Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli is gay Jesus. The daughter of legendary poofter icon Judy Garland and homosexual filmmaker, Vincente Minnelli, Liza was always going to gravitate towards the queer side of life. Ms Minnelli’s penchant for gay husbands and buckets of pills might have transformed her into a walking punchline but Liza’s incredible talent has never been questioned. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Liza has had more highs and lows than a room full of junkies and staged more comebacks than Cher . In short, Liza Minnelli is showbiz royalty and the original pop trash icon.

Daughter Of An Icon

As the daughter of Judy Garland, Liza has always been famous. Liza spent much of her youth travelling with Judy and was exposed to her mother’s spiralling drug problem. This could explain Liza’s inability to stay sober for more than 5 minutes. In 1964 Liza was invited to perform with her mother at the London Palladium and electrified audiences. The following year, Liza appeared in the Kander & Ebb musical, “Flora The Red Menace” and won her first Tony Award. Two years later Liza landed her first film role opposite Albert Finney. Liza’s sublime acting talent was palpable and it wasn’t long before she scored her first Academy Award nomination for “The Sterile Cuckoo” in 1969. Liza then returned her focus to music in the early 1970s with albums such as “Come Saturday Morning” and “New Feelin’”.

A Legend

Bob Fosse’s “Cabaret” is one of the greatest films of all time. Released in 1972, the film was an instant success and transformed Liza into an international icon. Liza will forever be associated with Sally Bowles, the happy-go-lucky American cabaret singer in wartime Germany . Liza won an Academy Award for her performance and somewhat disturbingly, still has exactly the same hairstyle. The amazing “Cabaret” soundtrack was an international success and the title track became one of Liza’s signature tunes. The early 1970s were a golden time in Liza’s career. She won an Emmy Award for her “Liza With A Z” television special, scored a hit album with “The Singer” and toured extensively.

Flops Galore

Liza’s was already an icon by the mid-70s but she was heading for her first career slump. She starred in several ill fated films, including her father’s camp musical “A Matter Of Time” and the Martin Scorsese directed musical “ New York , New York ” in 1977. The film bombed at the box office but soundtrack was a hit and “ New York , New York ” has since become a much loved cult classic. 1977 is also a notable year in Liza’s career for the release of her divine disco album “Tropical Nights”. The album is a must for any Liza fan and also makes a good starting point for those painful homosexuals who dismiss old school divas as embarrassing relics of a bygone era. "Tropical Nights" is by far the most accessible collection of songs that Liza has ever recorded. However, it is not really disco at all. Rather, it was an attempt to modernise Liza's sound for the musical tastes of the late 1970s. There are echoes of disco, particularly in the sublime title track, but for the most part "Tropical Nights" plays like a more upbeat, contemporary Liza album. Therefore, it is all the more bewildering why this record was considered to be such an embarrassment that it was only available in Japan for decades. "Tropical Nights" is nothing like the somewhat undignified disco moments of other Broadway legends. This album is a thing of beauty from beginning to end.

The 80s 

The remainder of the 1970s were spent in drug and alcohol induced haze. Liza pulled herself together to appear in Kander & Ebb’s Broadway musical “The Act” and won her second Tony Award. Unfortunately, Liza was regularly too out of it to appear on stage and the show was closed after a short run. Liza returned to the movie world and the spotlight with 1981’s hugely successful comedy hit “Arthur”. Liza continued to battle her personal demons in the mid-80s but briefly re-appeared to appear in yet another Kander & Ebb Broadway musical, “The Rink”. Liza earned another Tony Award nomination but that performance had nothing on her stunning cameo in “The Muppets Take Manhattan”. Liza then proved herself as a trash actress of the highest calibre by appearing as a prostitute in the fabulously bad cult classic “Rent-A-Cop” 1987. A year later she graced the screen in another wonderful turkey, “Arthur 2: On The Rocks”. That film is probably best known for including Kylie’s “I Should Be So Lucky” in the soundtrack. It is a classy experience, indeed.

Results

1989 saw Liza’s long awaited return to pop music. “Results” is one of the most stunning dance albums of the 1980s. Produced by Pet Shop Boys, “Results” is a gay man’s wet dream. Classics from musical theatre sit next to clever cover versions and gems penned by the Pet Shop Boys. The first single, Stephen Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind” was a huge success in Europe and became a top 10 hit all over Europe . Needless to say, the song is overwhelmingly fabulous! The second single, “Don’t Drop Bombs”, was not as successful as “Losing My Mind” but boasts some stunning remixes and has one of the most fabulous video clips of the 1980s. The song peaked at number 46 in the UK . Two further singles were released, a cover of Yvonne Elliman’s “Love Pains” and the excellent “So Sorry, I Said”. The album peaked at number 6 in the UK but could only manage number 128 in the US . “Results” has continued to win fans through the years and is now a cult favourite.

Comeback Queen

Liza returned to film in 1991 with the hugely underrated “Stepping Out”. The movie was a welcome return to musical comedy for Liza and represents her best (and only!) film role of the 1990s. Things were not much better on the music front. Apart from a couple of live albums, Liza’s only significant musical release in the 1990s was “Gently”, released in 1996. The following year saw Liza’s long awaited return to Broadway, when she took over Julie Andrews’ role in “Victor/Victoria”. The reviews were glowing but the decade ended on a sour note when Liza became gravely ill with Encephalitis. Years of ill health followed until her most recent comeback with the stage extravaganza and album “Liza’s Back”. The show received rave reviews and Liza was suddenly back in high demand, making acclaimed appearances on TV shows like “Arrested Development” and “Law & Order”.

Rock Liza

Never one to rest on her laurels, Liza recently collaborated with EMO rockers, My Chemical Romance, on the song "Mama" from their current album, "The Black Parade". Liza’s contribution to “Mama” is thrilling but her big moment takes place 3 and a half minutes into the song, so you may have to close your eyes and think of Judy Garland until you hear Liza's glorious pipes. The song is yet another example of Liza’s versatility, originality and amazing talent. Three of the qualities that have endeared her to fans for more than four decades.

- Mike