Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969)
was an American actress, singer and vaudevillian. Renowned for hercontralto voice, she attained international stardom through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as arecording artist and on the concert stage.
Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award and 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 the remake of 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 remains the youngest recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the motion picture industry.
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 having a large gay following, 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.
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