Coordinates	42°23′″N2°32′″N
name	Liza Minnelli
birth name	Liza May Minnelli
birth date	March 12, 1946
birth place	Hollywood, California, U.S.
spouse	Peter Allen (1967–1974; divorced) Jack Haley, Jr. (1974–1979; divorced) Mark Gero (1979–1992; divorced) David Gest (2002–2007; divorced)
years active	1949–present
occupation	actress, singer
genre(s)	Traditional pop, Jazz, Broadway, Pop rock
label(s)	Capitol Records (1964-1966), A&M; Records (1968-1973), Columbia Records (1977), Decca Label (2010-Present) }}

Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli.

Already established as a nightclub singer and musical theatre actress, she first attracted critical acclaim for her dramatic performances in the movies ''The Sterile Cuckoo'' (1969) and ''Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon'' (1970). Minnelli rose to international stardom for her appearance as Sally Bowles in the 1972 film version of the Broadway musical ''Cabaret'', for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

While film projects such as ''Lucky Lady'', ''A Matter of Time'' and ''New York, New York'' were less favorably received than her stage roles, Minnelli became one of the most versatile, highly regarded and best-selling entertainers in television, beginning with ''Liza with a Z'' in 1972, and on stage in the Broadway productions of ''Flora the Red Menace, The Act'' and ''The Rink''. Minnelli also toured internationally and did shows such as ''Liza Minnelli: At Carnegie Hall'', ''Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event'', and ''Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall''.

She starred in ''Liza's Back'', in 2002. She had guest appearances in the sitcom ''Arrested Development'' and had a small role in the movie ''The OH in Ohio'', while continuing to tour internationally. In 2008/09, she performed the Broadway show ''Liza's at The Palace...!'' which earned a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.

Minnelli has won a total of three Tony Awards awards, including a Special Tony Award. She has also won an Oscar, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globes and a Grammy Legend Award for her contributions and influence in the recording field, along with many other honors and awards. She was one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award.

Early life

Minnelli was born in Hollywood, California, to Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland. Her mother had a history in film, music, and a role in the vaudeville act "The Gumm Sisters". Her father was a film director. She attended New York City's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and Chadwick School. Her first performing experience on film was at age three where she appeared in the final scene of the 1949 musical ''In the Good Old Summertime''. The film starred Garland and Van Johnson.

Minnelli's half-sister and brother from Garland's marriage to Sid Luft are Lorna and Joey Luft. She also has another half-sister, Christiane Nina Minnelli (nicknamed Tina Nina), from her father's second marriage.

Minnelli's godparents were Kay Thompson and Ira Gershwin.

Career

Theatre

Minnelli began performing professionally at age 17, in 1963, in an Off-Broadway revival of the musical ''Best Foot Forward'', for which she received the Theatre World Award. The next year, her mother invited Minnelli to perform with her at the London Palladium. She turned to Broadway at 19, and in 1965 she became the youngest woman ever to win a leading actress Tony Award for ''Flora the Red Menace''. It was the first time she worked with the musical duo John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Music

Minnelli began as a nightclub singer as an adolescent, making her professional nightclub debut at the age of 19 at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.. She later appeared in other clubs and on stage in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and New York City. Her success as a live performer led to her recording several albums at Capitol Records: ''Liza! Liza!'' (1964), ''It Amazes Me'' (1965) and ''There Is a Time'' (1966). In her early years, she recorded traditional pop standards as well as show tunes from various musicals that she starred in. Because of this fact, William Ruhlmann named her “Barbra Streisand's little sister”. The Capitol albums ''Liza! Liza!'', ''It Amazes Me'', and ''There Is A Time'' were reissued on the two-CD compilation ''The Capitol Years'' in 2001, in their entirety.

From 1968 up to the 1970s, she also recorded more contemporary material according to classic pop songs with her albums ''Liza Minnelli'' (1968), ''Come Saturday Morning'' and ''New Feelin''' (both 1970) from A&M; Records. She released ''The Singer'' (1973) and ''Tropical Nights'' (1977) from Columbia Records.

In 1989 Minnelli collaborated with Pet Shop Boys on ''Results'', an electronic dance-style album. The release hit the top 10 in the UK and also charted in the US, spawning four singles: ''Losing My Mind''; ''Don't Drop Bombs''; ''So Sorry, I Said''; and ''Love Pains''. Initially released on VHS titled ''Visible Results'', the clips were later issued on a bonus DVD included in the 2005 remastered and expanded edition of the album. Later that year she performed ''Losing My Mind'' live at the Grammys ceremony before receiving a Grammy Legend Award (the first Grammy Legend Awards were issued in 1990 to Liza Minnelli, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Smokey Robinson and Willie Nelson). With this award, she became one of only 12 other entertainers – in a list that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Barbra Streisand and Mel Brooks among others – to win an Emmy, Grammy, Tony Award and Academy Award.

In April 1992 Minnelli performed ''We Are The Champions'' with the surviving members of the rock band Queen at ''The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert''.

In 1996, Minnelli released a new studio album titled ''Gently''. It was a recording of jazz standards and also included some contemporary songs such as the cover of ''Does He Love You'' which she performed as a duet with Donna Summer. This album brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. Minnelli was nominated in 2009 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for her studio recording ''Liza's at the Palace...!'', based on her hit Broadway show.

In May 2010, Playbill.com reported Minnelli would be releasing an album on the Decca Records label entitled ''Confessions'', which was released on September 21, 2010

In 2006, Minnelli appeared on My Chemical Romance's album ''The Black Parade'', providing backing vocals and singing a solo part with Gerard Way on the track "Mama".

Film

Her first appearance on film is as the baby in the very last shot of her mother's film, ''In the Good Old Summertime'' (1949).

Her first credited film role was as the love-interest in Albert Finney's only film as director and star, ''Charlie Bubbles'' (1967).

In 1969 she appeared in Alan J. Pakula's first feature film, ''The Sterile Cuckoo'' (1969), as “Pookie Adams”, a needy, eccentric teenager. Her performance won her her first Academy Award nomination. She played another eccentric character the following year in ''Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon'', directed by Otto Preminger. In 1972, Minnelli appeared in perhaps her best-known film role, as Sally Bowles in the movie version of ''Cabaret''. She said that one of the things she did to prepare was to study photographs of classic actresses Louise Glaum and Louise Brooks and the dark-haired ladies of that time. Minnelli won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance, along with a Golden Globe Award. This made her the only Oscar-winning child of Oscar-winning parents.

Following the success of ''Cabaret'', Bob Fosse and Minnelli teamed up for ''Liza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television'', a made-for-television special. The program aired two times on TV and was not seen again until a DVD release in 2006.

Minnelli worked with her father in the 1976 ''A Matter of Time'', costarring Ingrid Bergman. After severe editing and cutting, done by the studio, with no input from Vincente, the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success .

Her appearance opposite Robert De Niro in the 1977 musical drama film, ''New York, New York'' however, gave Minnelli her best known signature song. Frank Sinatra released a successful cover version (for his ''Trilogy: Past Present Future'' album) two years later and used it as his signature song as well, sometimes even duetting with Minnelli live on stage.

After her performance as leading lady to Dudley Moore in 1981's hit film ''Arthur'', Minnelli made fewer film appearances although she returned to the big screen in 1991 for ''Stepping Out'', a musical dramedy.

Most recently she made an appearance in the movie ''Sex and the City 2 (2010)'' as herself.

Television

During the early days of television in the 1950s Minnelli appeared as a child guest on Art Linkletter's show and in 1959 sang and danced with Gene Kelly on his first television special. She was a guest star in one episode of the popular Ben Casey television series starring Vince Edwards and was a frequent guest on chat shows of the day including numerous appearances on shows hosted by Jack Paar, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Joe Franklin, Dinah Shore and Johnny Carson. During the 1960s she made several guest appearances on ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh In'' as well as other variety shows including ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''The Hollywood Palace'', as well as ''The Judy Garland Show''. In 1964 she appeared as Minnie in her first television dramatic role in the episode "Nightingale for Sale" on Craig Stevens's short-lived CBS series, ''Mr. Broadway''.

Recently, Minnelli has made guest appearances on such shows as ''Arrested Development'', ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' and ''Drop Dead Diva''. In the UK she has appeared on the Ruby Wax, Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross shows and in October 2006 participated in a comedy skit on the Charlotte Church Show and was featured on the Michael Parkinson Show. Set to be a guest judge on Australian Idol 2009 on the October 18, 2009. She appeared on ''The Joy Behar Show'' of September 1, 2010.

In November 2009, American Public Television aired "Liza's at the Palace", taped from September 30 – October 1, 2009 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre. The executive producers of the taping, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, previously were involved with the 2005 rerelease of 1972's Emmy and Peabody Award winning "Liza with a 'Z'".

Later career

She returned to Broadway in 1997, taking over the title role in the musical ''Victor/Victoria'', replacing Julie Andrews. In his review, ''New York Times'' critic Ben Brantley commented, “her every stage appearance is perceived as a victory of show-business stamina over psychic frailty. She asks for love so nakedly and earnestly, it seems downright vicious not to respond.”

After a serious case of viral encephalitis in 2000, doctors predicted that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair and would perhaps not even be able to speak again. However, she refused to accept this and with the help of vocal and dance lessons (most notably Sam Harris, Angela Bacari), which she still takes daily, managed to recover and returned to the stage in 2001 when asked by long time friend Michael Jackson to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City where she sang "Never Never Land" and the televised "You Are Not Alone" at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special concert produced by soon to be husband David Gest. Gest was so impressed with her stamina and ability to stun audiences that he produced her in ''Liza's Back'' in spring 2002 performing to rave reviews in London and New York City. (Most noted in that tour was a tribute to her mother. After years of declining fans' pleas for her to sing Garland's signature song, "Over The Rainbow", she concluded Act 1 with the final refrain of her mother's famous anthem, to an instant ovation.) Among performing her classic hits, other numbers unreleased in the album version included "I Believe You" by The Carpenters, a rap version of "Liza With A 'Z'", "Yes", and Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair".

In 2004 and 2005 she appeared as a recurring character on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning TV sitcom ''Arrested Development'' as “Lucille Austero”, the lover of both the sexually and socially awkward “Buster Bluth” and Buster's brother “GOB”.

In September 2006, she made a guest appearance on the long-running NBC drama ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', in ''Masquerade'', a Halloween-themed episode, broadcast on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. She also completed guest vocals on My Chemical Romance's 2006 concept album ''The Black Parade,'' portraying “Mother War”, a dark conception of the main character's mother, in the song ''Mama''.

For years, Minnelli had wanted to record a collection of songs that her godmother Kay Thompson had performed in her nightclub act. In 2007, she added some of Thompson's songs to her latest tour to introduce them to audiences.

Minnelli returned to Broadway in a new solo concert at the Palace Theatre called ''Liza's at The Palace...!'' which ran from December 3, 2008, through January 4, 2009. In her second act she performed a series of numbers created by Kay Thompson. The reviews noted that while her voice was ragged at times, and her movements no longer elastic, the old magic was still very much present—from first to last, Minnelli had audiences cheering and applauding and begging for more. The show was subsequently staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 30 and October 1, 2009, at which time it was filmed for broadcast on public television and a February 2010 DVD and Blu-ray release.

On January 10, 2009, Minnelli made a rare live TV appearance in a surprise cameo on NBC's ''Saturday Night Live'', playing the best friend of “Penelope” (Kristin Wiig). On January 26, 2009, she made an appearance on ''The View'', singing ''I Would Never Leave You'' from her new CD ''Liza's at The Palace...!''. She was also interviewed by the cast of ''The View''.

She was a character in the Australian musical ''The Boy from Oz'' starring Hugh Jackman. In the show's Broadway production, she was portrayed by Stephanie J. Block.

In October 2009, Minnelli toured Australia, and appeared on ''Australian Idol'' as a mentor and guest judge.

In February 2010, Minnelli appeared in a Snickers commercial along with Aretha Franklin.

Minnelli made a cameo appearance in the May 2010 release of ''Sex and the City 2''.

She also made a starring appearance in December 2010 in NBC's ''The Apprentice''.

Personal life

Marriages

Minnelli has been married (and divorced) four times. Her first marriage was to Peter Allen (full name Peter Allen Woolnough) on March 3, 1967. Australian-born Allen was Judy Garland's protégé in the mid-1960s. They divorced on July 24, 1974.

Later that year, she married Jack Haley, Jr., a producer and director, on September 15, 1974. His father, Jack Haley, was Garland's costar in ''The Wizard of Oz.'' They divorced in April 1979.

Minnelli was married to Mark Gero, a sculptor and stage manager, from December 4, 1979 until their divorce in January 1992.

She was married to David Gest, a concert promoter, from March 16, 2002, until they divorced in April 2007. (They separated in July 2003.)

Minnelli also had a relationship with Desi Arnaz Jr., the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Minnelli has no children; one pregnancy left her with a hiatal hernia as a result of the medical steps taken to try to save the baby.

Philanthropy

Minnelli has, throughout her lifetime, served various charities and causes which she considers very important. She served on the board of directors of The Institutes for The Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) for 20 years, a nonprofit educational organization that introduces parents to the field of child brain development. She also dedicated much time to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2007, she stated in an interview with Palm Springs Life magazine, “AmfAR is important to me because I’ve lost so many friends that I knew [to AIDS]”. In 1994, she recorded the Kander & Ebb tune "The Day After That" and donated the proceeds to AIDS research. That same year she performed the song in front of thousands in Central Park at the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1949 | ''In the Good Old Summertime'' | Baby | uncredited |- |1954 | ''The Long, Long Trailer'' | Wedding Guest |scenes deleted |- |1967 | ''Charlie Bubbles'' | Eliza |- |1969 | ''The Sterile Cuckoo'' | 'Pookie' (Mary Ann) Adams |David di Donatello for Best Foreign ActressKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressMar del Plata Film Festival Award for Best ActressNominated — Academy Award for Best ActressNominated — BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film RolesNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |- |1970 | ''Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon'' | Junie Moon |- |1972 | ''Cabaret'' | Sally Bowles |Academy Award for Best ActressBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleDavid di Donatello for Best Foreign ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedySant Jordi Award for Best Performance in a Foreign Film |- |rowspan=3|1974 | ''Just One More Time'' | Herself | uncredited (short subject) |- | ''That's Entertainment!'' | Herself (narrator) |- | ''Journey Back to Oz'' | Dorothy | voice (recorded in the 1960s) |- |1975 | ''Lucky Lady'' | Claire |Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |- |rowspan=2|1976 | ''Silent Movie'' | Herself | |- | ''A Matter of Time'' | Nina | |- |1977 | ''New York, New York'' | Francine Evans |rowspan=2|Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |- |1981 | ''Arthur'' | Linda Marolla |- |1983 | ''The King of Comedy'' | Herself | appears in gag cardboard cutout |- |1984 | ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' | Herself | |- |1985 | ''That's Dancing!'' | Herself – Host | |- |1987 || ''Rent-A-Cop'' | Della Roberts | |- |1988 | ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' | Linda Marolla Bach | |- |1991 | ''Stepping Out'' | Mavis Turner | |- |1994 | ''A Century of Cinema'' | Herself | documentary |- |1995 | ''Unzipped'' | Herself – uncredited | documentary |- |2006 | ''The OH in Ohio'' | Alyssa Donahue | |- |2010 |''Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age'' | Herself | documentary |- | 2010 | ''Sex and the City 2'' | Wedding Minister/Herself | Sequel To Sex and the City |- Nominated – Nomination for 2011 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress |}

Television movies

''The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood'' (1965)

''The Princess and the Pea'' (1984, episode of the television anthology ''Faerie Tale Theatre'')

''A Time to Live'' (1985)

''Sam Found Out: A Triple Play'' (1988)

''Parallel Lives'' (1994)

''The West Side Waltz'' (1995)

Specials

''Judy and Liza at the Palladium'' (1964, with Judy Garland)

''Liza'' (1970)

''Liza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television'' (1972)

''Love from A to Z'' (1974, with Charles Aznavour)

''Goldie and Liza Together'' (1980, with Goldie Hawn)

''An Evening with Liza Minnelli'' (1980)

''Liza in London'' (1986)

''Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente'' (1987, documentary)

''Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event'' (1989, with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.)

''Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall'' (1992)

''Liza & Friends: A Tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr.'' (1993, with Charles Aznavour, Tom Jones, Jerry Lewis, and Cliff Richard)

Discography

Stage productions

''Wish You Were Here'' (1961) (Hyannis, Massachusetts)

''Take Me Along'' (1961) (Hyannis, Massachusetts)

''Flower Drum Song'' (1961) (Hyannis, Massachusetts)

''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1961–1962) (Tour)

''Best Foot Forward'' (1963) (Off-Broadway)

''Carnival!'' (1964) (Paper Mill Playhouse)

''Time Out For Ginger'' (1964) (Bucks County Playhouse)

''The Fantasticks'' (1964) (Tour)

''Flora the Red Menace'' (1965) (Broadway)

''The Pajama Game'' (1966) (Tour)

''Liza'' (1974) (one woman show, Broadway)

''Chicago'' (1975) (replacement for Gwen Verdon from Aug–Sep. 1975, Broadway)

''The Act'' (1977–1978) (Broadway)

''Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?'' (1978) (guest appearance, Off-Broadway)

''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1978–1979) (Martha Graham Ballet/London and Lincoln Center/New York City)

''By Myself'' (1983) (one woman show, Los Angeles and London)

''The Rink'' (1984) (Broadway)

''Love Letters'' (1994) (Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami)

''Victor/Victoria'' (1997) (vacation replacement for Julie Andrews, Broadway)

''Minnelli on Minnelli'' (1999–2000) (concert show, Broadway, Palace Theater)

''Liza's Back!'' (2002) (concert show, New York and London)

''Liza's at the Palace...!'' (2008–2009) (concert show, Broadway, Palace Theater)

Awards and honors

Film awards

Academy Awards

1970 nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role(''The Sterile Cuckoo'')

1973 won: Best Actress in a Leading Role (''Cabaret'')

Minnelli has the distinction of being the only Academy Award winner whose parents were both Academy Award winners (her father won as Best Director for ''Gigi'' and her mother received an honorary Oscar for ''The Wizard of Oz'').

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

1971 nominated: Film Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (''The Sterile Cuckoo'')

1973 won: Best Actress (''Cabaret'')

Golden Globe Awards

1970 nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (''The Sterile Cuckoo'')

1973 won: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (''Cabaret'')

1976 nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (''Lucky Lady'')

1978 nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (''New York, New York'')

1982 nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (''Arthur'')

Television awards

Emmy Awards

1973 won: Outstanding Single Program – Variety and Popular Music (''Liza with a 'Z'. A Concert for Television'')

1973 nominated: Outstanding Achievement by a Supporting Performer in a Variety Show or a Special (''A Royal Gala Variety Performance'')

1980 nominated: Outstanding Variety or Music Program (''Goldie and Liza Together'')

1987 nominated: Outstanding Informational Special (''Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente'')

1993 nominated: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (''Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall'')

Golden Globe Awards

1986 won: Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (''A Time to Live'')

Recording awards

Grammy Awards

1997 nominated: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance (''Gently'')

2010 nominated: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (''Liza's at The Palace...!'')

Grammy Hall of Fame Award

2008 inducted (''Cabaret. Original Soundtrack Recording'')

Grammy Living Legend Award 1990 won: Grammy Living Legend Award for Contributions and Influence in the Recording Field

Stage awards

Drama Desk Awards

1984 nominated: Outstanding Actress in a Musical (''The Rink'')

2009 won: Drama Desk Special Award for “her role as a beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in ''Liza's at The Palace...!''”

Independent Theatre Reviewers Association

2009 won: Best Female Theatrical Performance (''Liza's at The Palace...!'')

Theatre World Award

1963 won: Outstanding Off-Broadway Debut (''Best Foot Forward'')

Tony Awards

1965 won: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (''Flora the Red Menace'')

1974 won: Special Tony Award for “adding lustre to the Broadway season”

1978 won: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (''The Act'')

1984 nominated: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (''The Rink'')

The show ''Liza's at The Palace...!'' itself won the Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event in 2009.

Miscellaneous Honors

Hasty Pudding Theatricals

1973: Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

2005: Vanguard Award, for “her contributions to increased visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community”

Mercy College (New York) 2007: Honorary Doctorate, “for her charitable activities and a career that has spanned five decades and multiple genres”

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays

2010: Straight for Equality in Entertainment Award, for “her lifelong support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.”

Other appearances

Minnelli appears in the song "Mama" on the My Chemical Romance album ''The Black Parade''. She added her vocals to the song from a separate studio while members of the band listened via satellite.

See also

List of persons who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards

References

Further reading

Leigh, Wendy (1993), ''Liza: Born a Star''. E. P. Dutton

Mair, George (1996), ''Under the Rainbow: The Real Liza Minnelli''. Carol Publishing

Schechter, Scott (2004), ''The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook''. Kensington Books/Citadel Press * See Free Preview at Amazon.com

Spada, James (1983), ''Judy and Liza''. Doubleday

External links

Official Minnelli Site

Liza Minnelli at TVGuide.com

Category:1946 births Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:Grammy Award winners Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:Judy Garland Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Scarsdale, New York Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:Tony Award winners Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Hybrid Recordings artists Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners Category:Children of Entertainers

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Coordinates	42°23′″N2°32′″N
alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	130pxMichael Jackson's signature }}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.

In ''Bad'', Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana". The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution. "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that ''Dangerous'' presents Jackson as a very paradoxical individual. He comments the album is more diverse than his previous ''Bad'', as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World". The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. ''Dangerous'' contains sexually charged efforts such as the multifaceted love song, "In the Closet". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson opening up about various personal struggles and worries. In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.

''HIStory'' creates an atmosphere of paranoia. Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B; ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media. In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces. In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not—shall we say—done him the honor of listening to it, but I've been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot". ''Invincible'' found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins. It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip-hop, pop and R&B; in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".

Vocal style

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor. Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from The Jackson 5's ''G.I.T.: Get It Together'' album. Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of ''Off the Wall'': it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video. With the arrival of ''Off the Wall'' in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, ''Rolling Stone'' compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly". 1982 saw the release of ''Thriller'', and ''Rolling Stone'' was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".

A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelled "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him. The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album ''Dangerous''. ''The New York Times'' noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals. When commenting on ''Invincible'', ''Rolling Stone'' were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies". Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".

Music videos and choreography

Referred to as the King of Music Videos, Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers. Before ''Thriller'', Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition. MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race. The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.; His performance on ''Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage. Short films like ''Thriller'' largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated. The choreography in ''Thriller'' has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines. The ''Thriller'' short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the ''Guinness World Records''.

In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Oprah in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subliminally" and he described it as something that was not planned, but rather, as something that was compelled by the music. "Bad" garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; ''Time'' magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.

}} ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson Live: Best Pics – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

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Coordinates	42°23′″N2°32′″N
Name	Judy Garland'''
Birth name	Frances Ethel Gumm
Birth date	June 10, 1922
Birth place	Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
Death date	June 22, 1969
Death place	Chelsea, London, England, UK
Cause death	Drug Overdose
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active
Spouse
Children	}}

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto vocal range, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in ''A Star is Born'' and for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film, ''Judgment at Nuremberg''.

At 39 years of age, she was the youngest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry.

After appearing in vaudeville with her two older sisters, Garland was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. There she made more than two dozen films, including nine with Mickey Rooney and the 1939 film with which she would be most identified, ''The Wizard of Oz''. After 15 years, she was released from the studio but gained renewed success through record-breaking concert appearances, including a return to acting beginning with critically acclaimed performances.

Despite her professional triumphs, Garland battled personal problems throughout her life. Insecure about her appearance, her feelings were compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and manipulated her on-screen physical appearance. She was plagued by financial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. She married five times, with her first four marriages ending in divorce. She died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47, leaving children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft.

In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten greatest female stars in the history of American cinema.

Early life

Born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Garland was the youngest child of Francis Avent "Frank" Gumm (March 20, 1886 – November 17, 1935) and Ethel Marion Milne (November 17, 1893 – January 5, 1953). Her parents were vaudevillians who settled in Grand Rapids to run a movie theatre that featured vaudeville acts.

Garland's ancestry on both sides of her family can be traced back to the early colonial days of the United States. Her father was descended from the Marable family of Virginia, her grandfather a Milne from Aberdeen (as she told an audience on May 29, 1951 in Edinburgh), and her mother from Patrick Fitzpatrick, who emigrated to America in the 1770s from Smithtown, County Meath, Ireland.

Named after both her parents and baptized at a local Episcopal church, "Baby" (as she was called by her parents and sisters) shared her family's flair for song and dance. Her first appearance came at the age of two-and-a-half when she joined her two older sisters, Mary Jane "Suzy/Suzanne" Gumm (1915–64) and Dorothy Virginia "Jimmie" Gumm (1917–77), on the stage of her father's movie theater during a Christmas show and sang a chorus of "Jingle Bells". Accompanied by their mother on piano, The Gumm Sisters performed at there for the next few years. Following rumors that Frank Gumm had made sexual advances toward male ushers there, the family relocated to Lancaster, California, in June 1926. Frank purchased and operated another theater in Lancaster, and Ethel, acting as their manager, began working to get her daughters into motion pictures. Garland graduated from Antelope Valley High School shortly after.

Early career

The Gumm Sisters

In 1928, The Gumm Sisters enrolled in a dance school run by Ethel Meglin, proprietress of the Meglin Kiddies dance troupe. They appeared with the troupe at its annual Christmas show. It was through the Meglin Kiddies that they made their film debut, in a 1929 short subject called ''The Big Revue''. This was followed by appearances in two Vitaphone shorts the following year, ''A Holiday in Storyland'' (featuring Garland's first on-screen solo) and ''The Wedding of Jack and Jill''. They next appeared together in ''Bubbles''. Their final on-screen appearance came in 1935, in another short entitled ''La Fiesta de Santa Barbara''.

In 1934, the trio, who by then had been touring the vaudeville circuit as "The Gumm Sisters" for many years, performed in Chicago at the Oriental Theater with George Jessel. He encouraged the group to choose a more appealing name after "Gumm" was met with laughter from the audience. "The Garland Sisters" was chosen, and Frances changed her name to "Judy" soon after, inspired by a popular Hoagy Carmichael song.

Several stories persist regarding the origin of the name "Garland". One is that it was originated by Jessel after Carole Lombard's character Lily Garland in the film ''Twentieth Century'' which was then playing at the Oriental; another is that the girls chose the surname after drama critic Robert Garland. Garland's daughter Lorna Luft stated that her mother selected the name when Jessel announced that the trio "looked prettier than a garland of flowers". Another variation surfaced when he was a guest on Garland's television show in 1963. He claimed that he had sent actress Judith Anderson a telegram containing the word "garland," and it stuck in his mind.

At any rate, by late 1934 the "Gumm Sisters" had changed their name to the "Garland Sisters." They were broken up in August 1935, however, Suzanne Garland flew to Reno, Nevada, and married musician Lee Kahn, a member of the Jimmy Davis orchestra playing at Cal-Neva Lodge, Lake Tahoe.

Signed at MGM

In 1935, Garland was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, supposedly without a screen test, though she had made a test for the studio several months earlier. It did not know what to do with her, as at age 13 she was older than the traditional child star but too young for adult roles. Her physical appearance created a dilemma for MGM. At only , her "cute" or "girl next door" looks did not exemplify the more glamorous persona required of leading ladies of the time. She was self-conscious and anxious about her appearance. "Judy went to school at Metro with Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, real beauties," said Charles Walters, who directed her in a number of films. "Judy was the big money-maker at the time, a big success, but she was the ugly duckling ...I think it had a very damaging effect on her emotionally for a long time. I think it lasted forever, really." Her insecurity was exacerbated by the attitude of studio chief Louis B. Mayer, who referred to her as his "little hunchback". During her early years at the studio, she was photographed and dressed in plain garments or frilly juvenile gowns and costumes to match the "girl-next-door" image that was created for her. She was made to wear removable caps on her teeth and rubberized disks to reshape her nose. She performed at various studio functions and was eventually cast opposite Deanna Durbin in the musical short ''Every Sunday''. The film contrasted her alto vocal range and swing style with Durbin's operatic soprano and served as an extended screen test for the pair, as studio executives were questioning the wisdom of having two girl singers on the roster. Mayer finally decided to keep both actresses, but by that time Durbin's option had lapsed and she was signed by Universal Studios.

On November 16, 1935, in the midst of preparing for a radio performance on the ''Shell Chateau Hour,'' Garland learned that her father, who had been hospitalized with meningitis, had taken a turn for the worse. Frank Gumm died the following morning, on November 17, leaving her devastated. Her song for the ''Shell Chateau Hour'' was her first professional rendition of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", a song which would become a standard in many of her concerts.

Garland next came to the attention of studio executives by singing a special arrangement of "You Made Me Love You" to Clark Gable at a birthday party held by the studio for the actor; her rendition was so well regarded that she performed the song in the all-star extravaganza ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' (1937), in which she sang it to a photograph of him.

MGM hit on a winning formula when it paired Garland with Mickey Rooney in a string of "backyard musicals". The duo first appeared together in the 1937 B movie ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry''. They became a sensation, and teamed up again in ''Love Finds Andy Hardy''. She would eventually star with him in nine films.

To keep up with the frantic pace of making one film after another, Garland, Rooney, and other young performers were constantly given amphetamines, as well as barbiturates to take before going to bed. For Garland, this regular dose of drugs led to addiction and a lifelong struggle, and contributed to her eventual demise. She later resented the hectic schedule and felt that her youth had been stolen from her by MGM. Despite successful film and recording careers, several awards, critical praise, and her ability to fill concert halls worldwide, she was plagued throughout her life with self-doubt and required constant reassurance that she was talented and attractive.

''The Wizard of Oz''

In 1938, at age 16, Garland was cast as Dorothy Gale in ''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939), a film based on the children's book by L. Frank Baum. In this film, she sang the song for which she would forever be identified, "Over the Rainbow". Although producers Arthur Freed and Mervyn LeRoy had wanted her from the start, studio chief Mayer tried first to borrow Shirley Temple from 20th Century Fox. Her services were denied and Garland was cast. She was initially outfitted in a blonde wig for the part, but Freed and LeRoy decided against it shortly into filming. Her breasts were bound with tape and she was made to wear a special corset to flatten out her curves and make her appear younger; her blue gingham dress was also chosen for its blurring effect on her figure.

Shooting commenced on October 13, 1938, and was completed on March 16, 1939, with a final cost of more than US$2 million. From the conclusion of filming, MGM kept Garland busy with promotional tours and the shooting of ''Babes in Arms''. She and Mickey Rooney were sent on a cross-country promotional tour, culminating in the August 17 New York City premiere at the Capitol Theater, which included a five-show-a-day appearance schedule for the two stars.

On November 17, 1939, Garland's mother, Ethel, married William P. Gillmore in Yuma, Arizona. It was the fourth anniversary of her first husband's death.

''The Wizard of Oz'' was a tremendous critical success, though its high budget and promotions costs of an estimated $4 million coupled with the lower revenue generated by children's tickets meant that the film did not make a profit until it was rereleased in the 1940s. At the 1940 Academy Awards ceremony, Garland received an Academy Juvenile Award for her performances in 1939, including ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Babes in Arms''. Following this recognition, she became one of MGM's most bankable stars.

Stardom as an adult

In 1940, she starred in three films: ''Andy Hardy Meets Debutante'', ''Strike Up the Band'', and ''Little Nellie Kelly''. In the latter, she played her first adult role, a dual role of both mother and daughter. ''Little Nellie Kelly'' was purchased from George M. Cohan as a vehicle for her to display both her audience appeal and her physical appearance. The role was a challenge for her, requiring the use of an accent, her first adult kiss, and the only death scene of her career. The success of these three films, and a further three films in 1941, secured her position at MGM as a major property. During this time Garland experienced her first serious adult romances. The first was with the band leader Artie Shaw. She was deeply devoted to him and was devastated in early 1940 when he eloped with Lana Turner. Another failed relationship (and her first failed marriage) included an abortion her mother and husband persuaded her to have in order to continue working. She was noticeably thinner in her next film, ''For Me and My Gal'', alongside Gene Kelly in his first screen appearance. She was top billed over the credits for the first time, and effectively made the transition from teenage star to adult actress.

At the age of 21, she was given the "glamour treatment" in ''Presenting Lily Mars'', in which she was dressed in "grown-up" gowns. Her lightened hair was also pulled up in a stylish fashion. However, no matter how glamorous or beautiful she appeared on screen or in photographs, she was never confident in her appearance and never escaped the "girl next door" image that had been created for her.

One of Garland's most successful films for MGM was ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), in which she introduced three standards: "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Vincente Minnelli was assigned to direct this movie, and he requested that makeup artist Dorothy Ponedel be assigned to her for the picture. Ponedel refined her appearance in several ways, including extending and reshaping her eyebrows, changing her hairline, modifying her lip line, and removing her nose discs. She appreciated the results so much that Ponedel was written into her contract for all her remaining pictures at MGM.

''The Clock'' (1945) was her first straight dramatic film, opposite Robert Walker. Though the film was critically praised and earned a profit, most movie fans expected her to sing. It would be many years before she acted again in a non-singing dramatic role.

Garland's other famous films of the 1940s include ''The Harvey Girls'' (1946), in which she introduced the Academy Award-winning song "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", and ''The Pirate'' (1948).'''

Leaving MGM

During filming for ''The Pirate'' in April 1947, Garland suffered a nervous breakdown and was placed in a private sanitarium. She was able to complete filming, but in July she undertook her first suicide attempt, making minor cuts to her wrist with a broken glass. During this period, she spent two weeks in treatment at the Austen Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts Following her work on ''The Pirate'', she completed three more films for MGM: ''Easter Parade'' (in which she danced with Fred Astaire), ''In the Good Old Summertime'', and her final film with MGM, ''Summer Stock''.

Because of her mental condition, Garland was unable to complete a series of films. During the filming of ''The Barkleys of Broadway'', she was taking prescription sleeping medication along with illicitly obtained pills containing morphine. These, in combination with migraine headaches, led her to miss several shooting days in a row. After being advised by her doctor that she would only be able to work in four-to-five-day increments with extended rest periods between, MGM executive Arthur Freed made the decision to suspend her on July 18, 1948. She was replaced by Ginger Rogers.

Garland was cast in the film adaptation of ''Annie Get Your Gun'' in the title role of Annie Oakley. She was nervous at the prospect of taking on a role strongly identified with Ethel Merman, anxious about appearing in an unglamorous part after breaking from juvenile parts for several years, and disturbed by her treatment at the hands of director Busby Berkeley. She began arriving late to the set, and sometimes failed to appear. She was suspended from the picture on May 10, 1949, and was replaced by Betty Hutton.

Garland was next cast in the film ''Royal Wedding'' with Fred Astaire after June Allyson became pregnant in 1950. She again failed to report to the set on multiple occasions, and the studio suspended her contract on June 17, 1950. She was replaced by Jane Powell. Reputable biographies following her death stated that after this latest dismissal, she slightly grazed her neck with a broken water glass, requiring only a Band-Aid, but at the time, the public was informed that a despondent Garland had slashed her throat. "All I could see ahead was more confusion," Garland later said of this suicide attempt. "I wanted to black out the future as well as the past. I wanted to hurt myself and everyone who had hurt me."

Later career

Renewed stardom on the stage

In October 1951, Garland opened in a vaudeville-style, two-a-day engagement at Broadway's newly refurbished Palace Theatre. Her 19-week engagement exceeded all previous records for the theater, and was described as "one of the greatest personal triumphs in show business history". Garland was honored for her contribution to the revival of vaudeville with a Special Tony Award.

Garland's personal and professional achievements during this time were marred by the actions of her mother, Ethel. In May 1952, at the height of her comeback, Ethel was featured in a ''Los Angeles Mirror'' story in which she revealed that while Garland was making a small fortune at the Palace, Ethel was working a desk job at Douglas Aircraft Company for $61 a week. They had been estranged for years, with Garland characterizing her mother as "no good for anything except to create chaos and fear" and accusing her of mismanaging and misappropriating her salary from the earliest days of her career. Garland's sister Virginia denied this, stating "Mama never took a dime from Judy." On January 5, 1953, Ethel was found dead in the Douglas Aircraft parking lot.

''A Star Is Born''

In 1954, Garland filmed a musical remake of the 1937 film ''A Star is Born'' for Warner Bros. She and her third husband, Sid Luft, through their production company, Transcona Enterprises, produced the film while Warner Bros. supplied the funds, production facilities, and crew. Directed by George Cukor and costarring James Mason, it was a large undertaking to which she initially fully dedicated herself. As shooting progressed, however, she began making the same pleas of illness which she had so often made during her final films at MGM. Production delays led to cost overruns and angry confrontations with Warner Bros. head Jack Warner. Principal photography wrapped on March 17, 1954. At Luft's suggestion, the "Born in a Trunk" medley was filmed as a showcase for her and inserted over director Cukor's objections, who feared the additional length would lead to cuts in other areas. It was completed on July 29.

Upon its September 29 world premiere, the film was met with tremendous critical and popular acclaim. Before release it was edited at the instruction of Jack Warner; theater operators, concerned that they were losing money because they were only able to run the film for three or four shows per day instead of five or six, pressured the studio to make additional reductions. About 30 minutes of footage was cut, sparking outrage among critics and filmgoers. ''A Star is Born'' ended up losing money, and the secure financial position Garland had expected from the profits did not materialize. Transcona made no more films with Warner.

Garland was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and, in the run-up to the 27th Academy Awards, was generally expected to be the winner. She could not attend the ceremony because she had just given birth to her son, Joseph Luft, so a television crew was in her hospital room with cameras and wires to televise her anticipated acceptance speech. The Oscar was won, however, by Grace Kelly for ''The Country Girl'' (1954). The camera crew was packing up before Kelly could even reach the stage. Garland even made jokes about the incident on her television series, saying "...and nobody said good-bye." Groucho Marx sent her a telegram after the awards ceremony, declaring her loss "the biggest robbery since Brinks". To this day, it is still considered to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Academy Awards and generally felt that she should have rightly won the Oscar and her performance far exceeded Kelly's. ''TIME'' magazine labeled her performance as "just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history". Garland won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role.

Garland's films after ''A Star Is Born'' included ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' (1961) (for which she was Oscar-and Golden Globe-nominated for Best Supporting Actress), the animated feature ''Gay Purr-ee'' (1962), and ''A Child Is Waiting'' (1963) with Burt Lancaster. Her final film, ''I Could Go On Singing'' (1963), costarring Dirk Bogarde, mirrored her own life with its story of a world famous singing star. Her last screen performance of a song was the prophetic ''I Could Go on Singing'' at the end of the film.

Television, concerts, and Carnegie Hall

Beginning in 1955, Garland appeared in a number of television specials. The first, the 1955 debut episode of ''Ford Star Jubilee'', was the first full-scale color broadcast ever on CBS and was a ratings triumph, scoring a 34.8 Nielsen rating. She signed a three-year, $300,000 contract with the network. Only one additional special, a live concert edition of ''General Electric Theater'', was broadcast in 1956 before the relationship between the Lufts and CBS broke down in a dispute over the planned format of upcoming specials. In 1956, Garland performed four weeks at the New Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip for a salary of $55,000 per week, making her the highest-paid entertainer to work in Las Vegas. Despite a brief bout of laryngitis, her performances there were so successful that her run was extended an extra week. Later that year she returned to the Palace Theatre, site of her two-a-day triumph. She opened in September, once again to rave reviews and popular acclaim.

In November 1959 Garland was hospitalized, diagnosed with acute hepatitis. Over the next few weeks several quarts of fluid were drained from her body until, still weak, she was released from the hospital in January 1960. She was told by doctors that she likely had five years or less to live, and that even if she did survive she would be a semi-invalid and would never sing again. She initially felt "greatly relieved" at the diagnosis. "The pressure was off me for the first time in my life." However, she successfully recovered over the next several months and, in August of that year, returned to the stage of the Palladium. She felt so warmly embraced by the British that she announced her intention to move permanently to England.

Her concert appearance at Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961, was a considerable highlight, called by many "the greatest night in show business history". The two-record ''Judy at Carnegie Hall'' was certified gold, charting for 95 weeks on ''Billboard'', including 13 weeks at number one. The album won four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal of the Year. The album has never been out of print.

In 1961, Garland and CBS settled their contract disputes with the help of her new agent, Freddie Fields, and negotiated a new round of specials. The first, entitled ''The Judy Garland Show'', aired in 1962 and featured guests Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Following this success, CBS made a $24 million offer to her for a weekly television series of her own, also to be called ''The Judy Garland Show'', which was deemed at the time in the press to be "the biggest talent deal in TV history". Although she had said as early as 1955 that she would never do a weekly television series, in the early 1960s she was in a financially precarious situation. Garland was several hundred thousand dollars in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, having failed to pay taxes in 1951 and 1952, and the financial failure of ''A Star is Born'' meant that she received nothing from that investment. A successful run on television was intended to secure her financial future.

Following a third special, ''Judy Garland and Her Guests Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet'', Garland's weekly series debuted September 29, 1963. ''The Judy Garland Show'' was critically praised, but for a variety of reasons (including being placed in the time slot opposite ''Bonanza'' on NBC) the show lasted only one season and was cancelled in 1964 after 26 episodes. Despite its short run, the series was nominated for four Emmy Awards. The demise of the series was personally and financially devastating for Garland, who never fully recovered from its failure.

Final years

With the demise of her television series, Garland returned to the stage. Most notably, she performed at the London Palladium with her then 18-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli in November 1964. The concert, which was also filmed for British television network ITV, was one of her final appearances at the venue. She made guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''The Tonight Show'', ''The Hollywood Palace'', and ''The Merv Griffin Show'', guest-hosting an episode of the last one.

A 1964 tour of Australia was largely disastrous. Garland's first concert in Sydney, held in the Sydney Stadium because no concert hall could accommodate the crowds who wanted to see her, went well and received positive reviews. Her second performance, in Melbourne, started an hour late. The crowd of 7,000, angered by her tardiness and believing her to be drunk, booed and heckled her, and she fled the stage after just 45 minutes. She later characterized the Melbourne crowd as "brutish". A second concert in Sydney was uneventful but the Melbourne appearance garnered her significant bad press. Some of that bad press was deflected by the announcement of a near fatal episode of pleurisy.

In February 1967, Garland had been cast as Helen Lawson in ''Valley of the Dolls'' for 20th Century Fox. The character of Neely O'Hara in the book by Jacqueline Susann was rumored to have been based on her. The role of O'Hara in the film was played by Patty Duke. During the filming, she missed rehearsals and was fired in April. She was replaced by Susan Hayward. Her prerecording of the song "I'll Plant My Own Tree" survived, along with her wardrobe tests.

Returning to the stage, Garland made her last appearances at New York's Palace Theatre in July, a 16-show tour, performing with her children Lorna and Joey Luft. She wore a sequined pantsuit on stage for this tour, which was part of the original wardrobe for her character in ''Valley of the Dolls.''

Marriages

David Rose

Garland began a relationship with musician David Rose, and, on her 18th birthday, he gave her an engagement ring. The studio intervened because he was still married at the time to the actress and singer Martha Raye. They agreed to wait a year to allow for his divorce from her to become final, and were wed on July 27, 1941. Garland, who had aborted her pregnancy by him in 1942, agreed to a trial separation in January 1943, and they divorced in 1944.

Vincente Minnelli

During the filming of ''Meet Me in St. Louis'', after some initial conflict between them, Garland and Vincente Minnelli entered a relationship together. They were married June 15, 1945, and on March 12, 1946, daughter Liza was born. In 1951, they divorced.

Sid Luft

She engaged Sid Luft as her manager the same year. He arranged a four-month concert tour of the United Kingdom, where she played to sold-out audiences throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. It included her first appearances at the renowned London Palladium, for a four-week stand in April. Although some in the British press chided her before her opening for being "too plump", she received rave reviews and the ovation was described by the Palladium manager as the loudest he had ever heard.

Garland and Luft were married on June 8, 1952, in Hollister, California, and she gave birth to their first child, Lorna, on November 21 and her third one, Joey, on March 29 1955

Garland sued Luft for divorce in 1963, claiming "cruelty" as the grounds. She also asserted that he had repeatedly struck her while he was drinking and that he had attempted to take their children from her by force. She had filed for divorce more than once previously, including as early as 1956.

Mark Herron

Garland's fourth marriage was to tour promoter Mark Herron. They announced that their marriage had taken place aboard a freighter off the coast of Hong Kong; however, she was not legally divorced from Luft at the time the ceremony was performed. It became final on May 19, 1965, but she and Herron did not legally marry until November 14, 1965 and then separated six months later.

Mickey Deans

By early 1969, Garland's health had deteriorated. She performed in London at the Talk of the Town nightclub for a five-week run and made her last concert appearance in Copenhagen during March 1969. She married her fifth and final husband, Mickey Deans, at Chelsea Register Office, London, on March 15, 1969, her divorce from Herron having been finalized on February 11.

Death

On June 22 1969, Garland was found dead by Deans in the bathroom of their rented house in Chelsea, London. At the subsequent inquest, coroner Gavin Thursdon stated that the cause of death was "an incautious self-overdosage" of barbiturates; her blood contained the equivalent of ten Seconal capsules. Thursdon stressed that the overdose had been unintentional and that there was no evidence to suggest she had committed suicide. Her autopsy showed that there was no inflammation of her stomach lining and no drug residue in there, which indicated that the drug had been ingested over a long period of time, rather than in one dose. Her death certificate stated that her death had been "accidental." Even so, a British specialist who had attended her said she had been living on borrowed time due to cirrhosis of the liver. She had turned 47 just 12 days prior to her death. Her ''Wizard of Oz'' costar Ray Bolger commented at her funeral, "She just plain wore out." An estimated 20,000 people lined up for hours at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel to view her body. James Mason gave a eulogy at the funeral, which was an Episcopalian service led by the Rev. Peter A. Delaney of Marylebone Church, London, who had officiated at her marriage to Deans. She was interred in a crypt in the community mausoleum at Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale, New York.

Legacy

Garland's legacy as a performer and a personality has endured long after her death. The American Film Institute named her eighth among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time. She has been the subject of over two dozen biographies since her death, including the well-received ''Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir'' by her daughter, Lorna Luft, whose memoir was later adapted into the multiple award-winning television miniseries, ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'', which won Emmy Awards for the two actresses portraying her (Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis). English actress Tracie Bennett portrayed Garland to critical acclaim in a dramatization of her eventual decline and months preceding her death in a play titled ''End of the Rainbow'' at London's Trafalgar Studios. Both the play and Bennett received Laurence Olivier Award nominations.

Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. These include "Over the Rainbow", which was ranked as the number one movie song of all time in the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Songs" list. Four more Garland songs are featured on the list: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (#76), "Get Happy" (#61), "The Trolley Song" (#26), and "The Man That Got Away" (#11). She has twice been honored on U.S. postage stamps, in 1989 (as Dorothy) and again in 2006 (as Vicki Lester from ''A Star Is Born''). She is mentioned in the 1998 horror film ''I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' when the hotel clerk is explaining the history of the hotel in the Bahamas where the film takes place.

Gay icon

Garland always had a large base of fans in the gay community and has become a gay icon. Reasons often given for her standing, especially among gay men, are admiration of her ability as a performer, the way her personal struggles mirrored those of gay men in America during the height of her fame and her value as a camp figure. When asked about how she felt about being a gay icon, she responded, "I couldn't care less. I sing to people."

Some have also suggested a connection between the date of Garland's death and funeral on June 27, 1969 and the Stonewall riots, the flashpoint of the modern Gay Liberation movement, which started in the early hours of June 28.

Filmography and performances

Film and TV portrayals

Garland has been portrayed in film by:

Andrea McArdle in ''Rainbow'' (1978)

Tammy Blanchard (young Judy) and Judy Davis (older Judy) in ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (2001)

Elizabeth Karsell in ''James Dean'' (2001)

Anne Hathaway is set to play Garland in a biopic titled ''Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland'' which is in production and is set to be released in either 2012 or 2013.

Garland has also been impersonated in several TV shows as well.

Discography

Awards

See also

List of Judy Garland biographies

Notes

References

Bianco, David. ''Gay Essentials: Facts For Your Gay Brain''. Alyson Publications. Los Angeles, 1999. ISBN 1-55583-508-2.

Clarke, Gerald (2001). ''Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland''. New York, Random House. ISBN 0-375-50378-1.

DiOrio, Jr., Al. ''Little Girl Lost: The Life and Hard Times of Judy Garland''. Manor Books. New York, 1973.

Duberman, Martin (1993). ''Stonewall''. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-525-93602-5.

Edwards, Anne. ''Judy Garland''. Simon & Schuster. New York, 1975. ISBN 0-671-80228-3 (paperback edition).

Finch, Christopher. ''Rainbow: The Stormy Life of Judy Garland''. Ballantine Books. 1975. ISBN 0-345-25173-3 (paperback edition).

Frank, Gerold. ''Judy''. Harper & Row. New York, 1975. ISBN 0-06-011337-5.

Juneau, James. ''Judy Garland: A Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies''. Pyramid Publications. 1974, New York. ISBN 0-515-03482-7.

Luft, Lorna. ''Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir''. Simon & Schuster. New York, 1999. ISBN 0-283-06320-3.

Sanders, Coyne Steven. ''Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show''. Zebra Books. 1990 ISBN 0-8217-3708-2 (paperback edition).

Seaman, Barbara. ''Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann''. Seven Stories Press. 1996, New York. ISBN 0-9658770-6-X (1996 edition).

Shipman, David. ''Judy Garland: The Secret Life of an American Legend''. Hyperion. New York, 1992. ISBN 0-7868-8026-0 (paperback edition).

Steiger, Brad (1969). ''Judy Garland''. New York, Ace Books.

Wayne, Jane Ellen (2003). ''The Golden Girls of MGM''. New York, Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN 0-7867-1303-8.

External links

Judy Garland at TV Guide

The Judy Room Celebrating the life and career of Judy Garland

The Judy Garland Birthplace and Museum in Grand Rapids, MN

The Judy Garland Club official international fan club

American Masters special">''Judy Garland: By Myself'' – American Masters special

Judy Garland's Film "The Wizard of Oz" Film site on Judy and Oz

Judy Garland at The Biography Channel

Category:1922 births Category:1969 deaths Category:People from Grand Rapids, Minnesota Category:Academy Juvenile Award winners Category:Accidental deaths in England Category:Actors from Minnesota Category:University High School (Los Angeles, California) alumni Category:American people of English descent Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American voice actors Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American radio personalities Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Decca Records artists Category:Drug-related deaths in England Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Tony Award winners Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Vaudeville performers Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Real people associated with Oz

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Coordinates	42°23′″N2°32′″N
name	Shop Boyz
background	group_or_band
alias	The Boyz of Shop
origin	Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
genre	Hip Hop, Southern Rap
years active	2004-2010
label	OnDeck Records/Universal Republic
associated acts	DJ Drama, Mims, Lil Boosie
website	http://www.shopboyzonline.com
current members	MeanieFatSheed
past members	Rich Shoo }}

The Shop Boyz are an Atlanta-based hip hop group, originating from the Kings Glen Trail in Decatur. They are most known for their single "Party Like a Rockstar" from their debut album ''Rockstar Mentality''. The group is composed of Demetrius "Meany" Hardin, Richard "Fat" Stevens and Rasheed "Sheed" Hightower. In mid-2008, Rich "Shoo" left the group of a battle with Sheed.

Rockstar Mentality

The group's debut album, ''Rockstar Mentality'', was released through OnDeck Records, an imprint of Universal Records on June 19, 2007. The lead single, "Party Like a Rockstar," charted on the ''Billboard'' rap charts as well as "Rocking My New Hair Do" and the Hot 100 (peaking at #2 on the Charts). "Party Like a Rockstar" was the number one selling ringtone of 2007. Despite the success of "Party Like A Rockstar", the album sold fewer than 200,000 copies as of August 24, 2007.

Shop Boyz performed at CollegeFest 2007 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Shop Boyz released a new single called "Up Thru There" in September 2008.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chartpositions
		! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
2007		* Release date: June 19, 2007	* Label: Universal Republic	11	4	2

Singles

Year	Song	Peak chart positions					Album
		! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
		2	3	1	10	23
	—	111	—	—	—
2008		—	79	—	—	—

References

External links

Official website

Even Rappers Want to Be Rock Stars, ''The New York Times''. Published April 22, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.

Shop Boyz Category:American hip hop groups Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Southern hip hop groups

de:Shop Boyz pt:Shop Boyz

Coordinates	42°23′″N2°32′″N
name	Craig Ferguson
birth date	May 17, 1962
birth place	Glasgow, Scotland
medium	Stand-up, television, film, music, books
nationality	Scottish, American
active	1980–present
genre	Observational comedy, satire/political satire/news satire
subject	Everyday life, popular culture, self-deprecation, politics
website	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''
spouse	Anne Hogarth (1983–86) (divorced)Sascha Corwin (1998–2004) (divorced) 1 childMegan Wallace-Cunningham (2008–present) 1 child
notable work	Host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''Nigel Wick on ''The Drew Carey Show''Glaswegian in ''One Foot in the Grave''Gobber in ''How to Train Your Dragon'' }}

Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS. In addition to hosting that program and performing stand-up comedy, Ferguson has written two books: ''Between the Bridge and the River'', a novel, and ''American on Purpose'', a memoir. He became a citizen of the United States in 2008.

Before his career as a late-night television host, Ferguson was best known in the United States for his role as the office boss, Nigel Wick, on ''The Drew Carey Show'' from 1996 to 2003. After that, he wrote and starred in three films, directing one of them.

Early life

Ferguson was born in the Stobhill Hospital in the Springburn district of Glasgow, Scotland to Robert and Janet Ferguson, and raised in nearby Cumbernauld, growing up "chubby and bullied". When he was six months old, he and his family moved from their Springburn apartment to a council house in Cumbernauld. They lived there as Glasgow was re-housing many people following damage to the city from World War II. Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. At age sixteen, Ferguson dropped out of Cumbernauld High School and began an apprenticeship to be an electronics technician at a local factory of American company Burroughs Corporation.

His first visit to the United States was as a teenager to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, near New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in Harlem. Ferguson later became a bouncer at a nightclub, Save the Robots.

Career

British career

Ferguson's experience in entertainment began as a drummer in a rock band called Exposure. He then joined a punk band called The Bastards from Hell. The band, later renamed "Dreamboys", and fronted by vocalist Peter Capaldi, performed regularly in Glasgow from 1980 to 1982. Ferguson credits Capaldi for inspiring him to try comedy.

After a nerve-wrecking, knee-knocking first appearance, he decided to create a character that was a "parody of all the über-patriotic native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland." The character, "Bing Hitler" (actually coined by Capaldi as Ferguson started with the monogram of "Nico Fulton" but admittedly later stole the name for his "own nefarious ends"), premiered in Glasgow, and subsequently became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of his stage act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgow's Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for Burns Night") appears on the compilation cassette ''Honey at the Core.''

Ferguson's first television appearance was as Confidence on BBC sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' during the episode "Confidence and Paranoia".

Ferguson made his starring television debut in ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, which co-starred Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood. This was broadcast throughout the UK on 4 March 1990, but was not made into a full series.

He has also found success in musical theatre. Beginning in 1991, he appeared on stage as Brad Majors in the London production of ''The Rocky Horror Show'', alongside Anthony Head, who was playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter at the time. In 1994, Ferguson played Father MacLean in the highly controversial production of ''Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'' at the Union Chapel in London. The same year, he appeared again at the Edinburgh Fringe, as Oscar Madison in ''The Odd Couple'', opposite Gerard Kelly as Felix and Kate Anthony as Gwendolin Pidgeon, who is now much better known as Aunty Pam in ''Coronation Street''; the play, which was relocated to 1990s Glasgow, later toured Scotland.

After enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferguson appeared on ''Red Dwarf'', STV's ''Hogmanay Show'', his own show ''2000 Not Out'', and the 1993 ''One Foot in the Grave'' Christmas special ''One Foot in the Algarve.''

In 1993, Ferguson presented his own series on Scottish archaeology for Scottish Television entitled ''Dirt Detective.'' He travelled throughout the country examining archaeological history, including Skara Brae and Paisley Abbey.

U.S. career

After cancellation of his show ''The Ferguson Theory'', Ferguson moved to Los Angeles in 1994. His first U.S. role was as baker Logan McDonough on the short-lived 1995 ABC comedy ''Maybe This Time'', which starred Betty White and Marie Osmond.

His breakthrough in the U.S. came when he was cast on ''The Drew Carey Show'' as the title character's boss, Mr. Wick, a role that he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the role with an over-the-top posh English accent "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." In his comedy special "A Wee Bit O' Revolution", he specifically called out James Doohan's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on Star Trek as the foundation of his "revenge". (At the end of one episode, though, Ferguson broke the fourth wall and began talking to the audience at home in his regular Scottish accent.) His character was memorable for his unique methods of laying employees off, almost always "firing Johnson", the most common last name of the to-be-fired workers. Even after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the last two seasons, and was part of the 2-part series finale in 2004.

During production of ''The Drew Carey Show'', Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing, working in his trailer on set in-between shooting his scenes. He wrote and starred in three films: ''The Big Tease'', ''Saving Grace'', and ''I'll Be There'', which he also directed and for which he won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas and Valencia film festivals. He was named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. These were among other scripts that, "... in the great tradition of the movie business, about half a dozen that I got paid a fortune for but never got made." His other acting credits in films include ''Niagara Motel'', ''Lenny the Wonder Dog'', ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', ''Chain of Fools'', ''Born Romantic'', ''The Ugly Truth'', ''How to Train Your Dragon'', ''Kick-Ass'' and ''Winnie the Pooh''.

Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a stand-up comedy show, and performed at Carnegie Hall on 23 October 2010.

''The Late Late Show''

In December 2004, it was announced that Ferguson would be the successor to Craig Kilborn on CBS's ''The Late Late Show''. His first show as the regular host aired on 3 January 2005. By May 2008, Ben Alba, an American television historian and an authority on U.S. talk shows, said Ferguson "has already made his mark, taking the TV monologue to new levels with an underlying story. But he is only just starting ... He is making up his own rules: It's the immigrant experience."

''The Late Late Show'' averaged 2.0 million viewers in its 2007 season, compared with 2.5 million for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. In April 2008, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' beat ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts.

By the end of 2009, Craig Ferguson topped Jimmy Fallon in the ratings with Ferguson getting a 1.8 rating/6 share and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating/6 share.

Ferguson's success on the show has led at least one "television insider" to say he is the heir apparent to take over David Letterman's role as host of ''The Late Show''.

Television and appearances

Craig Ferguson has made guest appearances on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', ''Rachael Ray'', ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Daily Show'', ''The View'', ''Loveline'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', ''The Soup'', ''The Talk'' and ''The Dennis Miller Show''. He also co-hosted ''Live with Regis & Kelly'' with Kelly Ripa.

On 4 January 2009 Ferguson was a celebrity player on ''Million Dollar Password''.

thumb|272px|Ferguson in April 2008

In 2009, Ferguson made a cameo live-action appearance in the episode "We Love You, Conrad" on ''Family Guy''. Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards on 10 January 2006. ''TV Guide'' magazine printed a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section) for appearing on his own show that same evening. From 2007 to 2010, Ferguson hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, broadcast nationally by CBS. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at the 26 April 2008 White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC.

Ferguson co-presented the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama with Brooke Shields in 2008. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's evil alter-ego in the "With Friends Like Steve's" episode of ''American Dad''; in ''Freakazoid!'' as Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor; and on ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. Most recently, he was the voice of Susan the boil on ''Futurama'', which was a parody of Scottish singer Susan Boyle. He makes stand-up appearances in Las Vegas and New York City. He headlined in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and in October 2008 Ferguson taped his stand up show in Boston for a Comedy Central special entitled ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'', which aired on 22 March 2009.

British television comedy drama ''Doc Martin'' was based on a character from Ferguson's film ''Saving Grace'' – with Ferguson getting writing credits for 12 episodes. On 6 November 2009 Ferguson appeared as himself in a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' special titled ''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''. He hosted Discovery Channel's 23rd season of ''Shark Week'' in 2010. Ferguson briefly appeared in Toby Keith's ''"Red Solo Cup"'' music video released on 10 October 2011.

Literature

Ferguson's novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' (ISBN 9780811853750) was published on 10 April 2006. Ferguson appeared at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, as well as other author literary events. "This book could scare them", Ferguson said. "The sex, the violence, the dream sequences and the iconoclasm. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with that. I understand that. It was very uncomfortable to write some of it." ''Publishers Weekly'' called it "a ''tour de force'' of cynical humor and poignant reverie, a caustic yet ebullient picaresque that approaches the sacred by way of the profane." His novel ''Between the Bridge and the River'' is dedicated to his son and to his grandfather, Adam. Ferguson revealed in an interview that he is writing a sequel to the book, to be titled "The Sphynx of the Mississippi". He also stated in a 2006 interview with David Letterman that he intends for the book to be the first in a trilogy.

Ferguson signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish his memoirs. The book, entitled ''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'', focuses on "how and why [he] became an American" and covers his years as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer and construction worker as well as the rise of his career in Hollywood as an actor and comic. It went on sale 22 September 2009 in the United States. On 1 December 2010 the audiobook version was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy.

In July 2009, Jackie Collins was a guest on ''The Late Late Show'' to promote her new book ''Married Lovers''. Collins said that a character in her book, Don Verona, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his show.

Personal life

As mentioned on ''The Late Late Show'' on 3 August 2009, Ferguson holds an FAA Private Pilot's License issued 31 July 2009. Ferguson announced on the 8 April 2011 broadcast that he is pursuing an instrument rating.

Ferguson is also a fan of Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C. as well as the British television show Doctor Who.

Ferguson has three tattoos: his latest, the Join, or Die political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin motto ''Dulcius ex asperis'' ("Sweeter out of [or from] difficulty") on his upper right arm in honour of his father; and the Ingram family crest on his upper left arm in honour of his mother. He has often stated that his ''Join, or Die'' tattoo is to signal his patriotism.

Family

In an episode of ''The Late Late Show'' that aired 8 December 2008, a sombre Ferguson talked about his mother, Janet (3 August 1933 – 1 December 2008). He ended the program by playing her favourite song, "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M.

Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. His elder sister's name is Janice and his brother's name is Scott. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, is also a successful comedienne, presenter, and actress, perhaps most widely known as the voice of Mac in the 2000 stop-motion animation film ''Chicken Run''. She is currently a writer on ''The Late Late Show''.

Ferguson has married three times and divorced twice as a result of what he describes as "relationship issues". His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, during which time they lived in New York. From his second marriage (to Sascha Corwin, founder and proprietor of Los Angeles' SpySchool), he has one son, Milo Hamish Ferguson, born in 2001. He and Corwin share custody of Milo, and live near each other in Los Angeles. On 21 December 2008, Ferguson married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont. Ferguson announced 14 July 2010 on Twitter that they were expecting a child. He wrote: "Holy crackers! Mrs F is pregnant. How did that happen? ... oh yeah I know how. Another Ferguson arrives in 2011. The world trembles." The child, a boy named Liam James, was born 31 January 2011.

Alcohol problems

A recovering alcoholic, Ferguson has been sober since 18 February 1992. Because of this, he declared he wouldn't mock Britney Spears' much-publicized alcohol problems in 2007. He said he had considered committing suicide on Christmas Day 1991, but when offered a drink by a friend for celebrating the holiday, he was distracted from jumping off Tower Bridge in London as he had planned.

Citizenship

Holding dual citizenship, Ferguson is both a naturalized citizen of the United States and a British citizen.

During 2007, Ferguson, who at the time held only British citizenship, used ''The Late Late Show'' as a forum for seeking honorary citizenship from every state in the U.S. He has received honorary citizenship from Nebraska, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and was "commissioned" as an admiral in the tongue-in-cheek Nebraska Navy. Governors Jon Corzine (New Jersey), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Sanford (South Carolina), Mike Rounds (South Dakota), Rick Perry (Texas), Sarah Palin (Alaska) and Jim Gibbons (Nevada) sent letters to him that made him an honorary citizen of their respective states. He received similar honors from various towns and cities, including Ozark, Arkansas; Hazard, Kentucky; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Ferguson became an American citizen on 1 February 2008 and broadcast the taking of his citizenship test as well as his swearing in on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992	''The Bogie Man''
1998	''Modern Vampires''	Richard
1999	''The Big Tease''	Crawford Mackenzie	Writer
2000		Melander Stevens
2000	''Born Romantic''	Frankie
2000		Matthew Stewart	Writer
2002	''Life Without Dick''	Jared O'Reilly
2002	''Prendimi l'anima'' (''The Soul Keeper'')	Richard Fraser
2003		Paul Kerr	Director, Writer
2004	''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''	Person of Indeterminate Gender
2004	''Lenny the Wonder Dog''	Dr. Wagner
2005		Fisherman
2006	''Niagara Motel''	Phillie
2007		Ted Truman
2008	''Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit O' Revolution''
2009		Himself
2010	''The Hero of Color City''
2010		Gobber	Voice only
2010		Himself
2011			Voice only
2011	''Totally Framed''	Jeffrey Stewart
2012		Lord Macintosh	Voice only
2012		David	Post-production
2014	''How to Train Your Dragon 2''	Gobber	Voice only

+Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1988	''Red Dwarf''	Confidence
1989	''The Big Gig''	Himself	Regular Comic
1993	''One Foot in the Grave''	Glaswegian beach bully	Christmas Special "One foot in the Algarve"
1994	''The Dirt Detective: A History of Scotland''	Travel documentary series	Host
1994	''The Ferguson Theory''	Himself	Host
1995–1996	''Maybe This Time''	Logan McDonough	18 episodes
1995–1997	''Freakazoid!''	Roddy MacStew	7 episodes
1996–2004	''The Drew Carey Show''	Nigel Wick	170 episodes
2000	''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command''	NOS 4 A2	Voice only, 5 episodes
2005		Oliver Davies	1 episode
2005–present	''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''	Himself	Host
2006	''American Dad!''	Evil Barry	Voice only, Episode: ''With Friends Like Steve's''
2009	''Family Guy''	Himself	Episode: ''We Love You, Conrad''
2009	''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''	Himself	TV movie
2010	''Futurama''	Susan Boil	Episode: ''Attack of the Killer App''
2010	''Shark Week''	Himself	Host
2010	''Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon''	Gobber	Voice only, TV short film

Bibliography

''Between the Bridge and the River''. Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0811853756, ISBN 0811858197.

''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot''. HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 0061719544.

Comedy specials

''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'' (Comedy Central) 2009

''Does This Need to Be Said?'' (EPIX, Comedy Central) 2011

Discography

''Live At The Tron'' (as Bing Hitler). Jammy Records, 1986. Catalogue number JRLP 861.

References

External links

Craig Ferguson on Twitter

Craig Ferguson Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

Craig Ferguson and Megan Wallace Cunningham

''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''

Category:1962 births Category:American aviators Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American novelists Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Glasgow Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People with nocturnal enuresis Category:Scottish comedians Category:Scottish emigrants to the United States Category:Scottish memoirists Category:Scottish novelists Category:Scottish screenwriters Category:Scottish television actors Category:People from Cumbernauld Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California

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