Rest In Power Sis-Paula Kelly Passes Away At 76!
YourBlackWorld.net, By Victor Omondi, Posted February 19th 2020
Kelly Paula an accomplished Broadway dancer and actress is dead. The renowned film personality died on February 8th at the age of 76 years, according to Broadway World. She leaves behind a daughter, the only child she had with her late husband Donald Chaffey, who died in 1990. So far there’s no information on the cause of her death.
The veteran Broadway performer was born on October 21, 1943, in Jacksonville. However, her family moved to Harlem in New York, where Kelly Paula grew up. Paula’s love for art began at a tender age. In her teens, she enrolled at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, later known as the “Fame” school, and studied music at Julliard.
Kelly Paula started her early career in modern dance. Soon after her graduation, she became a member of Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey’s dance companies. She first appeared as a stage actress on Broadway in 1964, in the film “Something More”. She excelled in this, and later on became famous for “The Dozens” in 1969, “Ovid’s Metamorphosis” in 1971, and Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Ladies,” in 1981.
The film personality is especially known for the amazing dance in the film Sweet Charity in 1969. Kelly played the role of Helene onstage, leaving one of the most lasting impressions in the entertainment industry.
Kelly Paula has appeared in many TV series, and each time she left a lasting legacy. She was a series regular for a season of “Night Court”, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
The dancer was a role model for the lovers of music and art. Lee Daniels, the Academy award-winning filmmaker was one of Paula’s loyal fans. In 2016, Lee chose Paula’s picture as “ The Photo That Influenced Me Most’ for TIME Magazine”.
“When I was a kid, this photo of the divine Paula Kelly inspired me to go to the movies to see Sweet Charity. Never in my life had I seen such elegance, raw talent, and breathtaking honesty on screen. She is an unsung hero and the reason that I am here,” Daniels wrote.
Fans have taken to various social media platforms to celebrate the life of Kelly Paula.
“We loss another Queen today. Rest in Peace Paula Kelly. Night Court and Women of Brewster Place were my favs along with many more,” a fan wrote on Twitter.