More than twenty years after her death, Ethel Merman continues to set the standard for American musical theater. The stories about the supremely talented, famously strong-willed, fearsomely blunt, and terrifyingly exacting woman are stuff of legend. But who was Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, really? Brian Kellow’s definitive biography of the great Merman is superb, and the first account to examine both the artist and the woman with as much critical rigor as empathy. Through dozens of interviews with her colleagues, friends, and family members, Kellow traces the arc of her life and her thirty-year singing career to reveal many surprising facts about Broadway’s biggest star. **
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lgrsfic/eng\_tuebl\145305.epub

zlib/Biography & Autobiography/Film, Television & Music/Brian Kellow/Ethel Merman: A Life_4698507.epub

Brian Kellow

Penguin Publishing Group

Viking

United States, United States of America

New York, 2007

lg_fict_id_1736811

A biography equal to the outsized personality of one of Broadway's best-loved starsFrom her breakout rendition of George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" in 1930 to her triumphant performance as Gypsy's Mama Rose in 1959, Ethel Merman defined Broadway stardom for two generations of music lovers. Merman's singing voice—brassy, penetrating, and undeniably American—has transcended genre and era to become a cultural icon. As an entertainer she burned with unstoppable energy. Offstage she was the original diva, a woman who knew what she wanted and brooked no interference. Her spats and frequently off-color zingers have become part of theater lore.In this entertaining and authoritative biography, Brian Kellow traces Merman's life from her childhood in Queens, New York, through her three decades at the peak of Broadway celebrity. In an era dominated by outsized personalities and egos, none was more vibrant and powerful than Merman's, yet beneath the tough-dame image was an enormously vulnerable and often lonely woman. Kellow's book, which includes recollections from more than 120 of Merman's friends, colleagues, and family members, stands as the definitive biography and an affectionate portrait of an unforgettable star. Fans of Broadway history and of the great Ethel Merman will find Kellow's biography an irresistible read.

A biography equal to the outsized personality of one of Broadway's best-loved stars. From her breakout rendition of "I Got Rhythm" in 1930 to her triumphant performance as Gypsy's Mama Rose in 1959, Ethel Merman defined Broadway stardom for two generations of music lovers. Merman's singing voice--brassy, penetrating, and undeniably American--has transcended genre and era to become a cultural icon. As an entertainer she burned with unstoppable energy; offstage she was the original diva, a woman who knew what she wanted and brooked no interference. Her spats and zingers have become part of theater lore. In an era dominated by outsized personalities and egos, none was more vibrant and powerful than Merman's, yet beneath the tough-dame image was an enormously vulnerable and often lonely woman. Kellow's book, which includes recollections from Merman's friends, colleagues, and family members, stands as the definitive biography and an affectionate portrait of an unforgettable star.--From publisher description

2017-07-01