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American actress and singer celebrated for her powerful contralto vocals and iconic role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Child star signed by MGM at age 13; achieved global fame for The Wizard of Oz (1939); received special Academy Award at 17; starred in 34 films including Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and A Star Is Born (1954); Grammy-winning recording artist; struggled with studio pressures, addiction, and mental health throughout career.

• MGM executives mandated extreme dieting and prescribed amphetamines/barbiturates from age 16, initiating lifelong substance dependencies and emotional instability.
• Fired by MGM in 1950 after 15 years due to unreliability; attempted suicide multiple times; endured four divorces and severe financial troubles despite earning millions.
• Her 1961 Carnegie Hall concert produced a #1 live album that held Billboard's #1 spot for 13 weeks, still regarded as one of greatest vocal performances in history.
• Posthumously awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; her funeral in New York drew over 20,000 mourners, with some attributing the Stonewall Riots (days later) partly to collective grief in LGBTQ+ communities who revered her.
• Died at 47 from accidental barbiturate overdose after years of liver damage; death certificate cited 'incautious self-overdosage' of sleeping pills.