Given the question: Facts:   - imagesize: 150px    - death place: new york city , new york , u.s.    - caption: publicity photo , c. 1975    - birth name: betty mae nelson    - death date: 6 march 2001      - birth date: 27 may 1920    - name: portia nelson    - birth place: brigham city , utah , u.s.    - occupation: singer-songwriter , actress , author   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of portia nelson .
The answer is:
portia nelson -lrb- may 27 , 1920 -- march 6 , 2001 -rrb- was an american popular singer , songwriter , actress , and author .she was best known for her appearances in the most prestigious 1950s cabarets , where she sang an elegant repertoire in a soprano noted for its silvery tone , perfect diction , intimacy , and meticulous attention to words .in 1965 she portrayed the cantankerous sister berthe in the film version of `` the sound of music '' ; she also had a minor role as sarah in the musical `` doctor dolittle '' ; on tv 's `` all my children '' nelson played the long-running role of nanny mrs. gurney .her book of poetic musings , `` there 's a hole in my sidewalk : the romance of self-discovery '' , became a mainstay of twelve-step programs .