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.
It's a Blue World
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a blue world alone.
My days and nights that once were filled with hea - ven,
With you away, how emp - ty they have grown.
It's a blue world from now on,
It's a blue world for me.
The sea, the sky, my heart and I,
We're all in an in - di - go hue
Without you, it's a blue, blue world.
Without you, it's a blue, blue world.
Julie London's song "It's a Blue World" depicts a sense of longing and emptiness that comes with the absence of someone that the singer deeply loves. The lyrics talk about how the world doesn't seem as bright and full of life without the loved one around. The singer of the song seems to be going through a difficult break-up or perhaps the death of a partner, and is now left alone to face the world without them. The line "the sea, the sky, my heart and I, we're all in an indigo hue" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the whole world has taken on a blue tint since the person left. The song captures the pain and loneliness that can come with losing someone who means everything to you.
The song was composed by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest and was first introduced in the 1940 musical revue "Making a Million". It was later recorded by several jazz and pop artists, including Julie London, who popularized the song in 1955. London's sultry voice and understated style perfectly conveyed the melancholy emotions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a blue world without you;
The absence of you has turned my world into a somber and melancholic place.
It's a blue world alone.
Being alone in this world feels like everything is covered in a blue tint, losing its vibrancy and liveliness.
My days and nights that once were filled with heaven,
The time we spent together was like a paradise, full of joy, happiness, and love.
With you away, how empty they have grown.
Now that you are gone, my life feels meaningless and empty, as all those happy memories have turned into something sad and painful.
It's a blue world from now on,
The future without you seems bleak and moody, as the sadness of the present has become a permanent fixture of my life.
It's a blue world for me.
For me, this world has become a colorless and uninspiring place, where everything feels dull and unremarkable.
The sea, the sky, my heart and I,
All the elements that once represented freedom, passion, and vigor for life have now lost their luster and have turned blue.
We're all in an indigo hue
All the things that were once colorful and bright have now taken on a dull indigo shade, symbolizing the sadness and loneliness that has taken over my life.
Without you, it's a blue, blue world.
The song repeats the same statement as a refrain, emphasizing the depth of sadness and despair that the absence of the loved one brings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WRIGHT FORREST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wolfsky9
This version by Julie was my Dad's favorite. He loved the 4 Freshmen, but when Julie sang, there was always a sadness & longing she could convey better than any singer of her day. ---Gorgeous! -----------------Wolfsky9, 69 y/o
John Tapscott
Yes, you nailed it. That's exactly what made her so special.
Adam Lopez
yes - Julie's rendition is tied, IMO, with Ella's rendition from her "Swings Gently With Nelson" album. They are the best ever recorded.
biggrex
sheesh why can't they put out music like this today
iconaclastor
The first musical notes tells me this is a great song and then when Julie sings it is definitely a great song. 1959 my birth year but I enjoy that music so much even though I was too young to know most of it.
John Smith
Thanks for putting this up on YouTube, brings back Air Force memories of nearly 60-years ago, when Julie was 'our girl' ...
ecardon1
nice song from an album arranged and conducted by Andre Previn. Love Julie-a babe that could sing.
TEMAOHI2787
N-I-C-E STEREO!!!.....SWEET!!!!
Scott Family
People were so in tune with nature in their lyric writing.
Peter Gillies
Thank you , and for this beloved ,song, 😎