How could anyone forget Shirley Temple’s adorable face and her well-known curls? She appeared in numerous blockbuster films and even took home prizes for her work.
She was a businesswoman, ambassador, and mother of three, but did you know that? Sadly, the legendary Hollywood figure died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2014 at the age of 85. She was surrounded by her devoted family when she died away at her California home since she meant so much to so many people.
This year, on the day she would have turned 90, a large number of her admirers gathered to honor her. Now that her kids have provided us with an intriguing look into what this movie legend was like as a mother.
Shirley Temple Black was an American actress, singer, dancer, businessperson, and diplomat.
She appeared in numerous films, including Curly Top and Heidi, and was the most well-known child actor between 1935 and 1938.
When she was just three years old, she started her career. When she was a teenager, her fame on screen started to decline. At the age of 22, she gave up acting, only to make a comeback eight years later.
In addition to serving as the US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, Shirley was an activist. She was also the US’s Chief of Protocol.
She had three children—Lori Black, Linda Susan Agar, and Charles Alden Black Jr.—from her two previous marriages. Her daughter from the second marriage, Lori Black, developed a heroin addiction in the late 1980s.
Musician Lori, also known as Lorax, performed bass for the groups “Clown Alley” and “Melvins.” At the age of 39, Lori admitted to possessing drugs and was given a two-year probationary period, 120 hours of community service, and a fine. Additionally, Lori had to go to drug counseling sessions.
Her mother Shirley played a crucial role in helping her overcome the addiction by arranging for everyone in the family to join her at these sessions so she wouldn’t feel alone.
Shirley’s family and supporters came together in 2018 to commemorate her ninetieth birthday.
Her son Charles Black remembers growing up with the famous star and recalls: “The only time I noticed her star quality was when someone else would ask for her autograph. She was an amazing person. She was wonderful — and normal. We had dinner at the table every night all together.”
Shirley’s daughter, Linda Susan Agar, also said: “She was devoted and generous, and she could be a little stern if we didn’t behave. But she was also a lot of fun. Very inventive and imaginative. She was all about her children and her husband.”
According to Susan, there was no one like her mother.
“We had a lot of fun decorating the dining room. Being a wife and mom is the greatest of her achievements. We were shopping and travel buddies. We went to many places together. She was one of my very best friends…”
1948: Family headshot portrait of married actors Shirley Temple and John Agar (1921 – 2002) smiling as they pose with their three-month baby daughter, Linda Susan, on a cushion at home. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
What an amazing lady who achieved so much and yet still found time to be a good mom!
Please share with all the Shirley Temple fans you know and the moms who are working hard to be the best they can be for their kids.