Candice Earley

{{Short description|American actress and singer (1950–2019)}} {{Infobox person | name = Candice Earley | birth_name = Candice Jean Earley | birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|8|18}} | birth_place = Lawton, Oklahoma, US | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|1|31|1950|8|18}} | death_place = El Dorado, Arkansas, US | occupation = Actress, singer | spouse = Robert Nolan (m. 1992) | parents = | other_names = | relatives = }} '''Candice Jean Earley'''{{Citation needed |date=May 2024}} (August 18, 1950 – January 31, 2019) was an American actress and singer born in Oklahoma.

== Early years == Earley was born in Lawton, Oklahoma,<ref name="p">{{cite news |last1=Novakovich |first1=Lilana |title=Farewell to supporting roles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64125637/the-province/ |access-date=November 27, 2020 |work=The Province |date=April 19, 1991 |location=Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver |page=166|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> to Harold and Jean (née Daily) Earley. She won the Miss Lawton title.<ref name="do">{{cite news |title=Candice Early Quits 'Hair' For New Role in 'Grease' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64124690/candice-earley/ |access-date=November 27, 2020 |work=The Daily Oklahoman |date=May 27, 1973 |location=Oklahoma, Oklahoma City |page=147|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> She had 14 years of training as a classical singer and attended Trinity University, where she studied drama.<ref name="p" />

== Career == Earley had Broadway roles in ''Hair'', ''Grease'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Candice Earley |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/candice-earley-108692 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201127221947/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/candice-earley-108692 |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''.{{Citation needed |date=November 2020}} She also portrayed Sheila with a touring company of ''Hair'' and sang in the chorus of a touring company of ''Jesus Christ, Superstar''.<ref name="do" /> A lyric soprano, Earley also performed in cabarets.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pop: Candice Earley, Star Of TV Serial |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/111055200 |access-date=November 27, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=July 30, 1986 |page=C 14|id={{ProQuest|111055200}} }}</ref> She was starred as Sandy Dumbrowski in Grease in 1974.

Earley is most famous for her role as Donna Beck Tyler Cortlandt Sago Tyler on the soap opera ''All My Children'', a role she played from February 19th 1976 to 1992.<ref name="Oklahoman">{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Rick |title=Oklahoma Actress Reminisces About Experiences in "Grease" |url=https://newsok.com/article/2583877/oklahoma-actress-reminisces-about-experiences-in-grease |accessdate=3 February 2019 |work=NewsOK.com |publisher=The Oklahoman |date=8 June 1997}}</ref> Donna was originally a troubled youth from an abusive home, who was a runaway and a prostitute. In her first appearance on ''All My Children'', Donna is found in a hospital bed and in a coma after being kidnapped, beaten and raped by her pimp, Tyrone. However, the actress playing the part of Donna was not Candice Earley, but a different actress originally hired to play the part. The producers were unsatisfied with the acting ability of this actress, and Earley was hired to play the part, which was slated to be a short-term role.

Earley's portrayal proved popular with viewers, and won an award for Most Exciting New Actress in the first annual Soapies held in 1977 (these awards are now known as the Soap Opera Digest Awards). Over time, the character of Donna grew into a mature woman with a gift for singing who opened and ran a successful hair salon. Earley was written out of the show in 1992 after she got married.

==Death== Earley died on January 31, 2019, after an eight-year battle with multiple system atrophy (MSA).<ref name="TLC">{{cite news |title=Candice Earley Nolan |url=https://www.swoknews.com/obituaries/candice-earley-nolan |accessdate=3 February 2019 |publisher=The Lawton Constitution |date=3 February 2019 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204014545/https://www.swoknews.com/obituaries/candice-earley-nolan |archive-date=4 February 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0247364}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earley, Candice}} Category:1950 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Actresses from Oklahoma Category:People from Lawton, Oklahoma Category:American soap opera actresses Category:American musical theatre actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:Neurological disease deaths in Arkansas Category:Deaths from multiple system atrophy Category:21st-century American women