Nell Carter (September 13th, 1948 – January 23rd, 2003) was an American singer and actress. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She was best known for her role as Nell Harper on the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! which originally aired from 1981 to 1987. Carter received two Emmy and two Golden Globe award nominations for her work on the series. Prior to Gimme a Break!, Carter won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 1978 for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin', as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television in 1982.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Miss Carter first appeared at the 1981 Parade, where she sang "Cash for Your Trash" on the Mother Goose float.
At the 60th Anniversary Parade in 1986, she sang "Oh, a What Beautiful Mornin" as one the Herald Square Acts.