“Hello Dolly” at McCormick’s Auction

Carol Channing donated her car to the auction

Photo and story by Bill Marchese

PALM SPRINGS – Legendary Actress and Singer Carol Channing smiles and waves goodbye to her fans and her 1970 Buick convertible as she leaves McCormick’s Palm Spring Collector Car Auction last Saturday. The one-owner car sold for $18,000, which she and her fourth husband, Harry Kullijian, bought new in 1970. At age 92, Channing no longer drives a car, but is said to be hanging on to a Cadillac and a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud.

A part-time resident of the Coachella Valley, Channing is best known as an award-winning comedienne, actress and singer. One of her most famous stage roles on Broadway was the bombshell Lorelei Lee in, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” She performed the lead role in, “Hello Dolly,” more than 5,000 times, missing only one performance due to food poisoning. Her performance as Dolly won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, in a year where her chief competition was Barbra Streisand for “Funny Girl.”

Channing is the recipient of three Tony Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

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