Madeline Kahn was a deliciously funny, offbeat comedienne whose career encompassed theater, film and TV. A trained classical singer, whose speaking voice had a distinctive nasal quality, the performer created a solid niche as a madcap film presence finding something of an apotheosis in her work with director Mel Brooks.

Born in Boston but raised in NYC, Kahn studied speech in college while performing in opera and theatrical productions. After a brief stint as a schoolteacher, she made her professional stage debut in the chorus of a revival of "Kiss Me, Kate" and went on to perform in nightclubs