Judy Garland's Real Name: Frances Ethel Gumm

Quick answer: Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She died on June 22, 1969, in London, at age 47 (Britannica; Library of Congress).

From Baby Gumm to Judy Garland

Her parents, Frank and Ethel Gumm, were vaudeville performers who ran a movie theater in Grand Rapids. Frances made her stage debut at age two, singing "Jingle Bells" as "Baby Gumm." She then toured with her older sisters, Mary Jane and Virginia, as the Gumm Sisters after the family moved to Lancaster, California.

In 1934 the act became the Garland Sisters. The surname is usually credited to entertainer George Jessel, who introduced them in Chicago, and is often linked to the drama critic Robert Garland. Frances also picked the first name "Judy," reportedly from the Hoagy Carmichael song "Judy" (Britannica).

MGM and The Wizard of Oz

MGM signed her in 1935, when she was 13, without a screen test. She was paired with Mickey Rooney in a series of musicals. In 1939 she played Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Her "Over the Rainbow" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and she received a special juvenile Academy Award (Oscars.org).

Other MGM highlights include Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Easter Parade (1948) and Summer Stock (1950). MGM released her from her contract in 1950.

A Star Is Born and Carnegie Hall

Garland received a Best Actress nomination for A Star Is Born (1954) and a supporting nomination for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Her 1961 live album Judy at Carnegie Hall won the Grammy for Album of the Year, the first by a woman (Grammy.com).

Family and legacy

She married five times, including to director Vincente Minnelli, the father of Liza Minnelli, and to producer Sidney Luft, the father of Lorna and Joey Luft. She died from an accidental barbiturate overdose. The 2019 biopic Judy won Renée Zellweger the Oscar for playing her.