Liza Minnelli

Perhaps no three words in the English language better personify show business than Liza May Minnelli. The daughter of legendary film maker Vincent Minnelli and one of the greats of film and stage, Judy Garland, Liza was born 75 years ago today in the veritable home of show business-- Hollywood, California.

It was almost a given, preordained, that the young daughter of such show business royalty would pursue performing. What no one could predict, however, was that Liza Minnelli would conquer stage, screen, records, concerts and later on, even television. She became a nightclub performer at the age of 16, won her first Tony at 19, released three albums through Capitol Records by 20, and received her first Oscar nomination at 24. Liza became a fashion icon in her teens with her signature pixie cut- the result of having to chop her locks when playing around with some friends ended with a wad of gum in her hair. That, plus her red lips and ensembles, made her a muse to designers like Halston, and a creative muse for such Broadway luminaries as John Kander and Fred Ebb, who Liza famously claimed “created her.” 

Liza left home and moved to New York to become a Broadway performer. “To be on Broadway, you have to go to New York. So I went to New York. And that was the last time that I took any money from my parents” When asked if having famous parents helped her career, Liza responded, “People don’t want to spend money on a publicity stunt- you have to deliver.” And deliver she did. She delivered so well that when she was 19, Minnelli became the youngest person to win the leading actress in a musical Tony for her turn in the 1965 Kander and Ebb musical Flora the Red Menace. Thus beginning a long standing relationship between the hit making duo and Liza. Her other Broadway credits include Liza, Chicago, The Act, The Rink, Victor/Victoria, Minnelli on Minnelli and Liza's at the Palace.

From Steppin Out to Sex in The City, Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon to Arthur, and the role that cemented her into the status of bona fide movie star, Cabaret, Liza Minelli dominated the screen. She received her first Oscar nomination for her riveting performance in the romantic comedy The Sterile Cuckoo. It's been often said that Liza’s infamous telephone scene is one of the greatest performances in film history. She did the scene on her first day on set when production began, in one take with no edits. Liza has said that after doing this scene in one take she knew that she understood the character and that it gave her a lot of confidence as an actress. That confidence was displayed in the role of a lifetime as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. The 1972, Bob Fosse-directed big-screen musical earned eight Oscars, including one for Liza’s work as American expatriate in 1930s Berlin during the rise of Nazism. Her father Vincent Minnelli advised her to not fashion Sally Bowles after Marlene Dietrich, but Louise Brooks instead. The look may have been Brooks, but the performance was pure Liza. 

In 1961 Liza’s mother, Judy Garland, brought her and her siblings onstage at Carnegie Hall- it was apparent to all then that Liza was a live performer. Liza’s high octane live shows are a thing of lore, and to see her in concert is to have seen, what many describe as, a tour de force. Tony Bennett became one of Liza’s early mentors, as was the late French Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, whom Liza has credited with teaching her how to inhabit a song. Liza single handedly created the one-woman television show, at a time when no one had done that: “I thought it was a good idea” Liza said “Someone told me that I couldn’t do that- and all of these rules, but you gotta try.” That show, Liza with a Z, won 4 Emmys and a Peabody award.

Through her movies, TV appearances, concerts and recordings, new generations are continuing to be inspired by Liza. She has appeared as herself on TV in Smash, The Voice: UK, So You Think You Can Dance, The Apprentice and more, and she is also known for her portrayal of Lucille Austero in the comedy series Arrested Development. Liza has dedicated much time to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which was co-founded by Elizabeth Taylor. Liza has also supported the Great American Songbook Foundation, Broadway Cares, and The Actors Fund.