Liza Minnelli
EGOT-winning actress, singer, and dancer known for Cabaret and her commanding stage presence.
Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer celebrated for her powerful alto voice and magnetic stage presence. Her career honors include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globes, and four Tony Awards. She is among a small group of entertainers to achieve a non-competitive EGOT, having received an honorary Grammy. She also holds the title of Knight of the French Legion of Honour.
The daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, she moved to New York City in 1961 and began working in musical theater, nightclubs, and traditional pop music. Her professional stage debut came in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of *Best Foot Forward*. She became closely associated with the songwriting team John Kander and Fred Ebb, winning Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for *Flora the Red Menace* (1965) and *The Act* (1978), and earning a Tony nomination for *The Rink* (1984). She also received Special Tony Awards for *Liza at the Winter Garden* (1974) and *Liza's at The Palace...* (2009).
On film, her breakthrough came with the drama *The Sterile Cuckoo* (1969), which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She won the Oscar for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the musical *Cabaret* (1972), bringing her international fame. She later starred in films including *Lucky Lady* (1975), *New York, New York* (1977), and *Arthur* (1981), all of which earned Golden Globe nominations. On television, she revived her career with a recurring role on the sitcom *Arrested Development* (2003–2013).
Her concert performances at Carnegie Hall in 1979 and 1987, and at Radio City Music Hall in 1991 and 1992, are considered major highlights. From 1988 to 1990, she toured with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in *Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event*. She is known for her renditions of American standards and signature songs such as "New York, New York," "Cabaret," and "Maybe This Time." In later years, serious health problems led her to avoid large concerts, favoring smaller retrospective shows. Her life was the subject of the 2024 documentary *Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story*, and her 2026 memoir *Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!* became a number-one *New York Times* bestseller.
Born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood, she was named after Ira Gershwin’s song "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)." Her half-siblings include Lorna and Joey (from Garland’s marriage to Sid Luft) and Christiana Nina Minnelli (from her father’s second marriage). Her godparents were Kay Thompson and Ira Gershwin. She made her first film appearance at age three in the final scene of *In the Good Old Summertime* (1949), which starred her mother and Van Johnson. In 1961, she moved to New York City, attending the High School of Performing Arts and later Chadwick School.
In 1961, she worked as an apprentice at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, appearing in the chorus of *Flower Drum Song* and playing Muriel in *Take Me Along*. At 17, she made her professional debut in the Off-Broadway revival of *Best Foot Forward*, winning a Theatre World Award, and toured in *The Fantasticks* with Elliott Gould. The following year, her mother invited her to perform at the London Palladium; both concerts were recorded and released as an album. She spent a year at Scarsdale High School, starring in a production of *The Diary of Anne Frank* that toured Israel. At 19, she made her Broadway debut and won her first Tony for *Flora the Red Menace*, her first collaboration with Kander and Ebb.
She began singing in nightclubs as a teenager, making her professional club debut at 19 at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. That year, she also performed in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York City. Her live success led to Capitol Records albums *Liza! Liza!* (1964), *It Amazes Me* (1965), and *There Is a Time* (1966), featuring traditional pop standards and show tunes. William Ruhlmann called her "Barbra Streisand's little sister." These three albums were reissued in full on the 2001 compilation *The Capitol Years*. From 1968 into the 1970s, she recorded *Liza Minnelli* (1968), *Come Saturday Morning* and *New Feelin'* (both 1970) for A&M Records. In 1973, she sang backup with Ronnie Spector on Alice Cooper’s "Teenage Lament '74" from *Muscle of Love*. She released solo albums *The Singer* (1973) and *Tropical Nights* (1977) on Columbia Records. In 1989, she collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys on the electronic dance album *Results*, which reached the UK top 10 and charted in the U.S., producing four singles. That year, she performed "Losing My Mind" at the Grammy Awards before receiving a Grammy Legend Award, one of the first given (alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber, Smokey Robinson, and Willie Nelson).
- born
- March 12, 1946
- field
- Actress, singer, dancer
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Commanding stage presence, powerful alto voice, EGOT recipient, role in Cabaret
Lore & Background
Minnelli's parents were actress and singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli. After moving to New York City in 1961, she began her career as a musical theater actress, nightclub performer, and traditional pop artist. She made her professional stage debut in the Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward (1963). She became known for her collaborations with John Kander and Fred Ebb, and later won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in the Broadway musicals Flora the Red Menace (1965) and The Act (1978). She was Tony-nominated for The Rink (1984). She won Special Tony Awards for Liza at the Winter Garden (1974) and Liza's at The Palace.... (2009). On film, Minnelli had her breakthrough performance in the drama film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She later received the award playing Sally Bowles in the musical film Cabaret (1972), which brought her to international prominence. She starred in a string of films, including Golden Globe nominated performances in Lucky Lady (1975), New York, New York (1977) and Arthur (1981). On television, she had a career resurgence as a recurring guest star on the sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2013). Her concert performances at Carnegie Hall in 1979 and 1987 and at Radio City Music Hall in 1991 and 1992 are recognized among her most successful. From 1988 to 1990, she toured with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event. Minnelli is known for her renditions of American standards and is known for her signature songs which include 'New York, New York', 'Cabaret', and 'Maybe This Time'. Throughout her later years, she has suffered serious health problems and avoided huge concerts in favor of small retrospective performances. Her life was profiled in the 2024 documentary, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story and her 2026 memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! which topped the New York Times Best Seller list.
Reader's Guide
Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946, at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. Her parents named her after Ira Gershwin's song 'Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)'. Minnelli has a half-sister, Lorna, and half-brother, Joey, from Garland's marriage to Sid Luft. She has another half-sister, Christiane Nina Minnelli (nicknamed Tina Nina), from her father's second marriage. Minnelli's godparents were Kay Thompson and Ira Gershwin. Minnelli's first performing experience on film was at age three, appearing in the final scene of the musical In the Good Old Summertime (1949); the film stars Garland and Van Johnson. In 1961, she moved to New York City, attending High School of Performing Arts and later, Chadwick School. During 1961, Minnelli was an apprentice at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, Massachusetts. She appeared in the chorus of Flower Drum Song and played the part of Muriel in Take Me Along. She began performing professionally at the age of 17 in 1963 in an Off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Foot Forward, for which she received the Theatre World Award, and also toured in The Fantasticks, opposite Elliott Gould. The next year, her mother invited her to perform with her in concert at the London Palladium. Both concerts were recorded and released as an album. Minnelli attended Scarsdale High School for one year, starring in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank that then went to Israel on tour. She turned to Broadway at 19, and won her first Tony Award as a leading actress for Flora the Red Menace. It was the first time that she worked with the musical pair John Kander and Fred Ebb. Minnelli began as a nightclub singer as a teenager, making her professional nightclub debut at the age of 19 at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. That same year she began appearing in other clubs and on stage in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York City. Her success as a live performer led her to record several albums for Capitol Records: Liza! Liza! (1964), It Amazes Me (1965), and There Is a Time (1966). In her early years, she recorded traditional pop standards as well as show tunes from various musicals in which she starred. Because of this fact, William Ruhlmann named her 'Barbra Streisand's little sister'. The Capitol albums Liza! Liza!, It Amazes Me, and There Is a Time were re
Did You Know?
- Minnelli's parents named her after Ira Gershwin's song 'Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)'.
- She won a Special Tony Award for Liza at the Winter Garden (1974) and another for Liza's at The Palace.... (2009).
- Minnelli performed 'We Are the Champions' with Queen at the tribute concert for Freddie Mercury in 1992.
- Her 2026 memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! topped the New York Times Best Seller list.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"I couldn't sing Mama's special songs. I couldn't do them as well. I would rather present a first-rate version of myself than a second-rate version of Mama." — Liza Minnelli "I don't sing them because I couldn't sing them as well as she did. I'd rather be a first-rate version of myself than a second-rate version of anybody." — Liza Minnelli "My mother once told me never be a second-rate version of somebody else when you can be a first-rate version of yourself." — Liza Minnelli "You don’t know how to handle anything today, because you have to go to jail to get some press or fall down drunk." — Liza Minnelli
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