Energetic, roly-poly singing actress best known as the housekeeper/star of the 1980s NBC sitcom "Gimme a Break", Nell Carter had made her mark on stage earning both an Obie and a Tony for her work in the 1977-78 Fats Waller musical "Ain't Misbehavin'". She became a beloved TV performer, but a near-deadly bout with an aneurysm and other woes put her out of commission for much of the early 90s.

Carter was a musical performer in New York on and off-Broadway throughout most of the 70s, beginning with the musical "Soon" (1970), better known for launching Richard Gere. She was in the ensemble cast of