Who is singer and actor Judy Garland?
Judy Garland was the stage name of Frances Ethel Gumm, an American singer, actor and vaudeville performer born on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Known for her powerful voice, emotional interpretive style and screen presence, she became one of Hollywood’s most celebrated performers. Garland is especially associated with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in which she played Dorothy Gale and introduced the enduring standard “Over the Rainbow.”
Background/biography
Frances Ethel Gumm was the youngest daughter of Frank Gumm and Ethel Marion Milne. Her parents operated a movie theater in Grand Rapids, and she appeared onstage as a child alongside her older sisters, Mary Jane and Dorothy, in an act known as the Gumm Sisters.
Her family later moved to California, where the sisters performed as the Garland Sisters. Frances adopted the name Judy Garland during the 1930s and signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as a teenager. Although she received training through the studio system, her career largely developed through early stage appearances, screen tests and musical-film work rather than a conventional academic path.
Film and music career
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) — played Dorothy Gale and performed “Over the Rainbow.”
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) — starred as Esther Smith and performed “The Trolley Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
- Easter Parade (1948) — co-starred with Fred Astaire.
- Summer Stock (1950) — co-starred with Gene Kelly and performed “Get Happy.”
- A Star Is Born (1954) — played Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester; the performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) — received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
- Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961) — live album that won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
- The Judy Garland Show (1963–1964) — television variety program featuring Garland’s musical performances and guest appearances.
Garland began as a major MGM musical-film star in the late 1930s and 1940s, often appearing in productions that paired her with fellow studio performers including Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly. Her career later expanded through concert engagements, recordings, television and dramatic film roles.
Her 1961 Carnegie Hall concert became one of the defining live performances of her career. The recording, Judy at Carnegie Hall, was widely acclaimed and remained a landmark release in popular vocal music.
The song most closely tied to her legacy
“Over the Rainbow,” written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for The Wizard of Oz, became Garland’s signature song. The performance was central to the film’s cultural legacy and remained closely associated with her throughout her concert career.
Garland was honored with a juvenile Academy Award in 1940 for her work as a young screen performer, particularly for The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Arms. She later received several Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Judy at Carnegie Hall.
Net worth
There is no single reliable, widely agreed public estimate of Judy Garland’s net worth at the time of her death in 1969. Her income came principally from film contracts, recordings, television, theater and live concert performances, but reports about her finances have varied and often note substantial professional expenses and debt.
Trivia about Judy Garland
- She was born Frances Ethel Gumm and performed with her sisters before becoming known as Judy Garland.
- Garland was 16 when The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939.
- She received a special juvenile Academy Award in 1940.
- Her 1961 live album Judy at Carnegie Hall won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
- She was the mother of performers Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.
- Garland died in London on June 22, 1969, at age 47.
