LIZA MINNELLI FACTS:
Genre: Pop, Vocal, Jazz
Hometown: Hollywood, California
Albums: Liza! Liza! (1964); It Amazes Me (1965); There Is a Time (1966); Liza Minnelli (1968); Come Saturday Morning (1969); New Feelin' (1970); The Singer (1973); Tropical Nights (1977); Results (1989); Gently (1996); Liza's at The Palace...! (2009); Confessions (2010)
Awards: Grammy Hall of Fame and Grammy Living Legend
Hits: "Losing My Mind"
Other: Won an Ocsar, Golden Globe, Tony, and Emmy award.
As the daughter of Judy Garland, it's no surprise that Liza Minnelli has been one of the most dynamic performers of the last 50 years. With an impressive resume spanning film, television, music and theater, the charismatic singer has become an icon in the eyes of many, and is one of the few performers who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award.
Minnelli got her start in the 1960s as a well-known nightclub singer and musical theater actress. She began performing at the young age of 17, and by the time she was 19, she had already made a name for herself on Broadway. Her turn as the leading lady in Flora and the Red Menace won her the leading actress Tony Award in 1965 - making her the youngest to ever accomplish the feat.
Thanks to her success on stage, and her popularity as a singer, Minnelli began to record and release several albums throughout the decade. Her first three albums were largely unsuccessful commercially, but were well-received by critics, and continued to bolster her reputation as a dynamic live act. She continued to produce albums throughout the '70s, including Come Saturday Morning, released in 1970, which featured Minnelli's versions of a number of popular tunes including "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" and "On a Slow Boat to China."
It was during the '70s where Minnelli experienced a boon in popularity. In 1972 she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film adaption of the musical Cabaret. In 1977 she earned significant praise for her role in the Robert De Niro film New York, New York, where she gained notoriety for her version of the titular song.
Throughout the '80s, however, Minnelli battled serious health issues that caused her to take time off from performing. But in 1989 her collaborative effort with the Pet Shop Boys, Results, was a hit and signaled her return to music. Throughout the '90s she continued to put on live shows, and even returned to Broadway in 1997 in Victor/Victoria.
There are few performers who have stamina like Liza Minnelli. Her most recent album,
Confessions, was released in September 2010 to critical acclaim, signaling that the 64-year-old legend is not done yet.