Judy Garland

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress, singer, and vaudevillian. Known for her powerful contralto voice, emotional depth, and versatility, Garland amassed several screen and stage credits across 45 years, rising to international fame as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Her acting efforts overlapped with a successful music career, releasing eight studio albums and having several of her recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. At age 39, Garland became the youngest, and first female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. She has additionally received a Golden Globe Award, was one of twelve people in history to receive an Academy Juvenile Award, and received a Special Tony Award for her contributions to the revival of vaudeville. In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her as the eighth-greatest female screen legend of classic Hollywood cinema. Garland began her career as a child performer in vaudeville alongside her two sisters; Dorothy Virginia and Mary Jane Gumm, as part of The Gumm Sisters. After being signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at age 13 in 1935, her role in The Wizard of Oz (1939) cemented her status as a Hollywood legend. She was established as one of MGM's most bankable stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and continued to star in numerous musical films including Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and Summer Stock (1950). After a series of fluctuations, Garland experienced a film resurgence with critically acclaimed performances in A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), which she received Academy Award nominations for. Also in 1961, Garland became the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her live album Judy at Carnegie Hall. Other notable recordings include her signature song "Over the Rainbow", the Christmas classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and the Saint Patrick's Day anthem "It's a Great Day for the Irish". She later hosted her own Emmy-nominated television series, The Judy Garland Show (1963–1964). Garland struggled in her personal life from an early age. The pressures of early stardom affected her physical and mental health from the time she was a teenager; her self-image was influenced by constant criticism from film executives who believed that she was physically unattractive and who manipulated her onscreen physical appearance. She had financial troubles, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. Throughout her adulthood, she struggled with drugs and alcohol; she died from an accidental barbiturate overdose in 1969, at age 47.

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