Born and raised in Harlem, the child of a caterer and a carpet cleaner Godfrey attended a private elementary and middle school (the Modern School) and New York City's George Washington High School where she was elected the first female Student Body President. Her voice training began at middle school age with the great voice teacher Dr. Chauncey Northern Sr. of Carnegie Hall and lasted until Dr. Northern's death in September 1992 at the age of ninety. After graduation Ms. Godfrey attended Hampton University. As a freshman, her speech teacher, the theatrical impresario Marjorie Moon suggested she audition for a production. "The Theatre bug got me the very instant I started to audition." She promptly transferred to Hunter College back in New York City (to be closer to the theatre) where, as the fates would have it, theatre legend Lloyd Richards was teaching a Black Theatre History course. She enrolled in that course and went on to study acting and directing with the theatre legend and giant.

Her career proceeded at jet speed working with Herbert Berghoff at the No Smoking Playhouse and then within two years of graduating college she was on Broadway in the musical review "EUBIE", the music of Eubie Blake; where she shared the stage with an incredible cast that included the multi-talented Hines Brothers: Gregory and Maurice. She received a DRAMA DESK Nomination and an AUDELCO AWARD for her work in EUBIE, her Broadway debut. Her career has taken her to regional theatre, off-Broadway, nightclubs...national and international. She appeared at the 92nd Street -Yunder the direction of extremely dedicated Maurice Levine then with the fabulous composers Burton Lane, Livingston and Evans (creators of the Bonanza theme) and many other luminaries. She has learned from the Masters.
She worked with Larry Kert, Jack Gilford and Orson Bean in ESIPA'S "Knickerbocker's Follies " Credits include New York and London West End productions of "Snow Queen" in which Ms Godfrey performed the title role. Lola in " Damn Yankees" at Hartford Stage with the talented Michael Rupert as Joe, and the wonderful David Rounds as the Devil. She was in the original American Place Theater production of "A, My Name Is Alice." There were companies of "Ain't Misbehavin', "Dessert Song" as Azuri, "Absurdities" in Europe as Josephine Baker and in Los Angeles the production of" No Place to Be Somebody" directed by Pulitzer Prize Winner Charles Gordone and famed director Bill Duke. For her work in this production as she reprised the role originally created by the formidable Mary Alice...Cora Mae Beasley... Ms Godfrey received both the NAACP IMAGE AWARD and a DRAMALOGUE THEATRE AWARD.
Ms Godfrey stayed on in Los Angeles to make over 30 guest appearances on Network television and was recurring on two series AMEN and BREWSTER PLACE and a series regular on THE NEW MONKEES as Helen and in the Norman Lear sequel to "All in the Family" ...704 HAUSER where she starred as Rose Cumberbatch.
Her film work includes appearing in V.I.WARSHAWSKI as Kathleen Turner's best friend Sal, WOMAN WITHOUT IMPLANTS and ENEMY TERRITORY.

Television appearances include Steven Bochco’s, LA LAW and CIVIL WARS; others are: thirtysomething, FRANK'S PLACE, EUBIE, MEMORIES OF EUBIE, 227, ALMOST PERFECT, OUT OF THIS WORLD, COP ROCK, GENERATIONS, LIVING DOLLS and SONNY SPOON among others.

One of her proudest moments in theatre is her work in "LADIES OF SONG."

The complete list of her credits would take up too much space but she has enjoyed every second of the work.