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.
June in January
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because I'm in love
It always is spring in my heart
with you in my arms.
The snow is just white blossoms
that fall from above.
And here is the reason, my dear,
Your magical charms.
The night is cold
the trees are bare
And I can feel the scent of roses in the air.
It's June in January
Because I'm in love.
But only because I'm in love with you.
The lyrics of June in January by Julie London are centered around the idea of love transforming a typically cold and dreary winter month into a warm and blissful season. The opening line 'It's June in January, because I'm in love' sets the tone for the entire song, indicating that the power of love is enough to bring life and joy to even the most desolate of surroundings. The mention of spring and blossoms in the heart emphasizes the idea that love can awaken the soul, bringing new life and a sense of rejuvenation.
Furthermore, the image of snow as 'white blossoms falling from above' symbolizes the transformative power of love. Snow, traditionally seen as a symbol of death and barrenness, takes on new meaning, representing a blanket of beauty falling from the heavens - this incredible imagery conveys how love can color even the most desolate of surroundings. The singer even credits the magical charms of their beloved as the key factor making January feel like June. Love impacts each aspect of their world, and rather than feeling the chill of winter nights, the singer instead experiences the scents of life blooming around them.
Overall, the song communicates the message of love's ability to bring warmth, joy and new life into bleak situations.
Line by Line Meaning
It's June in January
Despite the winter month of January, I feel as though it's the warm and lovely month of June.
Because I'm in love
Love has a way of making every moment of life feel beautiful and special, like it's summertime all year round.
It always is spring in my heart
Being with you makes my soul feel alive and refreshed, like a continuous blossoming of new life and hope in my heart.
with you in my arms.
Feeling your presence close to me brings me joy and passion, as though we're together in a beautiful eternal paradise.
The snow is just white blossoms
Even the coldest and harshest of winters can seem gentle and romantic when viewed through the lens of love and imagination.
that fall from above.
As though heaven is itself showering us with grace and blessings, filling our hearts with wonder and awe.
And here is the reason, my dear,
You are the inspiration that fuels my passion and joy, the personification of everything that is good and beautiful in this world.
Your magical charms.
With every glance, every smile, every touch, you bewitch and enchant me, making me feel as though I'm living in a romantic fairy tale.
The night is cold
Despite the chill and darkness of the night, I remain warm and content because of the love we share.
the trees are bare
Even when all seems barren and bleak, there is still the potential for new growth and beauty, if we only have the faith to see it.
And I can feel the scent of roses in the air.
Love has a way of transforming even the most ordinary and mundane of moments into something precious and divine, full of life and love and wonder.
It's June in January
I am filled with the warmth and beauty of summer, even in the depths of winter, because of the love we share.
Because I'm in love.
Love is the key that unlocks the door to a deeper and richer experience of life, transforming even the coldest and darkest of seasons into a time of joy and beauty.
But only because I'm in love with you.
All of this beauty and wonder is not just a result of love itself, but of the special and unique connection we share, which fills me with love and joy every day.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RALPH RAINGER, LEO ROBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind