Celebrating the Life of Elizabeth Taylor

All of Hollywood is mourning the loss of 79-year-old Elizabeth Taylor to congestive heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump sufficient blood throughout the body.  This was one of many health problems Taylor battled, including surviving a brain tumor, skin cancer and pneumonia in the last few years of her life.

Born February 27, 1932, the glamour goddess led a tumultuous life filled with the fame, fortune and love affairs one would expect of a Hollywood superstar.  Taylor was married eight times to seven husbands throughout her lifetime. All ended in divorce, but that did not stop Taylor from succeeding in her career as an actress.  She is famed for her portrayal of title character Cleopatra in 1963 and won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her film Butterfield 8 in 1960.

Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most outstanding Hollywood icons.  She was not only known as a great beauty and actress, she is also noted for her philanthropic efforts toward greater HIV/AIDS awareness.

“We have just lost a Hollywood giant; more importantly, we have lost an incredible human being,” Elton John told E! News this morning.

“It’s the end of an era. It wasn’t just her beauty or her stardom. It was her humanitarianism. She put a face on HIV/AIDS. She was funny. She was generous. She made her life count,” Barbara Streisand said to EW.com today.

1958 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof co-star Paul Newman paid his respects to Taylor in a 2008 interview with People Magazine having said, “One thing for sure: She is not afraid to take chances in front of people. I find a lot of actors who reach the top, they become very protective of themselves, and self-indulgent, but not Elizabeth. I was always staggered by her ferocity.”

You will be missed, you silver-screened goddess.

Read more celebrity comments at E! online and People Magazine.