Happy birthday to EGOT performer Liza Minnelli, born March 12, 1946, in Los Angeles, the daughter of performer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, who named her after the 1929 Gershwin song “Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away).” She grew up at MGM studios, where her parents worked, and made her film debut in the closing scene of In the Good Old Summertime (1949). She made her performing debut on the TV special The Gene Kelly Show (1959), singing “For Me and My Gal,” which Kelly had performed with Garland onscreen. Below are the clips from those film and TV debuts.
In 1961, Minnelli moved to New York to attend High School of Performing Arts. Two years later, she made her Off-Broadway debut in a revival of Best Foot Forward, winning a Theatre World Award. In 1964, her mother invited her to appear at the London Palladium. Upon her return to New York, Minnelli pursued nightclub work, leading to her first album, Liza! Liza! (1964), as she began getting lead roles in regional and touring shows. Then in 1965, she made her Broadway debut in Flora, the Red Menace, which brought her a Tony Award. Below is Minnelli singing “Just a Little Joint with a Jukebox” from her Off-Broadway debut and “Sing Happy” from her Broadway debut.
Over the next few years, Minnelli booked some TV work and earned her first film role, the love interest in Charlie Bubbles (1967). Minnelli made her dramatic breakthrough with The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), for which she earned Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations. Three years later, she won all three awards for her performance as Sally Bowles in musical Cabaret and received Emmy nods for both A Royal Gala Variety Performance and Liza with a “Z,” winning for the second. Below is Minnelli singing “Mein Herr,” wearing her iconic bowler in the film, and “Ring Them Bells” in her TV special.
Minnelli returned to Broadway in a 1974 concert at the Winter Garden, winning a special Tony, and spent the next decade alternating between New York and L.A. In 1975, she filled in for Gwen Verdon in Chicago (1975) and filmed Lucky Lady, earning her second Globe nomination. Next, she filmed New York, New York (1976), earning her third Globe nod, and returned to Broadway in The Act (1977), winning her second Tony. She earned an Emmy nod for Goldie and Liza Together (1980) and a Globe nod for Arthur (1981), then earned a Tony nod for The Rink (1984). Below is Minnelli singing “City Lights” at the 1978 Tonys and “Wallflower” with Chita Rivera at the 1984 Tonys.
She ended the 1980s with a Golden Globe award for A Time to Live (1985), her fourth Emmy nomination for Minnelli on Minnelli (1987), and a Top 10 single and album in the UK with “Losing My Mind” and Results (1989). She began the 1990s with a Grammy Legends Award (1991) and an Emmy nod for Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall (1992). She rounded out the decade with a Grammy nomination for her album Gently (1996) and filling in for Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria (1997). Below is Minnelli singing “Losing My Mind” at the Grammy Legends show and “New York, New York” at Radio City Music Hall.
Minnelli’s recent work includes the recurring role of Lucille Austero on Arrested Development (2003-13), a Tony Award and Grammy nomination for Liza’s at the Palace (2008), and cameos in the film Sex and the City 2 (2010) and TV show Smash (2013). Below is Minnelli performing a medley in Liza’s at the Palace and “Single Ladies” in Sex and the City 2.