Illustration by Matilde Sazio

It came as a bit of a shock on Tuesday when I heard the news that Love Sensation superstar Loleatta Holloway had died. I remember my mum playing her records when I was a kid, and I am still to this day astounded by her powerhouse vocals that sit on the right side of terrifying. Black Box’s Ride on Time, which naughtily duplicated her mesmerising vocals, cemented her as part of music history forever.

Illustration by Faye West

So when I heard that Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor had passed away the following day, it almost pushed me over the edge. Two women, icons for their respective achievements, had gone.

Illustration by Maria del Carmen Smith

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the few remaining genuine stars. In a world where everybody is a celebrity, she came from that golden era where few stood out – only the most beautiful, talented and sophisticated women made it in Hollywood. In 1999, the American Film Institute published its Legends list – an archive of the greatest movie stars to have ever lived. Taylor came in seventh – the top six are all gone (the Hepburns, Monroe, Garbo) and now, as of Wednesday, only three of the 25 women listed remain – Shirley Temple, Lauren Bacall and Sophia Lauren.

Illustrations by Daria Hlazatova

She was nominated in four consecutive years for the Best Actress Oscar, winning the latter for her performance in Butterfield 8 in 1960, and again in 1966 for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Fewer than 15 actresses have ever been awarded the honour twice in the award ceremony’s 80 year history.

Illustration by Maria Papadimitriou, aka Slowly the Eggs

Illustration by Daria Hlazatova

Born in England to an art dealer and an actress, Taylor was whisked away to Los Angeles by her parents and it would be here where Hollywood people “saw a movie future for every pretty face” and her mother would be urged to have Elizabeth screen tested. At the age of 9 she appeared in There’s One Born Every Minute and the rest, as they say, is history.

Illustration by Anna Roberts

Film after film followed – I could write a list but I’m sure you know, and if you didn’t you’ve probably read about them in every other tribute. I have to confess, I haven’t seen that many – I can never endure the whole of the week-long Cleopatra (somebody needs to edit it) but Taylor’s classic beauty and power as an actress resonates through even the film stills.

Illustration by Genie Espinosa

Taylor was also one of the reasons we’re so obsessed with celebrities’ private lives. She fascinated the general public with her addiction to marriages. This is a woman who married the same man twice, for God’s sake! She counted him – Richard Burton – as one of the two loves of her life, along with Michael Todd, her only marriage not to result in divorce (he tragically died in a plane crash).

Illustration by Rebecca Strickson

So how to remember Taylor? From silver screen legend, cavorting with cameras in black and white stills; to the 1980s in jewel-encrusted power dresses; to the Noughties when, even when she couldn’t walk she was covered in diamonds, Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most glamorous women to have ever lived. She embraced fashion and used it to her advantage – her dark complexion and olive skin always making her stand out in a sea of Hollywood blondes.

Illustrations by Jaymie O’Callaghan

Her marital record will of course go down in history, as should her genuine compassion for others. When her good friend Rock Hudson died from an AIDS related illness, she was one of the first major personalities to acknowledge the disease and spent the rest of her life raising awareness and founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research. So many people’s lives are better because of her efforts.

Illustration by Eleazer Renée

Illustration by Avril Kelly

In a typical fashion, I’ll finish with a quote – yes I know it’s the cheesiest possible ending, but this one is so good I couldn’t resist. No, not the one about not having tomorrow, or “big girls need big diamonds”. It’s this:

“If someone’s dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I’m certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.”

Illustration by Janneke de Jong

Written by Matt Bramford on Friday March 25th, 2011 1:30 pm

Tags:

1980s, AIDS, America, American Film Institute, American Foundation for AIDS Research, Anna Roberts, Audrey Hepburn, Best Actress, Black Box, Butterfield 8, Cleopatra, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Daria Hlazatova, Diamonds, Eleazer Renée, England, Faye West, Genie Espinosa, Hollywood, Janneke de Jong, Jaymie O'Callaghan, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Liz Taylor, Loleatta Holloway, london, Los Angeles, Maria del Carmen Smith, Maria Papadimitriou, Marilyn Monroe, marriage, Matilde Sazio, Michael Todd, Naomi Law, Oscars, Rebecca Strickson, Richard Burton, Rock Hudson, Shirley Temple, Slowly the Eggs, There's One Born Every Minute, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

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