Judy Garland, a great friend of Tony Bennett, was born on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She died in London on June 22, 1969–she was only 47 years old.
Tony Bennett tells this story about Judy in his autobiography The Good Life:
The last time I saw her was in London in April 1969, when I was there doing a TV special with Count Basie. After the show she came backstage to see me, and the last thing she said to me was, “You’re pretty good!” She died two months later. I’ve never gotten over it. She was so kind, so talented, such as dear friend. When I look back, it’s hard to believe that most of the time she was just trying to hold on for dear life.
In tribute to Judy Garland, I leave you with this video from the fifth episode of her television show, with Tony Bennett as the guest star. The year is 1963. It’s one of my favorites; I can actually remember watching this episode with my Mom.
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