Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman
Merman in 1956
Born
Ethel Agnes Zimmermann

(1908-01-16)January 16, 1908
DiedFebruary 15, 1984(1984-02-15) (aged 76)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting placeShrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1930–1982
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
William Smith
(m. 1940; div. 1941)
Robert Levitt, Sr.
(m. 1941; div. 1952)
(m. 1953; div. 1960)
(m. 1964; div. 1964)
Children2
AwardsAmerican Theater Hall of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame

Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theater,[1] she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage."[2] She performed on Broadway in Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, and Hello, Dolly!

She is also known for her film roles in Anything Goes (1936), Call Me Madam (1953), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Among many accolades, she received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Call Me Madam, a Grammy Award for Gypsy, and a Drama Desk Award for Hello, Dolly!

Merman introduced many Broadway standards, including "I Got Rhythm" from Girl Crazy, "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Some People" and "Rose's Turn" from Gypsy, and the Cole Porter songs "It's De-Lovely" (from Red, Hot and Blue), "Friendship" (from Du Barry Was a Lady), and "I Get a Kick Out of You", "You're the Top", and "Anything Goes" (from Anything Goes). The Irving Berlin song "There's No Business Like Show Business", written for Annie Get Your Gun, became Merman's signature song.

  1. ^ Obituary Variety, February 22, 1984.
  2. ^ "Merman 101: Ethel Merman Biography - Part I". Musicals101.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2021.