The Physical and Personal Traumas of Vicki Lawrence ('The Carol Burnett Show' and 'Mama's Family')

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The legendary actress/signer Vicki Lawrence, now 75 years old, has had her share of tragedies and triumphs. This is her story.

A Closer Look

Vicki Lawrence began her career at just 17 on The Carol Burnett Show (CBS, 1967-1978), which was followed by the spin-off sitcom, Mama’s Family (NBC, syndicated, 1983-1990). In the 1990s, she hosted her own Emmy-award-winning TV talk show, titled, Vicki (syndicated, 1992-1994).

In between it all, Lawrence recorded the 1974 Top 40 musical hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."

Off-Screen Pangs

Off-screen, Vicki Lawrence suffers from chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, involves having “red, itchy skin welts that last more than six weeks. Many people have these welts every day for a year or longer. People with certain autoimmune diseases are more prone to chronic hives.”

Into this mix, Lawrence lost her husband of five decades, Al Schultz, who worked as a makeup artist for some of TV’s top shows of the 1960s and ’70s. That includes The Carol Burnett Show, where the couple met.

Schultz died June 19, 2024, at his home in Long Beach, California. He was only 82. He began his career in makeup in the mid-1960s, Mentored by Harry Maret, Schultz worked with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Donna Reed, and Doris Day. He began at NBC on shows like Hollywood Squares and Laugh-In and segue-wayed to a position with The Dean Martin Show, where he worked with the famed Golddiggers dancers.

Conclusion

Through the heartache and the hope, Vicki Lawrence continues to be a bright light in the world of entertainment.