motion picture Claudine. Receives an Oscar
nomination for best actress in a leading role.
Takes over the leading role in Agnes of God, the New York
play, after Elizabeth Ashley in 1983.
Joins the cast of Dynasty in 1984. Dynasty is one
of the most popular night time TV soap operas of that decade. Diahann
once again becomes a high profile celebrity, and remains on Dynasty
until 1987.
Publishes her autobiography, Diahann!, in 1986.
Stars in the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset
Boulevard in 1995-96. It becomes a huge success.
Releases an album, The Time of My Life on the Sterling label
in 1997. This marks Diahann's first album since 1978's Tribute
to Ethel Waters.
Launches her own line of fashion in 1997, featuring dresses, business
suites, accessories and wigs.
Publishes her second book, The Legs Are The Last To Go, to
much acclaim in 2008.
Is nominated for yet another Emmy for her recurring role in the smash
hit TV series, Grey's Anatomy in 2008.
Diahann Carroll has also had big success with her nightclub tours, her
TV movies and many other things. For full details, see the FILMOGRAPHY
and the DISCOGRAPHY.
She has also received several awards (listed here).
More about the Diahann Carroll fashion line is found here.
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