Julie London

Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of "Cry Me a River", a song she introduced on her debut album Julie Is Her Name, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In addition to her musical notoriety, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of Nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency!

Born in Santa Rosa, California, to vaudevillian parents, London was discovered while working as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles, and she began her career as an actress. London's 35-year acting career began in film in 1944 and included roles as the female lead in numerous Westerns, co-starring with Rock Hudson in The Fat Man (1951), with Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in Saddle the Wind (1958), with Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and with Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959).

In the mid-1950s, London signed a recording contract with Liberty Records, marking the beginning of her professional musical career. She released her final studio album in 1969 but achieved continuing success by playing the female starring role of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency! (1972–1979), in which she acted with her husband, Bobby Troup. The show was produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb.

Early life

London was born Julie Peck on September 26, 1926, in Santa Rosa, California, the only child of Josephine Rosalie Peck (née Taylor; 1905 – 1976) and Jack Peck (1901–1977), who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. In 1929, when she was three years old, the family moved to San Bernardino, California, where she made her professional singing debut on her parents' radio program.

Throughout her early life, both London and her mother were admirers of Billie Holiday.

London's debut recordings (which appeared on her self-titled extended play) were completed under the New York-based Bethlehem Records label. Four additional tracks recorded during these sessions were later included on the album Bethlehem's Girlfriends, a compilation album released in 1957. Bobby Troup was one of the session musicians on the album. London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé". "Cry Me a River", London's most famous single, was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release on her debut album in 1955.

While her music career earned her public notice, London also continued to appear in films, with lead roles in Crime Against Joe (1956) as well as appearing as herself in The Girl Can't Help It (1956), in which London performs three songs, including "Cry Me a River". The film was a box-office success and became one of the top-30 highest grossing films of 1956. London subsequently appeared in a television advertisement for Marlboro cigarettes, singing the "Marlboro Song". She appeared in several Westerns: In 1957, she appeared in Drango playing a Southern belle harboring fugitives, followed by a starring role opposite Gary Cooper in Man of the West, in which her character, the film's only woman, is abused and humiliated by an outlaw gang. The same year, she appeared as a pending bride in the Western Saddle the Wind; London's performance received critical acclaim in The New York Times. She appeared in The Wonderful Country in 1959, in which she plays a downtrodden wife of an army major.

In 1960, London released the album Julie...At Home, which was recorded at her residence in Los Angeles. She released numerous albums on Liberty Records throughout the 1960s, including Whatever Julie Wants (1961), Love Letters (1962), The End of the World (1963), and All Through the Night (1965), the latter a collection of songs by Cole Porter.

Television work and final recordings

London appeared on numerous television series in the 1960s, including guest appearances on Rawhide (1960), Laramie (1960), I Spy (1965), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1965) and The Big Valley (1968). She and second husband Bobby Troup frequently appeared as panelists on the game shows Tattletales, Hollywood Squares, and Masquerade Party in the 1970s. On May 28, 1964, she and Troup recorded a one-hour program for Japanese television in Japan. London sang 13 of her classic songs, including "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Lonesome Road", and "Cry Me a River". Later, Webb offered London a position as executive producer of future television projects, but she chose to retire from the television industry to spend more time with her family. She completed "My Funny Valentine", her last musical recording, for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine in 1981.

Artistry Predominantly a torch singer, Her recordings were often noted by critics for being "intimate", London rarely granted media interviews and never discussed the breakup of her marriage to Webb.

Death London was a chain smoker from the age of 16 and at times smoked in excess of three packs of cigarettes per day. She suffered a stroke in 1995 and remained in poor health for the following five years. In late 1999, she was diagnosed with lung cancer but decided to forego treatment due to her weakened physical state. On October 17, 2000, London was rushed from her home to the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center after choking and struggling to breathe. She died in the hospital in the early morning hours of October 18 of what was later determined to be cardiac arrest; she was 74.

London was cremated and buried next to Troup in the Courts of Remembrance Columbarium of Providence at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for recording) is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Legacy London performed "Cry Me a River" in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention for its use in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

Her albums Julie...At Home and Around Midnight (both released in 1960) were both included in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. She has been named as an influence by several contemporary artists, including Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish. Music journalist Will Friedwald referred to London as "one of the most influential stylists of the early 20th century." London also inspired a tribute from Jools Holland and Jamiroquai as part of their music video version of "I'm in the Mood for Love" shortly after she died.

Her cover of the Ohio Express song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. London's "Must Be Catchin' " was featured in the 2011 premiere episode of the series Pan Am.

Discography

Filmography