But only now is the pa she molested and threatened to kill revealing the xcertificate truth stevie phillips was garland s pa for four years at. Behind the scenes, the legendary performer was anything but the charming. Phillips voice is tough and smart, just as she was. Although i wasnt primarily interested in politics at the time of her supremacy, i understood that she garnered the worlds attention and that it was beyond unusual for a woman to achieve that at the time. Theres a new tv show in the works about stevie phillips, the highpowered female manager and agent for judy garland. Judy garlands manager remembers stars spiraling drug. Stevie blames a band member, mentioned in the book, for seducing liza into drugs. And nobody witnessed garlands fierce talent at closer range than stevie phillips. Stevie phillips worked with judy garland for four years, beginning in 1961 as the manager of her.
And nobody witnessed garland s fierce talent at closer range than stevie phillips. Stevie phillips, garland s former agent, who is about to publish a book about her four years working with the star, has written that she was, by this point in her life a demented, demanding. One of these managers was the notorious embezzler david begelman, who later. Stevie phillips worked with judy garland for four years, beginning in 1961 as the manager of her comeback tour, and went on to represent her. Stevie phillips dishes about judy garland, her time at cma, and her personal triumphs as a starmaker. In a memoir, stevie phillips, who once worked for judy garland, is revealing intimate details about some harrowing moments she spent with the star. Judy garlands manager stevie phillips memoir to be. It doesnt read as the most dependable of narrativesthat is, its intention screams money rather than purposebut phillips does offer some interesting anecdotes about judy scarcely found elsewhere. When i met judy, she was 38 and i was 23, and she was in enormous emotional pain, stevie phillips told. Stevie phillips enters the garland narrative in its tawdry, final act, when even judy apologists struggle to manipulate the facts.
She was once among the most powerful talent agents in the entertainment industry, having shepherded liza minnelli and robert redford to superstardom. Ebook judy garland as pdf download portable document format. There was one in particular and that was eleanor roosevelt. I guess this book confirms what has been written about judy garland in other books, but only described. Even by hollywood standards, the majesty and misery of judy garlands short life was extreme, defined by its operatic intensity and an epic. Stevie phillips, who began as a secretary at the new yorkbased. I got the book from the library and am about halfway through it.
I guess this book confirms what has been written about judy garland in other books, but only. George christy talks about stevie phillips, liza minnelli, judy garland, terminator and more. Judy was their client, and liza was a teenager in 1960 when phillips, then a mad menera gal around the office, got a leg up on her career climb as a kind of minder and body woman to garland. Stevie phillips dreamed of being a hollywood agent.
Judy garlands former manager opens up about the legends. In a memoir, stevie phillips, who once worked for judy garland, is revealing intimate details. The vanity fair stuff was some of the best excerpts. Stevie phillips, the carer imposed by judy s agents describes her as a train wreck and the son of the man who employed her at new yorks biggest night club describes how she. Judy garlands former manager opens up about the legends final, troubled years. Yes, this does seem like something that would spawn forth from the. In this memoir, talent manager stevie phillips speaks of her time working with judy garland towards the end of her life. So naturally as i went to pick out a book to read after my recent move to new york state, i decided to pick out another book about garland.
Onstage and on screen, judy garland boasted big, beautiful eyes and one of the most iconic singing voices in hollywood history. Garland was first in a string of addicts to influence phillips life. The book is not about them, and its not about judy its about me, and its about what happened in my life and what influenced the paths that i chose, and the stories that i tell are very much a part of that. New memoir by stevie phillips revisits the judy garland myth. Law pc and chris matson of smithdehn llp negotiated the book deal. By that time, judy garland the person, was a sad, lonely lady with advanced addiction issues struggling to make a living and blaming everyone else for her troubles reference the late night drunken autobiography. At the end of the book, phillips credits her time with judy and later liza as an awakening of sorts, to drug addiction and her own codependency. Judy garlands wild final years of drugs and cruelty. On another note, stevie boasts about the grace, dignity and caring of other clients. During the mad men era, stevie phillips was a young woman muscling her way int. As an agent, she represented film stars, directors, and musicians of the first order and was involved with multiple awardwinning.
A new memoir by stevie phillips revisits the judy garland myth freddie fields and david begelman, in the case of begelman, that should. During the mad men era, stevie philips was a young woman muscling her way into the manscape of manhattans glittering office towers. Some may not want to believe that, say, judy garland accidentally lit herself on fire and phillips had to put her out, and what that conflagration might say about who judy garland really was, but its stevie s narrative and it belongs to her. Judy garlands manager stevie phillips memoir to be adapted for. After a stint as a secretary, she began working for freddie fields and david begelman at music corporation of america mca under. Judy garland s manager is speaking out about what the actress was like in her final years. Likewise, later in life, when she represented liza minnelli, garland s daughter, she watched her unravel as well. Judy garlands former manager opens up about the legends final. Agent and producer phillips begins her candid debut memoir by recounting three miserable years as assistant to judy garland, a demented, demanding, supremely talented drug addict, a selfdestructive drunk who lived on a cocktail of. One notable exception is the description of a flight to miami garland was in the window seat and asked stevie phillips who was her agents assistant and 24hour minder for a compact. Handling judy garland s emotional crises, finding david bowie in a gay lip lock, and making liza minnelli a star were all in a days work for talent agent stevie phillips, who lays out her. Stevie began her career traveling with judy garland on the way to becoming head of the theater and the motion picture departments of cma now international. After the agency she worked for signed judy garland, phillips became the legends 247 minder. George christy talks about stevie phillips, liza minnelli.
Im delighted that you read the book and enjoyed it, but i dont quite understand. Phillips also managed numerous other stars, including garland s daughter liza minnelli, bob fosse, robert redford, henry fonda, david bowie, and more. In her shocking new book, phillips details the stars suicide attempts, and drug hell, calling her a demented, demanding, supreme. And nobody witnessed garland s ferocious talent at closer range than stevie phillips. Judy garland set herself on fire and had lesbian sex in. During the mad men era, stevie phillips was a young woman muscling her way into the manscape of manhattans glittering office towers.