Mary Jane Gumm, later known as Suzanne, was born on September 24, 1915, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to Frank and Ethel Gumm, who owned a local theater. Frank, a gay man, had an unhappy marriage with Ethel, and in 1926, they were forced to relocate to Lancaster, California, after Frank was accused of making advances towards several boys. The three talented sisters, including Virginia and Frances, formed a singing group called The Gumm Sisters, and they toured the country, becoming a popular vaudeville act.
The Gumm Sisters made their film debut in the 1929 short "The Big Revue" and also appeared in the shorts "Bubbles" and "The Wedding Of Jack And Jill". Later, the group changed their name to The Garland Sisters. Mary Jane, who changed her name to Suzanne, married orchestra leader Lee Kahn in August 1935, just a few months before her father's sudden death from meningitis. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Judy Garland, was signed by MGM and quickly rose to stardom.
Suzanne occasionally performed with Lee's orchestra in Lake Tahoe, but after receiving unfavorable reviews, she decided to quit singing. She had minor roles in the films "Broadway Melody of 1940" and "Babes On Broadway". Suzanne divorced Lee and married musician Jack Cathcart in 1941, and the couple moved to Las Vegas. However, she developed a serious drinking problem and became estranged from her famous sister, Judy.
Suzanne was heartbroken when Jack divorced her in 1963 for another woman, and later that year, she was hospitalized after overdosing on sleeping pills. Unfortunately, she died on May 28, 1964, at the young age of forty-eight, due to asphyxiation caused by a seizure. There were rumors that she had committed suicide, but the truth was that she had passed away from natural causes. Judy was unable to attend Suzanne's funeral due to her poor health, and she was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
