“I was born, and they took a picture,” says Liza Minnelli, expressing the reality of growing up in the flashbulb-popping, gossip-saturated spotlight as Hollywood royalty—as the daughter of Oscar-winning director Vincente Minnelli and screen icon Judy Garland. Liza sought out extraordinary mentors—like Kay Thompson, Fred Ebb, Charles Aznavour, Halston, and Bob Fosse—who helped transform her from a girl with boundless raw talent and famous parents to a mature, beautifully polished superstar of stage and screen who took the world by storm in films (“Cabaret”, “New York, New York”, “Arthur”), television specials (“Liza With a Z”), concerts (Carnegie Hall, Radio City), Broadway shows (“The Act”, “Chicago”, “Liza’s at the Palace”)—and more, along the way earning an Oscar, an Emmy, four Tonys, a Grammy—and undeniable status as living legend.
This timeline explores Liza Minnelli’s life and the major milestones in her career.
Liza Minnelli is born in Los Angeles, California to actress and singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli.
Liza makes an early film appearance as a toddler in the movie musical “In the Good Old Summertime” starring her mother, Judy Garland.
At age 10, Liza makes her stage debut, dancing to her mother singing “Swanee” in Garland’s concert at the New York Palace Theatre.
Liza makes her official television debut when she co-hosted the first-ever telecast of her mother’s movie “The Wizard of Oz” with Bert Lahr, the actor who played the Cowardly Lion.
Liza, 13, appears on a Gene Kelly television special. They sing “For Me and My Gal.” This is the earliest known recording of Liza Minnelli singing.
At age 15, Liza apprenticed with the Cape Cod Melody Tent in the summer of 1961. This Cape Cod stock company was based in Haynnis Port, Massachusetts. Liza got a role in the last show of the season. Performing on August 23, 1961, in Take Me Along, as “Marie Macomber,” she sang the number “I Would Die.” She signed with her first agent that summer (Stephanie “Stevie” Phillips).
Liza officially begins her recording career, cutting two songs from the show “Best Foot Forward.” “You Are For Loving” becomes one of Liza Minnelli’s biggest selling singles, selling over 500,000 copies and leading to an offer to record for Capital Records.
17-year-old Liza makes her New York stage debut in an off-Broadway revival of the 1941 musical “Best Foot Forward,” playing a scrappy tomboy named Ethel Hofflinger. It played at the Stage 73 Theater in Manhattan. The show also garnered Minnelli her first award: the Daniel Blum/Theatre World Award as one of the year’s most promising young actresses. Her reviews were rapturous.
Liza appears on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” singing “Somebody Loves Me,” and “Just a Little Joint with a Jukebox” from “Best Foot Forward.” This was Liza’s first of many appearances on Sullivan’s show.
Liza appears on “The Judy Garland Show” with her mother, marking the first professional pairing of the two.
Liza releases her first album, “Liza! Liza!,” for Capitol Records. For the creation of her debut album, she turned to her friend and classmate Marvin Hamlisch, who could help her in choosing the tunes.
Liza appears with her mother Judy Garland at the London Palladium in a concert taped for television and they record “Live at the London Palladium.” This show is considered Liza’s first concert ever.
Minnelli makes her Broadway debut in “Flora, the Red Menace” at the Alvin Theatre, playing a young woman whose boyfriend is a communist. The show closes after 87 performances on July 24, 1965.
At 19 years old, Liza wins her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in “Flora, the Red Menace.”
Liza makes her cabaret debut at the Shoreham Hotel’s Blue Room in Washington D.C., in an act written by Fred Ebb. Liza kept this act throughout 1965, into 1966, and would continue to sing much of the material throughout the 1960s and beyond.
“Charlie Bubbles” marks Minnelli’s first film role. She plays the supporting part of a secretary to a famous author played by Albert Finney.
Liza stars as the eccentric Pookie Adams in “The Sterile Cuckoo,” directed by Alan Pakula. Pookie is a dysfunctional girl dealing with her first relationship as she starts college. Liza Minnelli receives her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress with this role.
Liza’s mother, Judy Garland, is found dead from an unintentional overdose at the age of 47.
The film musical “Cabaret” is released. Minnelli wins the Golden Globe Award, the Academy Award and other honors for her role as Sally Bowles in decadent 1930s Berlin.
NBC airs “Liza With a Z,” which earns her an Emmy Award.
“Liza” opens at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. She wins a special Tony Award for the concert.
Liza takes over for an ailing Gwen Verdon in the Kander & Ebb musical “Chicago,” marking the first time a star of this magnitude is a replacement in a Broadway show. Ticket sales skyrocket.
Minnelli stars in “A Matter of Time” directed by her father, Vincente Minnelli. She plays a chambermaid turned courtesan; the film fails at the box office.
Liza stars opposite Robert De Niro in “New York, New York,” a film about the 1940s pop music scene. The film, also a box-office disappointment, is directed by Martin Scorsese, with whom Minnelli is having an affair.
Kander & Ebb’s musical “The Act,” about a former movie star making a comeback, opens on Broadway. The director of record is Scorsese, but the show has such a troubled tryout that Gower Champion is brought in to salvage it. Despite poor notices, the show runs and Minnelli wins her third Tony.
Liza makes her Carnegie Hall debut in an 11-night engagement, making it the longest-running solo show in the history of the hall. In 1987, she breaks her own record with 17 shows.
Liza stars opposite Dudley Moore in “Arthur,” which grosses nearly $80 million.
Liza Minnelli is nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in the Kander & Ebb musical “The Rink,” which she starred in with Chita Rivera.
Liza stars as the mother of a terminally ill son in “A Time To Live” on NBC and wins her second Golden Globe for the role.
Liza’s father, Vincente Minnelli, passes away at the age of 83.
Liza films “Stepping Out,” adapted by Richard Harris from his play about a group of women who gain self-esteem through dance classes. In 1991, Liza begins her tour, “Liza: Stepping Out at Radio City,” based on the film’s concept. The show opens at Radio City Music Hall and Sony releases and the album and video.
Liza releases a new album called “Results,” co-produced by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. One of the songs, Stephen Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind,” becomes a pop hit in Europe.
Liza is honored with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and receives the Grammy Living Legend Award in 1990.
Liza records the gay-liberation anthem “The Day After That” in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which began the day her mother was buried. The record benefits AIDS organizations.
Liza releases “Gently,” an album of soft, jazzy ballads. It is later nominated for a Grammy Award.
Liza steps in for Julie Andrews in the Broadway musical “Victor/Victoria” and breaks box-office records.
Liza returns to the concert stage with “Liza’s Back,” after a hiatus due to health problems.
Liza Minnelli appears in more than 20 episodes on the television show “Arrested Development” to rave reviews—heralded as “one of the funniest sitcom performances of the decade as “Lucille 2.” Many younger audiences who had not known Liza previously, were introduced to her physical comedy chops on the quirky TV show.
Liza’s Broadway show “Liza’s at the Palace…” (2008–09) wins the Tony Award for best special theatrical event.
Liza receives the Legion of Honor award from France.
Liza Minnelli announces her plans to release a memoir, to be published in 2026.
