Judy Garland was an American singer/entertainer who is considered by most to be the greatest female musical star of Hollywood's Golden Era. Perhaps best known and loved for the magic she brought to stage, screen, television, and recordings, her intense acting ability, singular communicative power, humor, and powerful singing voice were — and still are today — considered nearly unequaled.

The Beginning

Judy (christened Frances Ethel Gumm and nicknamed "Baby") was born on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

She was the third daughter of Frank Avent Gumm and Ethel Marion (Milne) Gumm.

Judy performed with her family at their theatre, the New Grand, in Grand Rapids, with her sisters Mary Jane (nicknamed "Susie") and Dorothy Jane ("Jimmie"). They called their act "The Gumm Sisters."

Judy's stage debut came on December 26, 1924, at the New Grand. She sang and danced with her sisters and soloed on "Jingle Bells" — the latter repeatedly until her grandmother (or father, depending on which story one believes) had to walk on and carry her off.

In autumn 1926, the Gumm family moved to California, ultimately settling the next year in Lancaster, some 80 miles north of Los Angeles. The sisters continued to perform and to take dancing and acting lessons.

In 1929, Judy made her film debut with her sisters in the two-reel short, THE BIG REVUE.

"Baby Gumm" 1924. "The Gumm Sisters" (L to R: Susie, Jimmie and Baby) 1925. "Baby Gumm" 1925. "Baby Gumm" in her first film THE BIG REVUE, 1929.

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The 1930s

In 1933, the Gumm family moved to Silver Lake, a suburb of Los Angeles, where Judy and Jimmie attended Lawlor's Hollywood Professional School.

On October 21, 1933, Judy and Mickey Rooney appeared in a Lawlor recital together; it was their first professional association... and they'd go on to be co-billed in ten Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature films (between 1937 and 1948), to share the premiere taping of her 1963 CBS-TV series, and to share countless benefit, radio, and personal appearances.

In 1934, the Gumm sisters traveled to Chicago where they appeared at The Oriental Theatre. George Jessel, who headlined and emceed the bill, decided to change their stage names to "The Garland Sisters" because the audience laughed when he introduced them as "The Gumm Sisters."

To get away from the nickname "Baby," Frances chose to change her own first name in the summer of 1935, taking the title of the Hoagy Carmichael/Sammy Lerner song, "Judy," in its stead.

In 1935, The Gumm Sisters' act broke up when Susie got married.

In September 1935, when Judy was 13, she auditioned for M-G-M, singing "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart." She was signed immediately to a seven year contract.

Also in 1935, Judy made her network radio debut on the "Shell Chateau Hour."

On June 12, 1936, just two days after her 14th birthday, she recorded "Stompin' At The Savoy"/"Swing Mr. Charlie" with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra for Decca in New York. This was the first Judy Garland record to be released. In 1937, Decca signed her to a long-term recording contract.

In 1936, after the one-reel M-G-M short EVERY SUNDAY (with Deanna Durbin), Judy made her feature film acting debut in PIGSKIN PARADE.

In February 1937, Judy was asked to perform at an onset birthday party for Clark Gable. She sang "Dear Mr. Gable" which led into the song "You Made Me Love You." Her rendition created such a sensation, it was written into her part in the already-scripted BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938 (in which she played the daughter of the great Sophie Tucker).

In 1937, she made her first film appearance with Mickey Rooney in THOROUGHBREDS DON'T CRY. They re-teamed months later for LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY; earlier in 1938, she also duetted with the legendary Fanny Brice in EVERYBODY SING.

In the late 1930s, Judy was a radio regular, singing on scores of shows and assuming her status as the favorite of millions at that time.

She topped off the decade with the release of THE WIZARD OF OZ in August 1939, followed by BABES IN ARMS in October. As a result, she placed in the top ten box office stars for 1940 — a position she held again in 1941 and 1945.

On October 10, 1939, Judy placed her hand and footprints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre with Mickey Rooney in attendance.

1934 publicity shot. Performing as "The Garland Sisters" in Chicago (L to R: Susie, Jimmie and Baby) 1934. Publicity portrait for THE WIZARD OF OZ, 1938. Mickey Rooney and Judy at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 1939.

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The 1940s

In February 1940, Judy won a special Juvenile Oscar for her role as Dorothy Gale in THE WIZARD OF OZ. She referred to the miniature statuette as her "Munchkin Award."

Judy married composer and orchestra leader David Rose on July 28, 1941; they would divorce four years later.

In July 1943, Judy made her solo concert debut in Philadelphia, breaking all attendance records at The Robin Hood Dell: 15,000 patrons jammed into an amphitheatre designed for 6,500; another 15,000 gathered on nearby hillsides to hear the show, and thousands more were turned away.

In 1944, one of her most successful films, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, introduced three standards: "The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Other stellar Garland vehicles of the 1940s include: STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940), FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942; Gene Kelly's film debut), GIRL CRAZY (1943), THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946), THE PIRATE (1948), EASTER PARADE (1948; Fred Astaire came out of retirement to dance with her in this picture), IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949), and SUMMER STOCK (1950). She actually appeared in 20 feature films during the decade, as well as cutting scores of sides for Decca, participating in well over one hundred radio broadcasts, and performing in numerous benefits, and three separate camp tours for U.S. servicemen and women.

On June 15, 1945, she married legendary director Vincente Minnelli (divorced 1951). They had one child, Liza Minnelli.

Costume test for "Esther Smith" and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, November 1943. Newspaper supplement ad art for MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, 1944. Judy stars as "Ginger Gray" in GIRL CRAZY, 1943. Judy stars as " Hannah Brown" in EASTER PARADE, 1948.

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The 1950s

On September 29, 1950, Judy Garland was released from her M-G-M contract.

On April 9, 1951, Judy began a series of legendary live appearances at The London Palladium, later touring the provinces for two months.

From 1951 to 1952, she played New York's Palace Theatre for a record-breaking nineteen weeks, receiving a special Tony Award for her revival of vaudeville-styled entertainment.

On June 8, 1952, Judy married producer Sid Luft (divorced 1965). They had two children, Lorna and Joey.

In 1954, after a four year absence, she returned to films in A STAR IS BORN, which is considered by many to be her best dramatic performance, and for which she received a Best Actress Academy Award nomination.

In 1955, the best selling album, MISS SHOW BUSINESS, was the first release of her ten-year association with Capitol Records.

Other albums released in the '50s included: JUDY (1956), ALONE (1957), JUDY IN LOVE (1958), GARLAND AT THE GROVE (1959), and THE LETTER (1959).

Also in 1955, Judy made her television debut as the star of "Four Star Jubilee," which won the highest ratings to that date for a special on CBS.

Judy made her Las Vegas debut in July 1956 at The New Frontier at the highest salary ever paid to a star in the desert up until that time.

On September 26, 1956, Judy reclaimed the Palace Theatre for a 17-week Broadway engagement.

Her other 1950s theatrical engagements included a return to London for a four-week season at The Dominion and a Royal Variety Show at The Palladium; stints at The Greek Theatre and Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles; and further triumphs in Las Vegas, and cross-country from Dallas to Detroit, Chicago, and Miami, among other cities.

In an unprecedented one-week stand in 1959, Judy Garland was the first American popular singer to appear at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. Her elaborate revue also toured to Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Poster for Judy's debut at The London Palladium, April 9, 1951. Facade and marquee of New York's Palace Theatre for Judy's first engagement there, 1951 to 1952. Publicity shot for A STAR IS BORN, 1954. Judy performing "Swanee" at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1959.

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The 1960s

Judy returned to the screen in 1961 playing a cameo role in JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, for which she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress.

On April 23, 1961, Judy triumphed at Carnegie Hall. Many would call her appearance there the "greatest single night in show business history." The double-album live recording made of the concert was a best seller (certified gold), charting for over 90 weeks in Billboard — 13 weeks at number one — and winning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance. Judy duplicated the Carnegie Hall concert "live" over 60 times between August 1960 and December 1961, from London, Paris, and Amsterdam to the Newport Jazz Festival and The Hollywood Bowl. (At the latter show, a record-breaking crowd of 18,000 sat outside in a steady rain for 2.5 hours; after four encores, they refused to let Judy leave the stage and, when she'd run out of orchestrations, made her repeat a song from earlier in the concert.)

Her "comeback" to television in a 1962 special with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin won CBS a new high in audience ratings and virtually unanimous raves. It garnered four Emmy nominations and was repeated by popular demand.

Judy's final starring films were released in 1963: A CHILD IS WAITING and I COULD GO ON SINGING.

In 1963, CBS offered Judy a $24 million, four-year deal to produce a weekly television series, "The Judy Garland Show." Although critically acclaimed, the series lasted only one season and went off the air in 1964 after 26 episodes. However, the show won four Emmy nominations.

In 1964, Judy appeared twice at The London Palladium with her daughter Liza, and gave more than 80 solo shows as well between 1964 and 1966.

On November 14, 1965, she married actor Mark Herron (divorced 1967).

In the summer of 1967, Judy made a final, four-week appearance at the Palace Theatre, working 27 consecutive evenings — during which she broke her own box office record. Additionally, there were over 50 other concerts during her 1967 tour.

On July 20, 1968, Judy gave her last U.S. concert in Philadelphia.

From late December 1968 until early February 1969, she fulfilled a five-week engagement at London's Talk of the Town nightclub. Though frail and increasingly ill, she missed only three shows during the 30-performance schedule.

On March 15, 1969, she married nightclub owner Mickey Deans.

In March 1969, she gave her final concert in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Album releases in the '60s included: JUDY: THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1960), JUDY AT CARNEGIE HALL (1961), THE GARLAND TOUCH (1962), JUST FOR OPENERS (1964; soundtracks from her TV series), JUDY AND LIZA LIVE AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM (1965), and JUDY: AT HOME AT THE PALACE (1967).

During the 1960s, Judy also appeared as a special guest on more than 20 television programs, including "The Hollywood Palace," "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall," the Jack Paar, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ed Sullivan, and Andy Williams shows, among others.

Judy Garland died in London on June 22, 1969, at the age of 47.

In 1997, Judy Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

JUDY AT CARNEGIE HALL was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998; "Over The Rainbow" (1939) and her cast album of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) have also received that Grammy distinction.

"Over The Rainbow" has since been voted Song of the Century as well as the No. 1 film song of all-time.

Judy on stage at Carnegie Hall, April 23, 1961. Judy in the role of "Irene Hoffman" in JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, 1961. Judy in the 1962 CBS television special. Original poster art for I COULD GO ON SINGING, 1963.

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TRIVIA — things you probably never knew but will now...

Judy has a special variety of rose named after her. The petals are yellow (she adored yellow roses) and the
Judy Garland Rose
tips are bright red. At the behest of the officers and members of her London-based international fan club, a British rose developer spent several years in their quest to find a bloom that all felt worthy of the Garland name. After its success in England, U.S. firms began to stock the rose in 1991. Several Judy Garland rose bushes are planted outside of her mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York, as well as on the grounds of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids.

Judy had songs written for her by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg, Burton Lane, Harry Warren, Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, and Johnny Mercer. Jerry Herman (HELLO, DOLLY!, MAME, MACK AND MABEL, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES) and Lionel Bart (OLIVER!) credited Judy as their inspirational muse when composing and writing lyrics.

Johnny Mercer also wrote the words to "That Old Black Magic," "I Remember You," and "This Time, The Dream's On Me" in recognition of his love for Judy.

Among those who orchestrated and/or arranged for Judy Garland were: Mort Lindsey, Nelson Riddle, Conrad Salinger, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Buddy Bregman, Saul Chaplin, Skip Martin, Mel Torme, Ray Heindorf, Kay Thompson, and the incomparable Roger Edens.

"Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage" was begun by Peter Allen in honor of cabaret star Julie Wilson, but it evolved into a paean to all great singing ladies — especially Judy.

Groucho Marx called her loss of the Oscar for A STAR IS BORN "the biggest robbery since Brink's." Hedda Hopper later reported that the 1955 voting for Best Actress was the closest to that time that didn't end in a tie... and Grace Kelly won for THE COUNTRY GIRL by just six votes. (Ironically, history has provided Judy with far more attention for missing out on the Academy Award than Kelly ever received for winning it...)

The day Judy died, there were tornadoes in Kansas.

Source and Photos: Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer (Henry Holt and Company, 1992), and Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art & Anecdote (Bulfinch Press, 2003), both by John Fricke.

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John Fricke
How does one capture the essence of a legend as large as Judy Garland? That task is about as easy as cramming an elephant into a bottle… or at least that's how it felt when we set out to summarize the life of this celebrated woman for the readers of THE VOICE. We weren't sure where to begin. And then, like the tornado that plucked Dorothy from Kansas and delivered her to Oz, John Fricke came along to put us on the right path. He helped us navigate the yellow brick road of Judy's life, and deliver her story to you. We'd like to introduce him to you now…

VOICE: How did you become a Judy Garland expert?

JOHN: Well, it's something that just happened, I guess... although it's not a noun I use to describe myself. "Author/historian" and/or "archivist"… "producer" — somehow, those seem a bit more legitimate and less maniacally focused [smiles]. I figuratively fell in love with Judy when I was five; from then on, I wanted to know anything I could about her — especially in terms of her career and achievement and repertoire and the backstory attendant to the concerts and movies and TV shows and radio appearances and recordings. I guess I have (what I've since heard applied to others as) a "writer's memory." And so much of the masses of journalistic material I ingested over the years stayed with me... and has come in inordinately handy when it came time to write books and essays and liner notes and articles — and to advise, consult, produce product about her. The fact that it's Judy Garland material that I'm putting forth makes my job the easiest in the world. To give it an artistic allusion: all I do is try to create a suitable framework and fit it around a masterpiece. Then I get out of the way — and SHE does all the "work" [smiles].

VOICE: Did you ever meet Judy Garland? If so, what was she like?

JOHN: I met Judy at 2 a.m. in the Pump Room restaurant at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago; this was the night/early morning of September 14/15, 1967. I was 16 and had seen her in concert that evening for the second time, this go-round at the Opera House. (I attended my first Garland show two years earlier, also in Chicago, at the Arie Crown Theatre on May 7, 1965 — and my third the evening after we met.) She was as welcoming, warm, funny, convivial, and quietly sincere and appreciative as I always knew she'd be... and as I had no right to expect her to be after she'd completed a 90 minute show and was in a comparatively private, post-performance "unwind" mode. What was remarkable in retrospect about our brief conversation is that neither of us could know then that I would end up being responsible for the preservation and presentation of so much of her legacy in the decades ahead. But how very grateful and (hopefully pardonably) proud I am to have been entrusted with that amazing artistic history... and to have the memory of her kindness and attention and humor and charm on that (to me!) historic occasion in 1967.

VOICE: When and how were you introduced to Linda's work?

JOHN: I've known of Linda for a long time... I used to hear her CDs played at Sam's theatrical hangout/restaurant on West 45th Street here in New York when I'd go in there for dinner; it's right across the street from where I've lived lo! these 31 years. And even as purported background music, her voice couldn't help but garner attention and interest. I think the first time I heard her in person came on the opening night of JEKYLL & HYDE; I knew one of the producers, so we were all out in support and enthusiasm on that occasion. And if I'd been an admirer prior to that, I became a fan as of that evening.

VOICE: Did you have a role in the background preparation of BY MYSELF? If so, could you tell us about it?

JOHN: No, I really didn't, in any way, shape, or form. I had heard — via the Garland grapevine — that Linda was in London, doing the sessions. And I was aware that she'd spoken about Judy with the former editor-in-chief of the International Judy Garland Club magazine around the same time as the recordings were being made. But my "connection" is a very minor, post-performance one; Jill Siegel and I have a mutual friend here in New York, who brought us together to "talk Judy/Linda" — and that's how I was asked to spread the word and provide a conduit to the Garland factions.

VOICE: Do you have a favorite song from BY MYSELF?

JOHN: Because of Linda's obvious emotional commitment to every melody and lyric, it's difficult to pick and choose. But I've always loved "It Never Was You" as a song — and I think she's especially tender and "introspectively communicative"... is that possible!? [laughs], on that one. And I have the same enthusiasm for "I'd Like To Hate Myself In The Morning" and the whoop-dee-do ride she gives it. I'm a major John Meyer fan, and I love hearing his words and music get the all-out, orchestral and vocal star treatment they warrant. I'd like to hear Linda take a flyer on his "It's All For You" (which Judy sang on "The Tonight Show" just months before her passing) and "When Do The Words Come True?" — which is a song John wrote after Judy died and which summarizes the life of a bravura entertainer who's given her all (and more) to her work.

VOICE: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions, and of course for all your help in preparing this issue of THE VOICE!

All about John Fricke...

Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer by John Fricke
Widely acknowledged as the preeminent Judy Garland and WIZARD OF OZ historian/author, John Fricke received a 2004 Emmy Award as co-producer of the two-hour, PBS-TV "American Masters" program, "Judy Garland: By Myself." This was his second recognition by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; he won similar honors in 1997 as co-producer and co-writer of the A&E "Biography" special, "Judy: Beyond the Rainbow," which was based on his acclaimed book, Judy Garland: World's Greatest Entertainer (Henry Holt, 1992).

Currently, John serves as consultant for the new, deluxe DVD sets of M-G-M's THE WIZARD OF OZ, to be released by Warner Home Video in October 2005. He selected the repertoire and wrote the liner notes for THAT OLD FEELING/CLASSIC BALLADS from "The Judy Garland Show," the Savoy Music compact disc which hit stores on June 14, 2005; his second Savoy CD is comprised of numbers Judy sang on her TV series with her guests — JUDY GARLAND AND FRIENDS: DUETS appeared in stores in August and includes performances with Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Vic Damone, Mickey Rooney, Count Basie, Mel Torme, Martha Raye, Liza Minnelli, and others. John's 6,500-word profile about the career association of Garland and OZ/A STAR IS BORN composer Harold Arlen appeared in the April 2005 issue of The Cue Sheet/Quarterly Journal of The Film Music Society.

His most recent book, Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art and Anecdote, was published in 2003 by Bulfinch Press and includes a foreword by Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft. It was the first such participation in any author's treatise on their mother by one of Judy's children. John's other books include The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History (Warner Books, 1989) and 100 Years of Oz (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1999). Total sales for his four titles now approaches two hundred fifty thousand copies.

Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art and Anecdote
by John Fricke
John received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Album Notes for the compact disc, JUDY GARLAND: 25TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE (1996), which he produced for Capitol Records. In 2004, he served as DVD on-camera host for Warner Home Video, writing and delivering introductions to three classic Garland films (LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY, ZIEGFELD GIRL, IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME); he also recorded complete historical commentary for the alternate audio tracks of two of other Garland titles in their DVD debut, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and FOR ME AND MY GAL, and is similarly heard throughout EASTER PARADE, which was released on DVD in March 2005. Earlier, he was co-producer of the highly acclaimed laser disc box sets, THE ULTIMATE OZ (1993) and JUDY GARLAND: THE GOLDEN YEARS AT M-G-M (1995).

Between 1995 and 2002, he wrote the extensive booklets for the Turner Classic Movie Music/Rhino Movie Music series of Garland Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer soundtrack compact discs, thus providing detailed histories of THE WIZARD OF OZ, BABES IN ARMS, STRIKE UP THE BAND, BABES ON BROADWAY, FOR ME AND MY GAL, GIRL CRAZY, THE HARVEY GIRLS, THE PIRATE, EASTER PARADE, IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, and SUMMER STOCK. John provided similar notes for the 2004 Sony compact disc of Garland's A STAR IS BORN.

Associate producer and writer for the two sold-out 1998 concerts, Carnegie Hall Celebrates the Music of Judy Garland, John also co-produced the 1992 Garland exhibition at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. That ten-week display drew the largest crowds for any such retrospective in the history of the venue.

John was, respectively, associate producer and creative consultant for the CBS-TV documentary, "The Wizard of Oz: The Making of A Movie Classic" (1990) and the PBS-TV "Great Performances" program, "Judy Garland: The Concert Years" (1985), both of which received Emmy Award nominations. He was consultant to virtually all production departments for LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND/ME AND MY SHADOWS (2001), the top-rated, multiple Emmy Award-winning ABC television motion picture. He also wrote, hosted and co-directed the Telly Award-winning home video documentary, WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE MUNCHKINS in 1992.

He has discussed Garland, OZ, or both on literally hundreds of international radio and television programs, serving on many occasions as spokesman for Warner Bros., Turner Entertainment, Rhino Records, Capitol Records, or M-G-M/UA Home Video. Among many other TV appearances, John has been seen on "The Today Show," "Entertainment Tonight," "The Joan Rivers Show," the A&E "Breakfast With the Arts," CNN's "Show Biz Today," and the syndicated "Instant Recall."

Over the years, John has served The International Wizard of Oz Club, Inc., as president, vice-president, member of its board of directors, and as editor in chief and contributing editor of its magazine, The Baum Bugle. He is presently consultant to both The Judy Garland Heirs Trust and The Land of Oz Preservation Company.

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John Meyer
Songwriter and author John Meyer offers Judy Garland fans a rare glimpse into the life of "the legendary lady." He played a special role in the twilight of her life… meeting her in 1968 and quickly becoming her friend, her business manager and her lover. His book, Heartbreaker (Doubleday, 1983), chronicles their time together in the months before her sad and untimely death.

Here, John gives Linda's fans some insight into the Judy Garland he knew and loved…

VOICE: What did Judy enjoy doing when not performing?

JOHN: No hobbies, unless you mean appropriating other people's belongings. She needed to know that people would go to extremes to prove their love for her — she once asked a lady to part with her eyeglasses. And the lady did. This was a game to Judy.

VOICE: Did she get nervous before a live performance?

JOHN: Very. So much so that she kept you up all night worrying. She always felt she had to top herself, be better than she was last time out. She felt her public expected it. She was a bundle of nerves.

VOICE: Do you know if Judy had a favorite venue where she performed?

JOHN: Judy liked smaller venues, like the Kleinhaus in Buffalo. Three thousand seats. She didn't like big arenas, big stadiums.

VOICE: Did Judy have a favorite song to sing? Perhaps even one she would hum to herself — not necessarily on stage?

JOHN: She loved "It Never Was You" by Kurt Weill... and my song, "Hate Myself," I'm proud to say.

VOICE: Did she ever accompany herself on the piano? Could she play?

JOHN: No. But she had a great sense of harmony, and real swing instincts. I have tape of us — it'll be included with the new Heartbreaker (Citadel Press, 2006)— where she does a rhythmic riff that shows us a glimpse of her jazz sensibility.

VOICE: Did Judy Garland realize what a tremendous entertainer she was? Do you think she knew she would leave such a legacy?

JOHN: She knew she was good. She knew A STAR IS BORN would live. And the Carnegie Hall concert album. She didn't think much about the rest of her output. She took pride in her children.

VOICE: If you could sum up Judy Garland as you knew her in one word, what would it be?

JOHN: Volatile.

All about John Meyer...

John Meyer started writing nasty ditties about his teachers when he was in high school (Fieldston). Because he was getting laughs from his classmates, he figured this was the best way to get attention (and maybe girls).

When he went to college (University of Chicago), they had a theatre department that specialized in dreary one acts by Strindberg. John decided they needed a musical revue, so he wrote one: PHEASANT UNDER GLASS. It was a hit — and he was hooked for good.

Back in New York, John wrote a comedy number called MR. CLEAN about a woman who fell in love with a detergent. The publicity this number garnered at Julius Monk's revue club, Upstairs at the Downstairs, brought him commissions writing sly songs for some notable performers: Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers, Gloria DeHaven, Julie Wilson, Madeline Kahn, and Bob Goulet, among others.

Heartbreaker by John Meyer will be reissued by Citadel Press in 2006 (cover above).
In 1968, John met Judy Garland and in addition to writing four songs for her (including "I'd Like To Hate Myself In The Morning"), he attempted to revitalize her career. He was partially successful, but then Judy died. John's memoir of the painfully emotional time he spent with Judy was published in 1983. It's called Heartbreaker. A new edition is due next May with a CD of John and Judy rehearsing at the piano. Also in line for off-Broadway is the musical adaptation of Heartbreaker, timed to coincide with the book's reissue.

With Paul Bartel, the director, John wrote an episode of THE AMAZING STORIES for Steven Spielberg. Called GERSHWIN'S TRUNK, it featured Carrie Fisher and Lainie Kazan (as Gershwin — don't ask!). John and Paul also collaborated on a feature film, NOT FOR PUBLICATION, which starred Nancy Allen. In addition, he did the scoring with orchestrator Larry Hochman.

In 1998, John wrote book, music and lyrics for a musical at London's Jermyn Street Theatre. It was a thriller called THE BETRAYAL OF NORA BLAKE with songs about a woman with amnesia who has to clear herself of the charge of murder. It received 12 rave reviews and is due for an off-Broadway production.

Linda's recording of "I'd Like To Hate Myself In The Morning" caps a fine year for John, as another of his songs, "After The Holidays," has been recorded by Paula West.

John recently married Suzanne Cogan and lives in Manhattan where he is pursuing his three great loves: musical theatre, Burgundy and Suzanne.