JULIE LONDON - #73 MAY/2024 BHC

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Hello Body House Members;

May’s featured classic star is the ultra sultry JULIE LONDON.

Julie’s career spans a time earlier than I normally highlight. However, I was inspired by a coaching client who said he was listening to her rendition of Cry Me A River and thought about some of my guided meditations.

I was so flattered buy the lovely if tenuous connection to Ms. London that I had to feature her for May.

So now that has been established it could be said 2024 is moving along at a steady pace.

Of course, you’ll want to slow down and take a break for May’s Body House Chronicles (The Old Hollywood Newsletter —→ the incredibly sultry torch singer JULIE LONDON.

Julie London was born Julie Peck on September 26, 1926, in Santa Rosa, California.

She was 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 London was just 3 years old, the family moved to San Bernardino, California, where Londone made her professional singing debut on her parents’ radio program.

In 1941, when she was 14, the family once again moved. This time to Hollywood, California. Soon, she was singing in local LA nightclubs. This, in spite of the fact her friends described Julie as having very little confidence.

London then graduated from the Hollywood Professional School in 1945 and worked as an elevator operator in downtown Los Angeles throughout high school.

Apparently, this is when she was discovered… while working as an elevator operator when she was still a teenager.

It was then that London starting the acting part of her multi-faceted career.

TRIVIA AND TRADEMARKS OF JULIE LONDON

London stepped out of the elevator she was working on and went on to co-star 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).

London balanced singing with acting skillfully over her 40 year career.

She had such talent for acting that London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of Nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency! (See video below)

Below are Julie London and Bobby Troup in Emergency. In real life, Troup was London’s husband.

Everyone’s FAVORITE TV NURSE “Dixie McCall” from EMERGENCY! had a very SULTRY SIDE!

https://youtu.be/aFQLECjzJBY

JULIE LONDON THE TORCH SINGER

As the ultimate torch singer, London recorded over 30 pop and jazz albums between 1955 and 1969.

Her rendition 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.

This is a MUST watch. Once you do you won’t forget…

Perhaps strangely, the public was often unaware of the dual side of her career.

London signed a recording contract with Liberty Records in 1955, marking the beginning of her professional musical career. She went on to record 32 albums during her career.

Although Julie released her final studio album in 1969, she continued acting in the television series Emergency! (1972–1979).

In an interesting twist of fate, it was London’s first husband Jack Webb (the creator and star of Dragnet) who brought Julie and her second husband together.

Webb was a huge fan of jazz and blues music which Bobby Troup played. He was hired to play Dr. Joe Early for Emergency! and played opposite London’s nurse Dixie Macall.

Emergency! was also produced by Julie’s ex-husband, Jack Webb.

Discover more about Troup and London here… (Read more here) They had 3 children together. Pictured below…

Julie London and 2nd husband Bobby Troup

Her most popular song, “Cry Me a River”, was written by her former classmate and boyfriend Arthur Hamilton and produced by Bobby Troup.

Her four most-sought-after and successful albums are:

“About the Blues” (1957)

“Feeling Good” (1965)

“Easy Does It” (1968)

“Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” (1969)

London’t version of “Yummy Yummy Yummy” was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under (2001).

Billboard Magazine named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956 and 1957″

Bobby Troup (December 31, 1959 – February 7, 1999) Troup and London were married until his death in 1999. They had 3 children together; Ronne Troup, Kelly Troup, Cynnie Troup

London’s first husband was Jack Webb (Wed London on July 16, 1947 and divorced on December 2, 1954) They had 2 children together.

Webb was an interesting guy to be sure. Check it out below….

John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet franchise, which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited.