Judy Garland

Born to a family of vaudevillian entertainers, Judy Garland demonstrated her flair for music and dance from an early age, appearing on stage with her siblings as the Gumm Sisters, going on to perform in vaudeville and several movies. They subsequently changed their name to the Garland Sisters and, inspired by a Hoagy Carmichael song, Frances Gumm became Judy Garland. In 1935, the 13-year-old Judy was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and became a popular figure in a series of movies with Mickey Rooney and at 16 she starred in the role for which she'll always be remembered - Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz - and sang her showstopping signature song, Over The Rainbow. It turned her into one of America's biggest stars of stage and screen, resulting in many other hits, notably The Trolley Song from Meet Me In St Louis (1944) and On The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fé from The Harvey Girls (1946). Garland had a tortured personal life, plagued by drink and drug problems, unhappy relationships, illness, financial problems and at least one suicide attempt. Yet she remained a spectacular concert performer, still singing until her death in 1969 (at 47) from an accidental overdose of pills two months after her fifth marriage. Her legend, however, is well and truly alive.

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