What did Judy Garland do Beyond Film?
Return to Judy Garland Index
Although known primarily for her work on the silver screen, Judy Garland was a part of the lives of many Americans out side of the cinema.
Judy Garland was an accomplished song artist. She was able, through the course of her life to record nearly 100 singles and over 24 albums. Upon going on a singing tour in the 1960s, she sang in Carnegie Hall in 1962 and her album from that engagement Judy Garland Live at Carnegie Hall got her 5 Grammy Awards, the highest number an artist had ever won for one record. She also appeared in several hundred radio broadcasts, especially during her early years at MGM studios.
In 1951, Judy Garland helped to revive not only vaudeville style shows, but the Palace Theatre in New York. Under the advice of Sid Luft, she opened her show in the Palace Theatre and proceeded to have record breaking performances during her 21 week performance engagement. For her performances at the palace, Judy Garland received a special Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award.
Judy also had a brief, but highly successful television variety show called The Judy Garland Show from 1963-1964. This show featured Jerry Van Dyke as a regular and the show itself received 10 Emmy nominations during its 30 show run. This show was very popular and could have seen more success if CBS had agreed to move it from its timeslot that put it up against Bonanza, the highest rated show at the time.
Judy Garland also became an icon for gays and lesbians throughout the United States. Although not directly related to the events that many say began the Gay and Lesbian rights movement, Judy Garland was still an influence on those events. On the day of her funeral, June 27, 1969, several gays and lesbians gathered to remember the icon at a popular gay bar, The Stonewall Inn, in New York's Greenwich Village. The police raid on The Stonewall Inn sparked the Stonewall riots.
Terry J. Brown
Copyright © 2001 by University of North Texas. All rights reserved.
Revised: 27 Aug 2001 10:11:37 -0500
Reporter: "I Understand you have a very
large gay following Miss Garland."
Judy: "I sing to people!"
"There wasn't a thing that gal couldn't do - except look after herself." -Bing Crosby
"When I am home, I always try to catch The Judy Garland Show - has she been singing! It's just beautiful the way she's been singing." -Ella Fitzgerald
"I love Judy Garland, but
if a reporter were coming to my home, I wouldn't have her music playing. A
gay man loving Judy would be like a black person watching a minstrel
show." -John Walters