In 1964, Judy Garland stepped on stage during the final taped episode of "The Judy Garland Show" to deliver an unbelievably chilling performance before its cancellation. However, this performance of "By Myself" never made it to television; CBS producers cut it from the final broadcast because they said it was "too dark."
Many believe that Judy's variety show was doomed from the start, and that she was set up to fail. That she went along with skits and jokes that mocked her weight issues and self-image. That CBS was secretly trying to sabotage the show's success, which ultimately led to its cancellation while the first season was still being taped. There never was a second season, which was devastating for her. Without enough funding for big-budget segments, Judy was forced to end the first season with 'concert-style' episodes — yet she ended up giving some of the greatest, most emotional performances of her entire career, just like the one you're about to see.
The rarely-seen video, which resurfaced on Reddit in March of 2016, quickly went viral. Viewers have commented that Judy's powerhouse performance reminds them of "back to the days when singers had talent," or, even more poignantly, "like a light bulb right before it burns out."
On June 22, 1969, just five years after this performance, Judy Garland passed away. Please SHARE this stunning rendition of "By Myself" with your friends on Facebook, and help us remember this legend.
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