Who is Shari Lewis, Puppeteer and Children's Entertainer

Shari Lewis (January 17, 1933 - August 2, 1998) was an American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and children's television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s. She is best known as the original puppeteer of Lamb Chop, first appearing on Hi Mom, a local morning show that aired on WNBC in New York.

Born Shari Phyllis Hurwitz, Shari already knew how to perform specialized magic acts by age 13, courtesy of her father. She also studied acrobatics, juggling, piano and violin. Ventriloquism was taught to her by John W. Cooper. Lewis continued piano and violin at New York's High School of Music and Art, dance at the American School of Ballet, and acting with Sanford Meisner of the Neighborhood Playhouse. She attended Barnard College for one year, then left college to go into show business.

In 1952, Lewis and her puppetry won first prize on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts television show. In March 1956, Shari and Lamb Chop appeared on Captain Kangaroo and later that year she had her own show Shariland on local TV which ran through 1958. She graduated to network television in 1960 as host and puppeteer of The Shari Lewis Show on NBC. The program featured her characters Hush Puppy, Charlie Horse, Lamb Chop, and Wing Ding. Subsequent TV shows introduced these characters to new generations of children. In 1992, her Emmy-winning show Lamb Chop's Play-Along began a five year run on PBS. Shari also starred in another hit PBS series The Charlie Horse Music Pizza which was one of her last projects before her passing.

Shari was diagnosed with uterine cancer in June 1998.While undergoing treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on August 2, 1998, Shari died at the age of 65 after developing viral pneumonia.

Read more about Shari Lewis on the following sites:

Lamb Chop lives on through her "sister" Mallory Lewis, Shari's daughter. Mallory, or Mally as she is called, is a multiple Emmy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner for "Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series". Lewis has an extensive background in all aspects of television production including writing, producing, and performing. She began her career at age 12 working with her mother by ghostwriting for her newspaper column. After writing and producing for the Lamb Chop's Play-Along show, Mally assumed the responsibilities of her mother's three prime-time variety specials, and served as executive story editor and producer of The Charlie Horse Music Pizza.

Read more about Mally Lewis and her adventures with Lamb Chop on their website: