Artist:Julie London
Song:Cry Me a River
Album:Five Classic Albums
Julie London's sultry voice and sex appeal made her a star when her 1955 debut single Cry Me a River was a top ten hit. She also did a lot of acting and I'm sure many fans remember her as Dixie McCall R.N. in the 70s TV series Emergency!. She was born Julie Peck Sept. 26, 1926 in Santa Rosa, CA. Her parents were a vaudeville song and dance team. As a child, Julie sang on their radio show. Julie's big influence was Billie Holiday. As a teen Julie sang in Los Angeles nightclubs. While working as an elevator operator in a clothing store, former actress and talent agent Sue Carol spotted Julie, signed her to a contract and got her a screen test. BTW, Sue was married to legendary actor Alan Ladd. Julie made her film debut in the 1944 film Nabonga. Then she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Meanwhile she married Jack Webb mostly because they were both jazz fans. After Warners dropped Julie in 1950, Universal offered her a contract. But she decided to concentrate on her marriage to Webb and their two daughters. They divorced in 1954. Julie returned to films and nightclub singing. Jazz pianist and future husband Bobby Troup recommended Julie to Liberty Records owner Si Waronker. He signed her and it's the only label that Julie recorded for. Her 1955 debut album My Name Is Julie featured the single Cry Me a River which reached #9 on the pop charts. It became a big hit after Julie performed it in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It. Cry Me a River was written by Arthur Hamilton. He went to high school with Julie and he asked her to give the song to Webb so Ella Fitzgerald could sing it in the film Pete Kelly's Blues. Instead Bobby Troup had Julie sing it with jazz musicians Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass. You can get it on one of Avid's Five Classic Albums comps as a budget comp. The other albums are About the Blues (1957) with Kessel, Maynard Ferguson and Shelly Manne, Julie Is Her Name Vol, II (1958) with Howard Roberts and Red Mitchell, Julie...At Home (1960) recorded in Julie's living room with Jimmy Rowles and Around Midnight (1960) with an orchestra conducted by Dick Reynolds. Julie continued to record and appear in occasional films. She married Bobby Troup in 1959. Today Julie is best remembered as Dixie McCall R.N. in the TV series Emergency! produced by former husband Jack Webb and also featuring current husband Bobby Troup. Julie retired in 1981 and died on Oct. 18, 2000 of lung cancer. Julie was a heavy smoker. Here's Julie London performing Cry Me a River with Tom Ewell in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It.
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