Florence Henderson, Stage and Brady Bunch Star, Dies at 82

The Associated Press reports that Florence Henderson has passed away at the age of 82. Best known for her work on The Brady Bunch, Henderson was also a veteran of the stage. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 18 and played Laurey in the 1953 revival of Oklahoma! at City Center as well as the title role of Fanny at the Majestic Theatre in 1954.

She also played Maria on the 1st National Tour of The Sound of Music, Anna in The King and I in Los Angeles in 1965, as well as Nellie Forbush in the 1967 Lincoln Centre production of South Pacific.

Florence Henderson has endured as one of the most beloved American entertainers of the last six decades. Henderson began her career when she arrived with suitcase in hand to try out for the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York at age 17.

The emerging medium of television piqued her interest, and Florence soon accepted the job as the "Today Show" Girl, sitting alongside pioneering broadcaster Dave Garraway as a female anchor (and would be succeeded by Barbara Walters when she left).

Florence was also a mainstay on live performance shows like "Ed Sullivan," the "Bell Television Hour" and others. Later, her ability to match wits as well as sing made her a favorite of Dean Martin and Johnny Carson (becoming the first woman to guest host his show). Her competitive nature also came out in her love of game shows, and regular appearances on shows like "Hollywood Squares" and "Password" also reinforced her appeal as a personality.

But that was all a warm up for mega-popular "The Brady Bunch," the television series that has remarkably not left the airwaves in syndication since it ceased production in 1974 after 117 episodes. Aired in over 122 countries, "The Brady Bunch" was an opportunity that Florence initially viewed as lukewarm at best. But the series about the blended family with its trademark tick tack toe opening credits hit an immediate chord with the American public. Carol Brady became one of the most popular mothers in television history.

In the aftermath of "The Brady Bunch," Florence Henderson continued to star in major theatrical productions, headline in Las Vegas and performs live, at major venues around the country. She had also created her own autobiographical one woman show, "All the Lives of Me," which took her audience from her hardscrabble childhood in Indiana through each chapter of her career and personal life to the present.

Florence was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute's first permanent "Entertainment History Exhibit,"as one of the greatest pop cultural icons of all time in November 2008 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Her memoir, "Life Is Not a Stage," is published by Center Street/Hachette Book Group.

See Florence Henderson Perform "The Sound of Music"

Photo by Nina Prommer via the Actors Fund.