Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann on 1908-01-16) was an American actress and singer whose powerful mezzo‑soprano voice and brassy stage presence made her the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage. Raised in Astoria, Queens, she was an only child of Edward and Agnes Zimmermann, both devout churchgoers who emphasized education and secretarial training before she discovered her talent for vaudeville songs. After a brief stint as a stenographer, Merman began singing in nightclubs, quickly catching the attention of critics such as Walter Winchell and landing a coveted role in the Gershwin musical Girl Crazy in 1930, where her rendition of “I Got Rhythm” launched a legendary Broadway career. Over the next five decades she starred in iconic productions including Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, and Hello, Dolly!, earning a Tony Award for Call Me Madam and a Grammy for the Gypsy cast recording. Her film work ranged from the 1936 version of Anything Goes to the ensemble classic It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in 1963, and she made memorable television appearances on shows like The Muppet Show and Match Game. Beyond the stage, Merman was a lifelong Republican who performed at the inaugurations of both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972. Her personal life was marked by four marriages—William Smith, Robert Levitt, Robert Six, and Ernest Borgnine—and two children, though tragedy struck with the early death of her daughter Ethel. Merman’s later years were shadowed by a brain tumor, and she died on 1984-02-15, leaving an indelible legacy that continues to define the golden age of American musical theatre.