Judy Garland

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer whose career spanned four decades. She is known for her artistic range and strong contralto voice, working in a variety of genres including musicals, comedies and dramas. Her career and personal life, marked by both public fascination and private struggle, made her a cultural icon and gay icon. Garland began her career at the age of two: performing with her two older sisters as a vaudeville act called the Gumm Sisters. In 1935, aged 13, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and was initially cast in supporting roles in ensemble musicals such as Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937). She achieved international recognition for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in the musical film The Wizard of Oz (1939). She followed this with leading roles in MGM musicals including Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and Summer Stock (1950). She expanded her range with dramatic performances in A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), both of which earned her Academy Award nominations. Garland's music career was kickstarted with her signature song "Over the Rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz. She recorded 11 studio albums between 1939 and 1962. Her albums Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Miss Show Business (1955) peaked in the top ten of the US Billboard 200, while Judy (1956), Alone (1957) and The Garland Touch (1962) reached the top 40. Her live album, Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961), made Garland the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Also in 1961, she became the first female recipient and youngest honoree of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. Garland married five times and had three children, including actresses and singers Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft. From her teenage years onward, she faced health challenges exacerbated by studio pressures on her appearance and performance. She developed dependencies on prescription medications that affected her physical and mental well-being. Financial difficulties, including substantial tax debts, added to her burdens. She died from an accidental barbiturate overdose at age 47 in 1969. Several of Garland's performances are preserved in the National Film Registry and the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, and six of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Her numerous accolades include one Golden Globe Award, two Grammy Awards, the Academy Juvenile Award, the Special Tony Award, and nominations for three Emmy Awards. In 1997, she was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her the eighth greatest star of classic Hollywood cinema.

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