Ethel Merman

 Ethel Merman, born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann (January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984)

Known primarily for her voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage". Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm" (from Girl Crazy); "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Some People", and "Rose's Turn" (from Gypsy—Merman starred as Rose in the original 1959 Broadway production); and the Cole Porter songs "It's De-Lovely" (from Red, Hot and Blue), "Friendship" (from DuBarry Was a Lady), and "I Get a Kick Out of You", "You're the Top", and "Anything Goes" (from Anything Goes). The Irving Berlin song "There's No Business Like Show Business", written for the musical Annie Get Your Gun, became Merman's signature song. Merman began to become forgetful with advancing age, and on occasion, had difficulty with her speech. At times her behavior was erratic, causing concern among her friends.

On April 7, 1983, she was preparing to travel to Los Angeles to appear on the 55th Academy Awards telecast, when she collapsed in her apartment. Merman was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where doctors initially thought she had suffered a stroke. However, after undergoing exploratory surgery on April 11, Merman was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer. The New York Times reported that she underwent brain surgery to have the tumor removed, but in fact, it was inoperable and her condition was deemed terminal (doctors had given Merman eight and half months to live). On February 15, 1984, 10 months after she was diagnosed with brain cancer, Merman died at her home in Manhattan at the age of 76. Merman is interred in the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.