Julie London

Many remember Julie London for her acting. Particularly for playing Nurse Dixie McCall in the TV series Emergency!. The role earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1974. But Julie was also a music star, a jazz singer who released over thirty albums between 1955 and 1969. While many of her contemporaries brought big, sweeping vocal styles to the genre, Julie carved her niche with an understated, intimate delivery. Accompanied by only a guitar and bass, her rendition of "Cry Me a River" became an instant classic and a part of the Grammy Hall of Fame. Julie was, without question, a star. Ironically, though, Julie didn't grow up dreaming of stardom. She craved stability. Born in 1926 in California, she spent her formative years amidst the Great Depression, moving from one home to another across the state as her parents, both vaudeville actors, sought work. It was a tumultuous upbringing filled with uncertainty. These trials may have impacted what she desired later in life. But they weren't the memorable parts of the years. Her upbringing also included much laughter and joy. Vaudeville was not just work for her parents. It was a way of life. They transformed even the most ordinary moments at home into lively productions. Times like bedtime stories became theatrical events. It was during these years that Julie fell in love with music. "Our whole family kind of leaned towards jazz," she would later say. As Julie grew older, struggles with anxiety began to surface. In high school, it became overwhelming, eventually leading her to drop out and take a job. This decision, though born of necessity, proved life-changing. One day, while working as an elevator operator at a department store, a talent scout named Sue Carol stepped in and was taken aback by Julie's striking looks. She suggested working in acting. Julie accepted the offer. Soon, she was making films and a much better income than at her elevator job. Yet she would say, "In pictures I made $250 a week, but the $19 weekly from the department store seemed more important to me. It represented security, because there seemed to be thousands of stunning girls hotly pursuing movie stardom and very few interested in running elevators." Still, what would become her illustrious career had begun. Sources: * “Julie London.” Courtesy: Toronto Star Photograph Archives, https://digitalarchive.tpl.ca/objects/326513/julie-london * “Julie London.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_London * Owen, Michael. Go Slow: The Life of Julie London. United States, Chicago Review Press. (To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Slow-Life-Julie-London/dp/1613738579/) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit historicalsnapshots.substack.com/subscribe