What We Know About Liza Minnelli’s Husbands – Judy Garland, Liza’s mother, had a hand in setting Liza up with Peter Allen, her first husband, per AllMusic. Garland had seen Allen perform as part of the Allen Brothers in Hong Kong in 1964 and loved the act.
She brought Allen and bandmate Chris Bell to London to open for her at her shows there. Apparently Minnelli quickly fell for Allen, and the pair soon got engaged, according to Masterworks Broadway.
Born in Australia on February 10, 1944, Allen was already a veteran entertainer by the time he met Minnelli. He started out as a child, singing and playing piano in local pubs.
What We Know About Liza Minnelli’s Husbands
Allen made his first television appearance at 15, and before long found success as part of the Allen Brothers. He and Minnelli got married on March 3, 1967, only days before Minnelli’s 21st birthday. But it wasn’t a perfect match.
Allen had failed to tell Minnelli that he was gay, and she only learned the truth after she caught him in bed with another man.
Minnelli and Allen soon separated, but they officially divorced in 1974. They remained friends after splitting up, and Allen enjoyed a thriving career as a singer and songwriter. He wrote or co-wrote such hits as “I Honestly Love You,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” and “I Go to Rio.”
Allen was known for his vibrant cabaret act and frequently appeared at New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1992 (via The New York Times). He was only 48 years old.
