It is one of those questions that pops up more often than you’d think. Maybe it’s because The Wizard of Oz feels so permanent, like it exists outside of time. Or maybe it’s because her daughter, Liza Minnelli, is still such a powerhouse in the public eye. But if you’re wondering is Judy Garland still alive, the answer is a heartbreaking no. She has been gone for over half a century.
Judy Garland died on June 22, 1969.
She was only 47 years old. Honestly, when you look at the sheer volume of work she left behind—the 35 movies, the albums, the legendary TV specials—it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that she was younger than many modern A-listers are today. She didn't just fade away; she burnt out in a way that the world hadn't really seen before.
The Tragic Night in London
By the summer of 1969, Judy was living in London. She had recently married her fifth husband, Mickey Deans. They were staying in a rented mews house in Belgravia. Things weren't great. Her final string of performances at the "Talk of the Town" nightclub had been, by most accounts, an emotional rollercoaster. Some nights she was the best singer on the planet. Other nights, the audience threw rolls at her because she was late or incoherent.
On the morning of June 22, Deans found her. She was in the bathroom. The door was locked, and when he finally got inside, it was too late.
The official cause of death was an accidental overdose of barbiturates. The coroner, Dr. Gavin Thurston, was very specific: "incautious self-overdosage." It wasn't a suicide, despite what the rumors might suggest. Her body was just tired. Decades of being fed "pep pills" to stay thin and "downers" to sleep by studio executives had finally taken their toll.
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Why Do People Still Ask if She’s Alive?
It’s kinda weird, right? But there’s a reason for it. Judy Garland is more than a dead celebrity; she’s a constant presence.
- The Annual Tradition: Every year, The Wizard of Oz plays on TV. For kids growing up today, Dorothy Gale is a contemporary hero.
- The Family Legacy: Her children—Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft—have kept her memory vibrating. Liza, in particular, became such a massive icon that the two names are forever linked.
- The 2019 Biopic: When Renée Zellweger won the Oscar for playing her in Judy, it sparked a massive wave of Google searches. Suddenly, a new generation was discovering her voice and her tragedy.
What Really Happened with the Studio System
You can't talk about whether Judy Garland is still alive without talking about what killed her, metaphorically and literally. She was a product of the old MGM factory.
MGM chief Louis B. Mayer reportedly called her his "little hunchback." He thought she was the "ugly duckling" compared to stars like Elizabeth Taylor or Lana Turner. To keep her working 18-hour days, the studio gave her amphetamines. When she was too wired to sleep, they gave her barbiturates.
She was an addict by the time she was a teenager.
It’s a brutal reality that makes her performances even more miraculous. When she’s singing "The Man That Got Away," you aren't just hearing a singer. You’re hearing someone who has survived more than most people do in ninety years.
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The Mystery of Her Final Resting Place
For a long time, Judy was buried in New York at Ferncliff Cemetery. But in 2017, something interesting happened. Her children decided to move her.
They wanted her "home" in Hollywood.
She was disinterred and moved to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. She now rests in the "Judy Garland Pavilion." It was a move intended to ensure she was near her family and back in the city that both created and destroyed her. If you visit today, it’s a place of pilgrimage for fans who still find comfort in her music.
The Stonewall Connection
There is a long-standing myth that the Stonewall Riots—the spark of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement—happened because the community was mourning Judy Garland. Her funeral was held in New York on June 27, 1969, just hours before the riots began.
Historians like David Carter have debated this for years. While many of the people at the Stonewall Inn that night definitely loved Judy, saying her death caused the riot is probably an oversimplification. But the timing? It’s poetic. It’s why she remains the ultimate "Friend of Dorothy."
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Her Impact in 2026
Even though the answer to "is Judy Garland still alive" is no, her influence is arguably stronger now than it was twenty years ago. We are finally having honest conversations about mental health, child stardom, and the abuse of power in Hollywood. Judy was the blueprint for the "tragic star," but she was also a fighter.
She wasn't a victim; she was a survivor who eventually ran out of time.
If you want to truly understand her, don't just look at the headlines about her death. Go watch the "Get Happy" number from Summer Stock. She was going through a nervous breakdown during that filming, yet she stepped onto that stage and delivered one of the most iconic musical moments in cinema history. That is the Judy Garland that stays alive.
Next Steps for the Interested Fan
If you want to see the real Judy beyond the "tragic figure" narrative, start with her 1961 album Judy at Carnegie Hall. It is widely considered the greatest night in show business history. You can also visit the Judy Garland Museum in her birthplace of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to see her childhood home and the carriage from The Wizard of Oz. Exploring her later TV work on The Judy Garland Show provides a raw look at her talent that movies often polished away.