Vicki Lawrence

Vicki Lawrence (born Vicki Ann Axelrad; March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She played the title character Mama (Thelma Harper) in the NBC sitcom Mama's Family. The Mama character originated from one of the characters Lawrence played on CBS's The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978, and was one of many she created for the variety show.

Continuing the Mama character's evolution, Lawrence has hosted an untelevised stand-up comedy routine since 2001, "Vicki and Mama: A Two Woman Show". Moreover, Lawrence has made numerous post-Mama's Family guest TV show appearances in her famed Mama role.

In 1973, Lawrence became a one-hit wonder singer, landing on the US chart with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". The song reached number one on both the United States and Canada charts. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" peaked at no. 36 on the US country chart. In 1991 Reba McEntire covered the song for her album For My Broken Heart.

In early 1974, Lawrence hit number one in Australia with "He Did with Me", followed up by the no. 7, "Ships in the Night". She also released an album on Bell Records. Lawrence has multiple Emmy Award nominations, and won one in 1976. She was also nominated for Golden Globe awards multiple times for her work on The Carol Burnett Show. Lawrence made several guest appearances in the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana and starred in the Fox sitcom series The Cool Kids. Vicki Lawrence hosted "The Great American Homemaker" which appeared on USA Network cable television network for over a year in 1983.

Her paternal grandfather, Simon Axelrad, was an Austrian Jewish immigrant. Her paternal grandmother, Anna Irmas, was born in Illinois, to German Jewish parents but became an adherent of Christian Science, in which faith Vicki's father was raised. The family surname was legally changed to "Lawrence" when Vicki was young.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.