Trivia

When asked by TV Guide to supply an item for a celebrity recipes issue, she submitted a recipe for lamb chops.

Was an accomplished symphony conductor.

Co-wrote Star Trek (1966)'s third season episode, The Lights of Zetar (1969), with her husband Jeremy Tarcher, and hoped to be cast as the female guest star. The role of Lieutenant Mira Romaine went to Jan Shutan.

She and her husband Jeremy Tarcher were both science fiction fans and were friends with many major writers, including Frederik Pohl, Ray Bradbury, and Harlan Ellison.

Her parents encouraged her to perform and, by the age of 13, her father taught her to perform specialized magic tricks. She also received instructions in acrobatics, juggling, ices-skating, baton twirling, violin and piano. She was taught ventriloquism by John W. Cooper. She continued piano and violin at New York's High School of Music and Art, dance at the American School of Ballet and acting with Sanford Meisner of the Neighborhood Playhouse. She attended Barnard College for one year but left college to go into show business.

Ventriloquist, best known for characters such as Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy.

Daughter, Mallory Tarcher, was a writer on Lamb Chop's Play-Along (1992) and The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998).

Her father Abraham Hurwitz (died 29-9-1981) was declared New York's official magician by mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. He was also a professor at Yeshiva University.

Shari Lewis hosted her first children's television shows "Facts N'Fun", "Kartoon Klub"/"Shari & Her Friends", "Shariland" and "Hi Mom"/"Family" on WNBT/WRCA Ch. 4 and on WPIX TV Ch. 11 in NYC. "Facts N'Fun" was seen Sunday afternoons on WNBT TV Ch. 4 in NYC from Sunday July 5, 1953 to Sunday September 26, 1953. "Kartoon Klub"/"Shari & Her Friends" Monday to Saturday evenings on WPIX TV Ch. 11 in NYC from Tuesday July 6, 1954 to Saturday December 22, 1956. "Shariland" was seen first on WPIX TV Ch. 11 in NYC on Saturday Evenings from Saturday October 13, 1956 to Saturday December 22, 1956 and later on WRCA TV Ch. 4 in NYC Saturday mornings from Saturday August 16, 1957 to Saturday August 16, 1958. "Hi Mom"/"Family" was seen weekday mornings on WRCA TV Ch. 4 in NYC from Thursday August 15, 1957 to Friday March 20, 1959.

Received an honorary doctorate from the Hofstra University School of Education on May 16, 1993.

On September 20, 2015, her husband Jeremy Tarcher died from Parkinson's disease. At the time of his death, he was age 83.

In 1984, she was treated for breast cancer. In June 1998, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy, but doctors told her the cancer was inoperable and she had only eight weeks to live. Despite her declining health, she insisted on filming three final episodes of The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998). She was given chemotherapy treatment at the Cedars-Sinai Center in Los Angeles, but in doing so, she developed viral pneumonia and died on the night of August 2, 1998. Upon her death, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998) was cancelled. The last episode of The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998) aired on January 17, 1999, what would have been her 66th birthday. Her body was cremated.

Her husband, Jeremy Tarcher, is the brother of Judith Krantz.

Mother Mallory Tarcher. Aunt of Tony Krantz and Nicholas Krantz.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 6743 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 18, 1976.

Mother-in-law of Brad Hood (Mallory's husband).

Sister-in-law of Steve Krantz.

Sister-in-law/longtime friend of Lan O'Kun (Barbara's husband).

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 359-360. New York: Oxford University Press (2002).

Had one sibling: Barbara Hurwitz O'Kun (younger sister by nine years).

Her daughter, Mallory Tarcher, took possession of Lamb Chop after her death and continues to perform with.