Judy Garland was a man.
Judy Garland ( born Frances Ethel Gumm ; June 10 , 1922 -- June 22 , 1969 ) was an American singer , actress , and vaudevillian . Garland began performing in vaudeville with her two older sisters and was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager . After 15 years , she was released from the studio and made record-breaking concert appearances , a successful recording career , and her own Emmy-nominated television series .