Florence Henderson Was One of Our Most Beloved Entertainers

Florence Henderson was one of our most beloved entertainers.

Actress and singer Florence Henderson recently passed away from heart failure. To many younger people, she represented the ideal mother figure. Her most famous role was as Carol Brady on “The Brady Bunch.” But many of us remember her in other roles, and for many other reasons.

Florence Agnes Henderson was born in Indiana in 1934. She was the youngest of ten children born into a tobacco sharecropping family. This was a difficult way to make a living, and most sharecroppers were very poor. The Hendersons did not have much money and they had to move a lot. On top of this, Florence’s father was a chronic alcoholic, and her mother left the family when Florence was just twelve years old. Florence was often sent to sing outside the local market to earn grocery money.

By the time she graduated from high school in Owenburg, Kentucky, Florence Henderson was well known for her acting and singing talent. A well-off friend of her family helped get her to New York City for acting and singing lessons. She flourished there, quickly finding her way to Broadway and the touring company of “Oklahoma!”

At the age of 20, Henderson won the lead role in the Broadway musical “Fanny,” co-starring with Ezio Pinza. This musical did not get great reviews at first, and was just limping along in the theater. But it became a huge hit after the cast appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Soon, Florence Henderson was a nationally known star.

Over the next few years, Florence Henderson was a regular presence on the

Copyright 2016 Knowledge Unlimited stage and on television. She even had a regular spot as the Today Girl on “The Today Show.” Other up-and-coming stars who held this light-news position were Maureen O’Sullivan and Barbara Walters. But it wasn’t until 1969 that she found the role that would make her famous. For five seasons, Carol Brady got to be the ultimate mom, solving the problems of six children without ever breaking a sweat.

Even after “The Brady Bunch” was cancelled, Florence Henderson continued to make her mark on American culture. She appeared on many other TV shows, and even hosted a few of her own; these included a talk show and “Who’s Cooking With Florence Henderson.” She appeared in Las Vegas for many years, and popped up in cameos in films and music videos, showing a gift for physical and verbal comedy. She also made many commercials for Wesson cooking oil. Henderson even wowed many people with her skills on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2010, when she was 76 years old.

In real life, Florence Henderson was married twice and was the mother of four children. Although her life started out in poverty and neglect, Florence Henderson used talent, hard work, and a little luck to become one of our favorite entertainers.