In 2025, there remain a handful of remarkably long‑lived figures whose careers stretch back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and early popular music. These individuals represent living links to foundational eras of entertainment, and their continued presence underscores the ways that creative legacy and longevity can persist well into the 21st century.

One such figure is Elisabeth Waldo (born June 18, 1918), an American violinist, composer, conductor, and ethnomusicologist. Waldo’s work has long bridged cultural traditions: she traveled and studied in Latin America, collected indigenous instruments, and recorded albums that blend Western orchestration with pre-Columbian and Native American sounds. While she is less active publicly today, her legacy as a cultural steward remains deeply influential, especially for artists who explore the intersections of folk and classical music.

Another living legend is Caren Marsh Doll, born April 6, 1919, who gained recognition as Judy Garland’s stand‑in in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and appeared (uncredited) in Gone with the Wind. She survived a 1949 plane crash, nearly lost her foot, but went on to teach dance for decades.  Marsh Doll is one of the very few remaining living connections to iconic films of the 1930s and 1940s, making her life and career a deeply evocative bridge to classical Hollywood.

Ray Anthony, born in 1922, is also still alive, making him one of the oldest living recorded big-band musicians. As a trumpeter and bandleader, he played a key role in the big-band era and is known for compositions such as “Trumpet Boogie.” He toured widely, and even in later years, his legacy continued to evoke the charm and energy of swing music. His longevity serves as a tribute to—and a living archive of—mid-century American popular music.

While not all of the entertainment legends initially listed in your prompt are clearly still alive (or verifiable as still active), the examples above do represent real living links between early-to-mid 20th-century entertainment and today’s media world. Their continued presence offers a poignant reminder of how much the arts have evolved—and yet how deeply the past continues to resonate.

These figures also highlight how longevity in the arts isn’t just about fame: for Waldo, it’s about cultural preservation; for Marsh Doll, about memory and history; for Anthony, about musical tradition. Their stories are living testimonies to resilience, adaptability, and the value of intergenerational creativity.

Of course, when celebrating such legends, it’s important to rely on reliable, up-to-date sources. In a rapidly changing world, “living legend” status is not just about age—it’s about legacy, relevance, and the continuing power of their contributions to inspire new generations