Garland, Judy

(born Frances Ethel Gumm), famous American singer of popular music and actress, mother of Liza Minnelli; b. Grand Rapids, Minn., June 10, 1922; d. London, June 22, 1969. Reared in a family of vaudeville entertainers, Garland made her stage debut at the age of two and then toured with her sisters before breaking into films in 1936. She gained wide recognition for her film appearances as a teenager with Mickey Rooney.

Garland's first important role gained her a special Academy Award as well as film immortality. This was for her portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. She later adopted its Over the Rainbow as her theme song. She appeared in such film musicals as For Me and My Gal (1942), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948), and In the Good Old Summertime (1949).

While in succeeding years Garland concentrated mainly on nightclub and concert hall performances, she made several more compelling film appearances, most notably in A Star Is Born in 1954 and 1961's Judgment at Nuremberg. In spite of many successes, Garland's private life became public when a string of misfortunes, including marital difficulties, drug dependency, and suicide attempts, overwhelmed her. Her fans remained steadfastly loyal to her, despite her increasingly erratic performances. She suffered an early death at the age of 47.