Liza Minnelli & Judy Garland SECRETS They Kept From the World

LIZA PROTECTS HER MOTHER'S LEGACY WITH UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, LOYALTY AND RESPECT

- Katie Bruno

I don’t know why, but a child can bring you to believe in yourself again,” said Judy Garland. “Perhaps it’s because of the way they believe in you.”

It’s been 55 years since Judy’s passing, but her daughter Liza Minnelli still believes in her mother’s goodness and misses her every day. “As I grew up, we became incredibly close,” says Liza, 78, who adds that she only has wonderful memories of the woman she called “Mama.” “I became her best friend and confidante. We would laugh and talk for hours. Sometimes in person, sometimes on the phone, depending where we were.’’

The child of the Wizard of Oz star and director Vincente Minnelli entered the world already famous. According to the new documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, the third person to hold her after she was born was Frank Sinatra. “She came from one of the most talented women of the 20th century, Judy Garland, and one of the most talented men, Vincente Minnelli,” says director Bruce David Klein. “She was taught to tap-dance by Gene Kelly.”

Some of Liza’s happiest childhood memories are of dancing for her parents as a little girl. “When I was older, like 11, she’d sing “Swanee,” and she made me dance to it,” remembers Liza. “She got such a kick out of it. It was like, ‘Look what I made.’ And I was so happy whenever she was happy.”

UNITED IN LOVE