Few Hollywood stars were as bright yet fragile as Judy Garland who died on 22 June, 1969, aged 47.

Although her life was short and often troubled, Mrs Garland is remembered with incredible fondness and is seen by many as the era-defining star of Hollywood ’s golden years.

Her career began in vaudeville at the age of two and extended into movies, musicals and television. And when her acting days were largely over she maintained a successful career as a singer and recording artist.

Her personal life was turbulent – she was married five times and throughout the later years of her life was addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol.

She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on 10 June, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the youngest child of former vaudevillians Frank Gumm and Ethel Marion Milne. She made her first stage appearance at the age of two singing with her two older sisters.

She soon began touring the vaudeville circuit with her sisters in a singing trio. They were known as “The Gumm Sisters” until 1934 when entertainer George Jessel suggested they change their surname to the more appealing “Garland Sisters.”

Having changed her first name to Judy, she signed a contract with MGM in 1935 after studio executives noticed her singing “You Made Me Love You” to Clark Gable at the actor’s birthday party.

After a string of minor roles, she landed the part of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Her performance earned her an honorary Oscar and the film’s showpiece song, “Over the Rainbow,” became her signature tune.

An international star at the age of 16, MGM worked their teenage sensation remorselessly. They teamed Mrs Garland up with fellow juvenile star Mickey Rooney in a string of musicals such as Love Finds Andy Hardy and Babes in Arms .

The 1942 musical, For Me and My Gal, in which she starred alongside Gene Kelly , saw her make the transition from teenage sensation to adult actress. She followed this up with the hugely successful Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).

After suffering repeated nervous breakdowns Ms Garland was released by MGM. She made a comeback in 1954 in Warner Brother’s A Star is Born giving what many critics thought to be her finest performance.

As her health began to deteriorate she made fewer films but her stage appearances were always sold-out and her performance at Carnegie Hall in 1961 is regarded by many as one of the greatest ever nights in show business history.

Her reliance on prescription drugs is said to have began when MGM executives gave their young star amphetamines to cope with the frantic pace of film making. This led to an addiction that would torture Ms Garland and eventually lead to her death.

She was also plagued by self-doubt and would marry five times, four of which ended in divorce. She had three children – Liza Minelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.

Judy Garland, the little girl with the big voice, remains a tragic show business legend. Wizard of Oz co-star Ray Bolger supplied an oft-quoted epitaph at her funeral: “Judy didn’t die. She just wore out.”