London's 35-year acting career began in films in 1944 and included playing opposite Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959). She achieved continuing success in the TV medical drama Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her real-life husband, Bobby Troup, and produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb, in which London played the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall. She and Randolph Mantooth, who played one-half of her medical students, a paramedic, in the series, were very close to her family, until her death in 2000.
Born in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was fourteen the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional High School in 1945.
London began singing under the name Gayle Peck in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd), while working as an elevator operator. Her early film career, however, did not include any singing roles.
London recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded four tracks that would later be included on the compilation album Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the album, for which London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé".
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on reissue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO 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 ABC series Pan Am. Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy", "Daddy", and "Desafinado". Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and playfully sensual.
She was married to Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. Her obvious beauty and self-poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted with his pedestrian appearance and stiff-as-a-board acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from his and her love for jazz; their marriage lasted from July 1947 to November 1953. They had two daughters, one who was killed in a traffic accident in the 1990s and one who survived London. In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Jack Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Blvd. They married on December 31, 1959 and remained married until Troup's death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter and twin sons.
London suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health until her death in Encino, California, at the age of seventy-four, survived by four of her five children. She died on18th October 2000, and was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
April In Paris
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
No one can ever reprise
I never knew the charm of spring
Never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
Till April in Paris whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart
April in Paris, whom can I ran to
What have you done to my heart
April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
The arrival of April in Paris brings with it the enchanting sight of chestnut trees covered in beautiful blossoms.
Holiday tables under the trees
People gather around tables set up under these blossoming trees, enjoying their holidays in the pleasant weather.
April in Paris, this is a feeling
The experience of April in Paris evokes a unique and indescribable emotion within oneself.
No one can ever reprise
This feeling is truly one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated or reproduced by anyone else.
I never knew the charm of spring
Until now, I had never truly understood or appreciated the allure and magic that spring possesses.
Never met it face to face
I had never personally encountered and experienced spring's charm directly.
I never new my heart could sing
Previously, I had not realized that my heart had the capability to rejoice and sing with joy.
Never missed a warm embrace
I had never felt a longing or yearning for the warmth and comfort of an embrace until now.
Till April in Paris whom can I run to
During the enchanting time of April in Paris, I find myself seeking solace and companionship from someone.
What have you done to my heart
This person has somehow had a profound impact on my emotions, stirring my heart in ways I never expected.
April in Paris, whom can I ran to
Again, during the magical period of April in Paris, I find myself longing for someone to whom I can turn for support and understanding.
What have you done to my heart
This person has left an indelible mark on my heart, causing it to undergo a transformation I never anticipated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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