Ethel Merman Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Ethel Merman Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
About Ethel MermanEthel Merman’s journey to stardom speaks of an iron-willed woman who swept the entertainment industry away with her unique voice and acting caliber!Have you listened to Merman’s signature song? It’s a well-known number called ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’!Ethel Merman was not just an American actress, singer, and recording artist, but she remains one of the most versatile artists of all time. Hailed as the ‘undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage’, Ethel Merman is noted for her powerful, mezzo-soprano vocal quality and perfect pitch. She was blessed with a distinct voice that she couldn’t suppress while mimicking the singing styles of prominent artists. In fact, she retained the power in her voice even after undergoing a tonsillectomy.Merman had harbored a great interest in the entertainment industry since her childhood. Her transition from a regular job as a secretary to a stage performer carved her path toward success. She won innumerable accolades throughout her career, the most prominent ones being a Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award.Merman continued performing even after entering the 70s club. In the ’80s, her health showed signs of deterioration as her speech became slurred and she became forgetful. Unfortunately, the legendary actress passed away at her residence in Manhattan on February 15, 1984. To pay tribute to this icon, all Broadway theaters dimmed their lights at nine on the evening of her death. Merman desired to keep her personal life out of the public eye so her funeral service was organized privately on February 27 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. Her cremation took place at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. The singer was laid to rest beside Ethel, her daughter, in the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Ethel Merman Net Worth, Earnings & Spending HabitsWhat was Ethel Merman’s net worth?The net worth of Ethel Merman was evaluated to be $1.5 million at the time of her death.How much did Ethel Merman earn per year?Information about the annual income of the actress has not yet been unraveled. However, she was a highly successful artist who amassed a huge fortune through her singing and acting career.Height, Age & Physical AttributesHow tall was Ethel Merman?Ethel Merman stood at a height of 5ft 5 in (166 cm).How old was Ethel Merman?On April 11, 1983, the actress was diagnosed with brain cancer. On February 15, 1984, Merman was 76 years old when she passed away at home.Childhood And EducationOn January 16, 1908, Ethel Merman was born to Edward Zimmermann and Agnes Gardner. The birthplace of the evergreen actress was her maternal grandmother’s abode in Astoria, Queens in New York City. She was originally named Ethel Agnes Zimmermann and was raised in a strict religious atmosphere. She was baptized at the Church of the Redeemer. Right from her childhood, Merman was disciplined in attending Sunday school, morning services, afternoon prayer, and evening group studies.Merman enrolled at the William Cullen Bryant High School to pursue a course in commerce where she received secretarial training. However, during her schooldays, Merman actively participated in various extracurricular activities where she became involved with the student council, speaker’s club, and school magazine. She frequented music stores to inspect newly arrived sheet music. Her family also tagged her along to Manhattan every Friday, treating her to the vaudeville show hosted at the Palace Theatre. There, Merman witnessed the performances of artists like Sophie Tucker, Blossom Seeley, Nora Bayes, and Fanny Brice.In 1924, she graduated from William Cullen Bryant High School and took up the job of a stenographer at the Boyce-Ite Company. While working for the company, she came across Vic Kliesrath who offered her higher pay at the Bragg-Kliesrath Corporation. After switching companies, Merman worked simultaneously as the personal secretary of Caleb Bragg and as a performer at nightclubs and private parties.Family, Romance, And RelationshipsWho was Ethel Merman’s partner?Although Ethel Merman attained heights of success in the professional aspect, her personal life was full of complexities. She had four unsuccessful marriages. Ethel Merman’s last husband was Ernest Borgnine. She tied the knot with Borgnine on June 27, 1964, but the relationship lasted for less than two months. She was previously wedded to William Smith, Robert D. Levitt, and Robert Six. Ethel Merman mothered two children with her second husband, Robert D. Levitt. She spent the last years of her life without any partner.Career And Professional HighlightsEthel Merman developed a taste for arts in her childhood. Her Friday nights at the Palace Theatre offered Merman her first exposure to stage performances and she used to return home deeply inspired and trying to imitate the singing styles. However, she was formally introduced into the world of entertainment when Lou Cayton hired her to perform at nightclubs. Merman’s stage debut was with ‘Girl Crazy’, a 1930 musical. She started performing at Les Ambassadeurs as a torch singer but she soon garnered public attention with her performances. However, after her introduction to the entertainment industry, there was no looking back as she quickly climbed up the ladder to success.Best Known For…Ethel Merman was first signed up for the 1930 film named ‘Follow The Leader’ as a replacement for Ruth Etting. The success of the film earned Merman a contract of $500 each week for performing at the Palace. She was eventually spotted by Vinton Freedley, an American theater producer and she was invited to audition for the role of Kate Fothergill in a musical named ‘Girl Crazy’. Her songs like ‘I Got Rhythm’, ‘Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!’, and ‘Sam and Delilah’ were well received.She then performed in the Broadway revue ‘Scandals’ by George White where her solo ‘Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries’ became a hit. She then signed up for ‘Humpty Dumpty’ which turned out to be a flop within the next month. Nevertheless, Buddy DeSylva redesigned the entire script and retitled it ‘Take A Chance’. The revamped model was opened at the Apollo Theatre on November 26 where it went on for over 200 performances.In 1934, she appeared in ‘We’re Not Dressing’, a musical comedy adapted from ‘The Admirable Crichton’ by J. M. Barrie. In the film, she shared the screen with celebrities like Carole Lombard, Burns and Allen, and Bing Crosby. However, the singer was quite disheartened because one of her songs was removed. The same year, she played a minor role in ‘Kid Millions’. She next featured in Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’ where she played Reno Sweeney and belted out several songs including some of her famous numbers like ‘You’re the Top’, ‘Blow Gabriel Blow’, and ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’.In the ’30s, Ethel Merman alternated between screen and stage roles. She starred in several musicals including ‘Du Barry Was A Lady’, ‘Panama Hattie’, and ‘Red, Hot, And Blue!’ while also featuring in films like ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’, ‘Straight, Place, and Show’, and ‘Happy Landing’. In 1943, Merman was again cast by Porter in his latest Broadway musical named ‘Something For The Boys’. She also featured in ‘Sadie Thompson’, a musical play adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s ‘Rain’.In the ’50s, Merman delivered two major hits in the roles of Mrs. Sally Adams in ‘Call Me Madam’ and Rose Hovick in ‘Gypsy’. However, ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’ from ‘Annie Get My Gun’ remains the most popular song of Ethel Merman. The show continued for over a thousand performances!Before becoming bedridden, Merman performed in films like ‘It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’, ‘The Art Of Love’, and ‘Airplane’ while she made guest appearances in ‘The Muppet Show’ and ‘The Love Boat’.Charity WorkIt is known that Ethel Merman performed at several charity shows. She also offered generous donations to support the visually impaired and blind. She extended help to institutions like the Lighthouse International organization. She also provided support for theater groups, churches, and other charities.What awards did Ethel Merman win?In 1960, Ethel Merman was honored with a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album for ‘Gypsy’. She also received a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for ‘Call Me Madam’ and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for its film version. She bagged the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for ‘Hello, Dolly!’ On April 2, 1984, the 56th Academy Awards paid homage to the celebrated singer by closing the show with Merman’s most popular song ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’.Ethel Merman’s Hobbies And InterestsNot much is known about the interests of Merman apart from singing and acting. She didn’t disclose anything about her favorite hobbies, but she evidently loved to travel across the globe for her shows and for pleasure.Other Interesting Ethel Merman Facts And TriviaWhen Merman started performing at nightclubs, it occurred to her that her birth name was excessively lengthy. She started playing with names like Hunter and Gardner. This made her father rather indignant so she decided to shorten ‘Zimmermann’ to just ‘Merman’.Ethel Merman published two memoirs. The first one called ‘Who Could Ask for Anything More?’ came out on January 1, 1955. It was co-written by Pete Martin while Doubleday & Co. published it. The second book, named ‘Merman’, was co-written by George Eels and was brought out by Simon & Schuster in 1978. Interestingly, a page in the chapter ‘My Marriage To Ernest Borgnine’ has been left blank!Sadly, Merman’s materials got completely ruined by a massive fire that broke out in Universal Studios on June 1, 2008.We would love your help! If you have a photo of Ethel Merman, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected]If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.
Ethel Merman Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Ethel Merman Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
Ethel Merman’s journey to stardom speaks of an iron-willed woman who swept the entertainment industry away with her unique voice and acting caliber!Have you listened to Merman’s signature song? It’s a well-known number called ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’!Ethel Merman was not just an American actress, singer, and recording artist, but she remains one of the most versatile artists of all time. Hailed as the ‘undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage’, Ethel Merman is noted for her powerful, mezzo-soprano vocal quality and perfect pitch. She was blessed with a distinct voice that she couldn’t suppress while mimicking the singing styles of prominent artists. In fact, she retained the power in her voice even after undergoing a tonsillectomy.Merman had harbored a great interest in the entertainment industry since her childhood. Her transition from a regular job as a secretary to a stage performer carved her path toward success. She won innumerable accolades throughout her career, the most prominent ones being a Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award.Merman continued performing even after entering the 70s club. In the ’80s, her health showed signs of deterioration as her speech became slurred and she became forgetful. Unfortunately, the legendary actress passed away at her residence in Manhattan on February 15, 1984. To pay tribute to this icon, all Broadway theaters dimmed their lights at nine on the evening of her death. Merman desired to keep her personal life out of the public eye so her funeral service was organized privately on February 27 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. Her cremation took place at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. The singer was laid to rest beside Ethel, her daughter, in the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Ethel Merman Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Ethel Merman Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Birth Name Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
Place Of Birth New York City, USA Age 115 years old
Birth Date January 16 1908
Ethel Merman Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
Ethel Merman Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
Child Star? no Occupation Actress, Singer, Recording Artist Education & Qualifications William Cullen Bryant High School Net Worth $1,500,000
Current Partner Ernest Borgnine Parents Edward Zimmermannn, Agnes Gardner
