No
Laughing
Mat ter
Comedienne, Actress Vicki Lawrence Discusses
Her Struggle with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria
E
mmy-award winning actress and comedienne, Vicki Lawrence has brought laughter to millions. After making her television debut on The
Carol Burnett Show, where she spent eleven years,
Lawrence went on to star in her own series, Mama's
Family. A multifaceted entertainer, in 1973, she received a gold record for her hit single "The Night the
Lights Went Out in Georgia". Lawrence has hosted
daytime talk shows, appeared on numerous game
shows and theater productions and has recently held
roles on, Yes Dear and Hannah Montana. In 2002
Lawrence launched her one-woman show entitled
Vicki Lawrence and Mama, A Two Woman Show
which has been so successful that she is currently on
the road performing the 40th Anniversary Tour.
Lawrence has been married since 1974 to her best
friend and professional partner, Al Shultz, who is the
former head of make-up for CBS. When asked to
share her favorite beauty tip, Vicki has often quipped,
by Heidi Suprun
"Sleep with your make-up man!" The couple has two
grown children. They live at the beach in Southern
California with their two dogs. Lawrence enjoys doing motivational speaking engagements for women's
groups and supporting numerous charities. Her hobbies include cooking and sailing.
Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria
Lawrence is currently on a campaign to raise
awareness about chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), a
disease that is no laughing matter for those who are
struggling with it. Lawrence herself was diagnosed
with CIU four years ago. One morning she woke up
and the palms of her hands were itching. "I ran
downstairs and said to my husband, 'honey you need
to buy a lottery ticket because obviously we're coming
into a lot of money tonight' and we laughed about it,"
said Lawrence.
"After a few minutes when it didn't go away I
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