Gwen Verdon was born to the theater. Her mother, Gertrude, was a vaudevillian and dancer. Her father, Joseph, was an MGM studio electrician. She had to wear corrective boots as a child to straighten out her legs, which were misshapen by childhood illness. Nonetheless, she first appeared as a tapper on stage at age 6. She got her break in Bob Fosse's "Damn Yankees" in 1955. She married Fosse in 1960 and separated from him, although never divorcing him, in the mid-'70s. More stage and screen work quickly followed with highlights in "New Girl In Town", "Redhead", "Sweet Charity", and "Chicago". She and her daughter, Nicole, created the current stage musical "Fosse". Upon her death, Broadway dimmed all of its marquee lights in tribute.



Taught Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe to dance. Mother of Jim Henaghan (b. 1943). Brother: William F. Verdon Has flaming red hair. Before Sweet Charity went to Broadway, something terrible happened to Gwen. Her throat began hurting, but she continued to sing until she was almost completely voiceless. She was hospitalized, and it was discovered that a feather from one of the boas used for costume was wrapped around her vocal chords. Although she and Bob Fosse separated in '71, they remained married until his death in '87. After her electrifying performance as Claudine in "Can-Can", Broadway critics hailed her as the greatest Broadway "discovery" since Mary Martin sang "My Heart Belongs To Daddy." Received further ballet training from Ernest Belcher (Marge Champion's father). Never pulled the diva act and was not overly-possessive about her award-winning stage roles. In fact she gamely coached Shirley MacLaine on the set of Sweet Charity (1969), who was recreating Gwen's title character. She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1998 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C. Was with husband Bob Fosse when he collapsed from a heart attack on a sidewalk in Manhattan. He later died. Portrayed Lola in the stage version of Damn Yankees! and reprised her role in the movie Damn Yankees! (1958).