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.
Fascination
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was fascination, I know
And it might have ended right there at the start
Just a passing glance, just a brief romance
And I might have gone on my way empty-hearted
It was fascination, I know
Then I touched your hand and next moment I kissed you
Fascination turned to love
It was fascination, I know
Seeing you alone with the moonlight above
Then I touched your hand and next moment I kissed you
Fascination turned to love
(It was fascination)
The lyrics of Julie London's song Fascination describe a sudden and intense attraction that turns into love. At first, the singer acknowledges that it was just a passing fascination that could have ended before it even began. However, as the song progresses, she describes the moment when she touched the hand of her lover and kissed him under the moonlight, and how that simple moment turned her fascination into a deep and lasting love.
The lyrics of the song masterfully capture the feeling of falling in love suddenly and unexpectedly, and how a single fleeting moment can change everything. The singer's voice is soft and seductive, adding to the intensity of the lyrics and the emotions they seek to convey. Overall, this song is a beautiful and romantic tribute to the mysterious and powerful force of love.
Line by Line Meaning
It was fascination, I know
I was intrigued by you, I am aware
And it might have ended right there at the start
Our interaction could have easily come to an end soon after it began
Just a passing glance, just a brief romance
We only had a momentary encounter, a short-lived romance
And I might have gone on my way empty-hearted
I was ready to move on, but I would have been left feeling unfulfilled and disappointed
Seeing you alone with the moonlight above
I caught a glimpse of you in solitude, illuminated by the moonlight
Then I touched your hand and next moment I kissed you
We shared physical contact, which quickly escalated into a kiss
Fascination turned to love
What began as mere fascination transformed into real, genuine love
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: FERMO MARCHETTI, HAL SHUTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind