41 years after her death, Judy Garland remains the very definition of gay icon. Her failed relationships, her self-doubt, & her battle with substance abuse are aspects of a life that most of us can identify with, while her live performances reflect a truth & freedom that are desired by anyone that has wasted t time hiding their own emotions.
Gay culture can't escape Garland's influence. The Stonewall riots have been attributed to the anger & grief felt on Garland's funeral that day. The term- "Friend of Dorothy," is from our identification with Garland's most famous role.
Garland's 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall is a landmark in Show Biz. 2 years earlier, she had been advised to retire from performing after being diagnosed with hepatitis, but instead she took on of concerts in Europe & the USA that reestablished her reputation as the top entertainer of all time. The Carnegie Hall show is regarded as the greatest evening in show-business history. The live recording of that concert spent more than a year on the Billboard charts & won 7 Grammys, including Album of the Year.
A few months ago, my dear friend- WCK3 & I stayed up late into the night watching DVRs of her TV show from the early 1960s. I was entranced by her presence & on occasion horrified by the histrionics. Sometimes when listening to her recordings, I am off put by the feeling that she sings EVERY single song as if it were her last. But, then I hear her original version or her late in life version of Over The Rainbow & I end up crying. Judy Garland loved her fans & she loved them back. I love her for that.
Oddly, this is the song & the moment that is my favorite Judy Garland performance:
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