Unstoppable Ethel: The Woman Who Broke Barriers

Let me tell you about Ethel Merman, a force of nature who commanded the stage with her powerhouse voice and unshakable confidence. Imagine someone saying to Ethel, "Hey, you should go on diet pills." Her granddaughter, Barbara Geary, swears Ethel would’ve just said, "Kiss my ass!" That’s Ethel for you—no nonsense, all heart. Barbara, who knows her grandma better than anyone, tells Closer that Ethel’s early years singing in nightclubs gave her nerves of steel. "As a woman performing in those clubs, you experience things that toughen you up," Barbara explains. "Ethel didn’t take any crap from anyone, and that’s what made her such a legend."

Grandma Ethel: A Softer Side

But behind the Broadway legend was a loving grandma who melted hearts in her own special way. Barbara shares how Ethel adored her family and was happiest when her kids were young. Ethel had two children, Robert Jr. and Barbara’s mom, Ethel "Nicole," who tragically passed away in 1967. Barbara remembers a trip to Saint Martin where Ethel spent hours helping her search for butterflies, chameleons, and hermit crabs. "She got all teary-eyed," Barbara recalls, "saying, 'Your mom used to do this too. I miss watching her do that.' It was such a tender moment."

Love and Heartbreak: Ethel’s Marriages

Now, let’s talk about Ethel’s love life. Her granddaughter Barbara believes that Robert Levitt, Ethel’s second husband and father to her only children, was the love of her life. "There was a deep, deep love between them," Barbara says. But life on Broadway took its toll. Ethel’s career soared with hits like Girl Crazy, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, and Call Me Madam, which earned her a Tony in 1951 and a Golden Globe for the film version in 1953. By the time they divorced in 1952, Ethel’s success had strained the marriage. "It was tough for a man back then to be with a successful woman," Barbara reflects. "I think Ethel regretted the breakup her whole life."

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Dealing with Loss: Ethel and Judy Garland

Like many of her peers, Ethel faced her share of heartbreak. When Judy Garland passed away in 1969, Ethel was devastated. Barbara remembers walking into Ethel’s room and finding her grandmother heartbroken. "She kept saying, 'Oh, Judy, what were you thinking?' It was so hard to see her like that," Barbara shares. Ethel, like so many legends, dealt with tough times by throwing herself into her work. It was her way of coping, her way of surviving.

Life Lessons from Grandma Ethel

Barbara also treasures the intimate moments they shared. Early morning chats in Ethel’s big brass bed, trips to Lucille Ball’s house where Barbara played in the pool while the adults enjoyed cocktails, and later, weekly phone calls where Ethel would share her famous dirty jokes. When Ethel passed away in 1984 after battling brain cancer, every Broadway theater dimmed its lights in her honor. "I always thought of her as Grandma," Barbara says, reflecting on the life lessons Ethel taught her. "Believe in yourself. If there’s something you really want, go for it." Words that Ethel’s favorite role, Mama Rose from Gypsy, would have wholeheartedly agreed with.