Frances Ethel Gumm is born on June 10th in Grand Rapids, Minnesota to vaudeville performers Frank and Ethel. The youngest of three girls, she is nicknamed Baby by her family and at just 2 years old makes her debut performing at her father's theater The New Grand Movie Theater.
The family relocates to Lancaster, California in March and begins appearing onstage at the New Lancaster Theater in May.
Debuts on the radio with her older sisters Virginia and Mary Jane, calling themselves The Gumm Sisters, for "The Kiddies Hour" on Los Angeles' KFI station. The following year the sisters debut on film in the short "The Big Revue", singing "In the Good Old Sunny South".
She changes her name to Judy after she and her sisters change their group name to The Garland Sisters the year before.
At just 13 years old, Judy signs with MGM studio after her father takes her to an audition in September. Just two months later, her father dies of complications from spinal meningitis, which Judy describes as "the most terrible thing that ever happened in my life".
Judy records her first record releases: "Swing Mr. Charlie" and "Stompin' at The Savoy" with Decca Records, but doesn't sign a contract with them until the following year. Over the next eleven years, she records and releases countless albums for Decca. She also makes her feature film debut in "Pigskin Parade".
Stars in her first color film "The Wizard of Oz", earning her stardom and a special Juvenile Academy Award the following year.
Elopes with songwriter David Rose on July 27th in Las Vegas. After studio heads pressure her to maintain a "girl next door" image, she aborts a pregnancy the following year.
Separates from David Rose and begins production on "Meet Me in St. Louis". The film's director, Vincente Minnelli, orchestrates a make-over, giving her more adult sex-appeal by altering her hair color, hairline, lip line, and eyebrow arch.
After her divorce to David Rose is finalized in June, she weds Vincente Minnelli on September 17th. Their child Liza Minnelli is born on March 12th, the following year.
Begins filming "The Pirate" with her husband Vincente Minnelli as director in February. After having a nervous breakdown on the set in April and attempting suicide in July, she is checked into Las Campanas sanitarium followed by Austin Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts for a couple of weeks.
Even though she continues to record albums, she is frequently ill and absent from film sets and is suspended by MGM in July and replaced in the film "The Barleys of Broadway".
Judy announces her separation from Vincente Minnelli in March, is suspended by MGM again and replaced from yet another film, "Annie Get Your Gun" in May. Soon after, she checks into the Brent Bringham Hospital in Boston for about 6 weeks and requests to be released from her MGM contract.
After failing to show up for pre-production on the film "Royal Wedding" in June, Judy is suspended again and dropped from the film. Two days later the public learns that Judy has 'attempted suicide' by cutting her neck with broken glass. MGM finally releases her from her contract in September.
Judy continues singing and performing and, under the management of Sid Luft, she kicks off a vaudeville act at the Palace Theater in New York that runs for 19 weeks and breaks box office records. The performance run is deemed her "comeback".
Having divorced Minnelli the previous year, she marries Sid Luft on June 8th in Hollister, California and gives birth to their daughter Lorna on November 21st.
"A Star Is Born" premieres, marking Judy's return to film. She wins a Globe Globe for her critically acclaimed performance.
Judy is nominated for an Academy Award for "A Star is Born" but loses out to Grace Kelly in a huge upset.
She gives birth to son Joey Luft on March 29th and signs with Capitol Records in August, an association that lasts until 1966. On September 24th, she makes her first television appearance on the CBS "Ford Star Jubilee" show and receives huge ratings, leading to a $300,000 contract with the network.
Takes ill with hepatitis and enters the New York Doctors Hospital for treatment in November. Even though she is not expected to fully recover, she is released from the hospital two months later.
Judy returns to singing and recording in April and in July, she performs with Frank Sinatra at a fundraiser in Los Angeles for John F. Kennedy's campaign. By the end of July she takes up residency in England's Chelsea neighborhood.
Performs at Carnegie Hall on April 23rd to rave reviews by critics who herald it as one of her greatest performances. The subsequent live recording album spends thirteen weeks as number one on the Billboard charts and garners five Grammy awards.
Files for divorce from Sid Luft the previous year and begins taping "The Judy Garland Show", which debuts in December and runs until it is cancelled the following year after 26 episodes.
Weds tour promoter Mark Herron in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 14th, but they divorce a mere six months later.
She is cast in the film adaptation of the book "Valley of The Dolls", but is fired from the production in April.
Checks into the Peter Bent Bringham Hospital in Boston as part of a substance withdrawal program.
Marries discotheque manager Mickey Deans on March 15th in London, England.
Judy Garland is found dead at 47 years old in her Chelsea home in England on June 22nd. Her blood level indicated a lethal level of barbiturates that had been ingested over a long period of time and her death was subsequently listed as an accident.
RSS FEEDS
Send to friend
Biography - Bookmark this page
