Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman, best known as Libby Holman (May 23,
1904 – June 18, 1971), was an American torch singer and stage actress who also
achieved notoriety for her complex and unconventional personal life.
Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman was born May 23, 1904, in
Cincinnati, Ohio to a Jewish lawyer and stockbroker, Alfred Holzman and his
wife, Rachel Florence Workum Holzman. Their other children were daughter Marion
H. Holzman and son Alfred Paul Holzman.
In 1904, the wealthy family grew destitute after Holman's
uncle Ross Holzman embezzled nearly $1 million of their stock brokerage
business. At some point, Alfred changed the family name from Holzman to Holman.
She graduated from Hughes High School on June 11, 1920, at the age of 16. She attended
the University of Cincinnati where she graduated from on June 16, 1923, with a
Bachelor of Arts degree. Holman later subtracted two years from her age,
insisting she was born in 1906, the year she gave the Social Security
Administration as the year of her birth.
In the summer of 1924, Holman left for New York City, where
she first lived at the Studio Club. Her first theatre job in New York was in
the road company of The Fool. Channing Pollock, the writer of The Fool,
recognized Holman's talents immediately and advised her to pursue a theatrical
career.
She followed Pollock's advice and soon became a star. An early stage
colleague who became a longtime close friend was future film star Clifton Webb,
then a dancer. He gave her the nickname, "The Statue of Libby." Her
Broadway theatre debut was in the play The Sapphire Ring in 1925 at the Selwyn
Theatre, which closed after thirteen performances. She was billed as Elizabeth
Holman.
She played minor roles in Broadway musicals such as Richard
Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s The Garrick Gaieties (1925), but became a featured
star in Merry-Go-Round (1927), and Rainbow (1928), in which she gave a
languorous performance of ‘I Want A Man’.
Her big break came while she was appearing with Clifton Webb
and Fred Allen in the 1929 Broadway revue The Little Show, in which she first
sang the blues number, "Moanin' Low" by Ralph Rainger, which earned
her a dozen curtain calls on opening night, drew raves from the critics and
became her signature song. Also in that show, she sang the Kay Swift and Paul
James song, "Can't We Be Friends?" After making the US Top 10 in 1929
with ‘Am I Blue?’, she was acclaimed a major star. Holman received rave reviews
for her sultry renditions of ‘Body And Soul’ and ‘Something To Remember Me By’
in Three’s A Crowd (1930).
One of Holman's signature looks was the strapless dress,
which she has been credited with having invented, or at least being one of its
first high-profile wearers.
Her career declined following the shooting of her husband Zachary Smith Reynolds. She was accused of his murder but the case was declared nolle prosequi, and never came to court.
Her career declined following the shooting of her husband Zachary Smith Reynolds. She was accused of his murder but the case was declared nolle prosequi, and never came to court.
Holman returned to Broadway in Revenge With Music (1934), in
which she introduced Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s insinuating ‘You And The
Night And The Music’, and subsequently appeared in Cole Porter’s You Never Know
(1938). Sadly, she never achieved her former heights.
During the early 40s she caused a furore by appearing as a
double-act with black folk singer Josh White, playing clubs and concerts in an
era when a black male and white female stage relationship was frowned upon by
many bookers and critics.
Holman continued touring during the 50s presenting a
programme called Blues, Ballads And Sin Songs, but still controversy followed her
when she befriended ill-fated screen idol, Montgomery Clift. One of her last
performances was at the United Nations in New York in 1966. She performed her
trademark song, "Moanin' Low."
For many years, Holman reportedly suffered from depression
from the combined effects of the deaths of President Kennedy and Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., the recent presidential election loss by Eugene McCarthy, her
anguish over the untimely death of her own son and the illness and rapid
deterioration of her friend Jane Bowles. She also was considered never the same
after the death of Montgomery Clift in 1966.
On June 18, 1971, Holman was found nearly dead in the front
seat of her Rolls Royce by her household staff. She was taken to the hospital
where she died hours later. Holman's death was officially ruled a suicide due
to acute carbon monoxide poisoning. In view of her frequent bouts with
depression and reported past suicide attempts, none of Holman's friends or
relatives was surprised by her death. She was cremated and her ashes scattered
at “Treetops,” (Info edited from
Wikipedia & All Music)
3 comments:
Here’s a compilation of Libby's early sides I found, loosely titled “The Best Of Libby Holman” with a few extra’s from the 40's gleaned from the web.
https://www.mediafire.com/?xhy1ni6ut9y72v1
1. WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?
2. THERE AIN'T NO SWEET MAN THAT'S WORTH THE SALT OF MY TEARS
3. THE WAY HE LOVES... IS JUST TOO BAD
4. AM I BLUE?
5. MOANIN' LOW
6. CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?
7. I'M DOIN' WHAT I'M DOIN' FOR LOVE
8. I MAY BE WRONG (BUT I THINK YOU'RE WONDERFUL)
9. HERE AM I
10.COOKING BREAKFAST FOR THE ONE I LOVE
11.WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN
12.A SHIP WITHOUT A SAIL
13.WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE?
14.BODY AND SOUL
15.SOMETHING TO REMEMBER YOU BY
16.I’M ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN (WHO HASN’T GOT WINGS)
17.YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC
18.WHEN YOU LOVE ONLY ONE
19 CARELESS LOVE
20.BABY, BABY
21.EVIL HEARTED ME
22.THE HOUSE OF THE RISIN’ SUN
23.RED RIVER
24.FARE THEE WELL
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