Judy

[ashetlandpony]

The only good thing about yesterday's doctor visit was that, while I was waiting, I read an article in a back issue of Vanity Fair about it being 50 years since Judy Garland brought the house down with her performance at Carnegie Hall. This concert appearance, on the night of April 23, 1961, has been called "the greatest night in show business history." I had never heard about this before, despite the fact that Judy Garland has been one of my favorite actresses/entertainers since I was a little boy.

As I was reading the article, I kept thinking, this sounds great, I wish they'd made a recording of it, then it mentioned the concert WAS recorded and released on Capitol Records 50 years ago as a two-record set called Judy at Carnegie Hall. How could I NOT have known about this all my life? Anyway, first thing I did when I got home was snag the album on mp3 and OMG, it's fucking phenomenal. Oh well, better late than never, I guess!

Only thing that could be better would be if the concert had been filmed for posterity, as well. Apparently, few photos even survive from that storied performance. Still, along with the music, they're enough to visualize how it must have been to be there that night. What a great show! One for the ages, for sure...

This song... simply breathtaking, astonishing. And so very sad. Why did she have to die so young...?