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.
Blue Moon
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
Blue moon!
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
"Blue Moon" is a romantic song in which the singer addresses the moon as if it were a person. The song talks about feeling alone and without love, and then unexpectedly finding someone to adore. At the beginning of the song, the singer laments her lack of a dream and love in her life. She then calls out to the blue moon, as if it was a friend that could understand her loneliness.
As the song continues, the singer speaks about the person she is looking for, someone she can care for. The blue moon hears her prayer and helps her find her true love. The singer then sings about how her true love suddenly appears, and how nobody else will ever hold her in his arms. The song ends with the singer being no longer alone and having found someone to love.
Interestingly, “Blue Moon” was not an immediate hit when it was first released in 1934. It took the song being recorded by various other artists, including Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley, and The Marcels, for it to gain widespread popularity. The song has been covered by over 100 artists and has been featured in numerous films and TV shows.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue moon you saw me standing alone
The singer perceives the moon as a sentient being that witnessed her standing alone.
Without a dream in my heart
The singer has no aspirations or ambitions she is actively working towards.
Without a love of my own
The singer has been searching for someone to love but has yet to find a compatible partner.
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
The artist believes that the moon understood her intentions and desires.
You heard me saying a prayer for
The artist confided in the moon as if it were a deity capable of answering her prayers.
Someone I really could care for
The singer longs for someone to care for deeply and intimately.
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The singer is surprised by the sudden appearance of someone she is attracted to.
The only one my arms will ever hold
The artist finally finds the person she intends to spend the rest of her life with.
I heard somebody whisper 'Please adore me'
The artist hears a plea from the person she desires asking to be loved and accepted.
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
The artist's joy and elation transforms her perception of the grey, melancholic moon into one of vibrant, shimmering gold.
Blue moon! Now I'm no longer alone
The singer finds comfort in the moon's companionship, despite it being an inanimate object.
Without a dream in my heart
The artist's lack of direction and purpose persists despite finding love.
Without a love of my own
The singer acknowledges her previous discontent regarding her love life, now resolved.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irinna Polishchouk
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper, "Please, adore me"
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold
Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
elainavon
I love this version more than any other. I love Julie's voice 3
philip norris
Likewise.
William DAVIES
Definitely the best version in my opinion! Love the bass and guitar.
Irinna Polishchouk
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper, "Please, adore me"
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold
Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
Without a love of my own
lynne bateman
I absolutely love julie singing blue moon , l never get tired of hearing it.
Roxanne Adams
Absolutely the wonderful voice perfect for this song
philip norris
My sentiments exactly, Roxanne.
Robert Silvestri
Julie London (September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years. It concluded with the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall on the television series Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her best friend Robert Fuller and her real-life husband Bobby Troup, and produced by her ex-husband Jack Webb.
Ana Ferraz
Maravilhosa!!!!
lostxanfound
My ex and I listened to this quite often before bed while pillow talking. Listening to it now, alone, hurts very much.