Ethel Merman

Name at birth: Ethel Agnes Zimmerman

Ethel Merman's brassy voice and knock-'em-dead style made her a favorite with Broadway audiences. She sang "I Got Rhythm" in the 1930 George and Ira Gershwin musical Girl Crazy, and in 1946 she played cowgirl Annie Oakley in the original Broadway production of Annie Get Your Gun. The latter show's hit number, "There's No Business Like Show Business," became Merman's signature tune. She continued performing into the 1970s, often appearing on TV as a beloved symbol of Broadway sass. She also had a memorable turn as a nagging mother-in-law in the slapstick movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963, with Mickey Rooney and ZaSu Pitts).