Hidden Tracks: Judy Garland

Exposing women’s tales from the dark side of music history

Introduction

Welcome to the first installment of the Hidden Tracks series. These stories and commentary are based on research for Thea Wood’s upcoming book First Ladies of Music: A Rockin’ Activity & Coloring Book (Fox Chapel).

The book (FLOM) will launch in Spring 2026, and is intended for teen readers and artists, though music fans of all ages will love it. In my research, stories have bubbled to the surface that would sport a “Parental Advisory” sticker if they were sold on an album. While not appropriate for FLOM, I cannot abide by allowing these events to remain hidden tracks in music history. By exposing these stories, we remember how important it is to protect civil rights and enforce accountability and gender/racial equity policies in the music industry and beyond.

Welcome to The Hidden Tracks series.

Judy Garland: “Don’t Let Them Do To You What They Did To Me”

You may have read the Herizon Music November holiday newsletter about gratitude and The Wizard of Oz. We all know that Oz wasn’t the paradise that the naive teen Dorothy Gale sang of in “Over The Rainbow.” The article coincided with my research on the film’s star Judy Garland, dubbed the greatest entertainer who ever lived. Not only did she have perfect pitch, she could dance, act, and bring audiences from tears to laughter in the wink of an eye.

Due to a personal life fraught with addiction and brutal treatment from Hollywood executives and her own family, Judy died tragically at the age of 47. Shortly before that, she whispered to a young Barbra Streisand, “Don’t let them do to you what they did to me.”

Here is Judy Garland’s hidden track.

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