Mitzi Gaynor, a popular star of the 1950s whose effervescent personality, radiant personality and triple threat skills as an actress, singer and dancer earned her a Golden Globe for her role as Ensign Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein. submitted nominations South Pacific had died at the age of 93.

The star's managers announced her death in an Instagram post, noting that she passed away “peacefully” of natural causes on Thursday morning (October 17). “For eight decades she entertained audiences in films, on television and on stage,” the announcement said. “She has truly enjoyed every moment of her professional career and the great privilege of being an entertainer.”

Gaynor, born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago on September 4, 1931, was best known for her starring roles in a number of film musicals of the 1950s, including 1954's There's no business like show business1956s Everything is possible and 1957s Les Girls. Born to a violin player and a dancer mother, Gaynor began her career early when her family moved from Detroit to Los Angeles at the age of 11, which led to her landing a spot as a singer/dancer in Civil Light Opera two years later.

At 17, she signed a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox and made her film debut in the 1950s My blue skywhere she starred opposite Betty Grable. The next year she got her first leading role in the musical western Golden Girlwhere she played a character based on early 20th century actress Lotta Crabtree.

She had her first cinema success in 1952 with the musical Bloodhounds of Broadway – based on a story by Damon Runyon – that ushered in almost a decade of leading roles that showcased her versatility and winning, radiant personality, which manifested itself in the film with a mix of innocence and sex appeal. She shared the screen with such established stars of the time as Ethel Merman, Johnnie Ray and Marilyn Monroe and sang songs written by Irving Berlin There's no business like show businessand Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor in the adaptation of Cole Porter's 1956 stage musical Everything is possible. Further highlights were the 1957s The Joker is wildwith Frank Sinatra and Charles Vidor, and this year's Les Girlswhich also featured music by Porter and starred Gene Kelly.

Her winning streak continued with a top spot in the romantic World War II musical South Pacificwhich earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress – Comedy/Musical for her exuberant performances of “I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” She appeared in a few other films over the next few years, including 1963's For love or money with Kirk Douglas, Gig Young and Julie Newmar, before enjoying a successful career as the star of a number of TV specials.

“I stopped doing movies because they left me,” she told the TV Academy Foundation in 2012 about why she moved from the big to the small screen. “Marilyn Monroe was now the new Alice Faye/Betty Grable, she did the musicals on Fox. I wouldn't do that My beautiful ladyand I wasn't planning on singing 'The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Screaming' – there was nothing for me to do.”

She famously appeared between the Beatles' two sets on a February 16, 1964 episode of The Beatles Ed Sullivan Showsings a 13-minute medley of “Too Darn Hot” along with “The More I See You,” “Birth of the Blues” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The episode, from Miami Beach's Deauville Hotel, aired a week after Sullivan legendaryally introduced the Fab Four to American audiences in one of the most-watched television moments of all time.

Before working with Cher, Gaynor was the first star client of glittering celebrity dress designer Bob Makie, modeling his one-of-a-kind creations during their time headlining Las Vegas in the 1960s.

This run paved the way for Gaynor's first television special, Mitziwhich aired on NBC in October 1968 and was followed by a second on the network the next year, as well as a half-dozen similar song-and-dance specials on CBS from 1973 to 1978; Her nine specials were nominated for a total of 16 Emmy Awards, although she didn't take home one until 2008 thanks to her PBS special Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The special years.

A frequent performer on Academy Awards broadcasts, Gaynor thrilled audiences in 1954 with her rendition of “The Moon Is Blue” and again in 1959 with her signature “There's No Business Like Show Business.” She also recorded two albums for Verve Records in 1959 Mitzi And Mitzi Gaynor sings the lyrics by Ira Gerswhin.

“We take great comfort in the fact that her creative legacy is through her many magical performances captured on film and video, through her recordings, and especially through the love and support that audiences around the world have given her throughout her life and has given so generously to her career, will continue,” managers Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda wrote in their tribute.

Check out the statement announcing Gaynor's death and some of her career highlights below.