Carter exploded onto the Broadway stage in the 1978 musical, “Ain’t Misbehavin,” belting out scorching renditions of numbers like “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Mean to Me.” It also proved her an accomplished actress, winning a Tony Award for best featured actress. Three years later she won an Emmy for the NBC television version of the show.

Carter’s next big success was her best known role in NBC’s “Gimme a Break,” where she played a housekeeper for a white family.

In 2002, Carter was cast in the revival of the musical “Raisin.” But on January 23, 2003, two weeks before opening night, her son found her dead. The cause was apparently heart problems. It was only later that her longtime relationship with another woman, Ann Kaser, was revealed to the public.