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.
Lonesome Road -
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before you travel on.
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Before you travel on.
Look up, look up and greet your maker,
For Gabriel blows his horn.
Travelin' down that lonesome road,
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Before you travel on.
Weary totin', it's such a load,
Whike I'm travelin' down, travelin' down that lonesome old road,
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Before you travel on.
The lyrics of Julie London's "Lonesome Road" are a poignant reminder to the listener to reflect on their life's journey before it is too late. The opening lines of the song urge the listener to look down that lonely and desolate path of life before making another step, encouraging people to pause and think about what is happening around them. The act of looking down this lonesome road serves as a metaphor for taking the time to reflect on the direction of one's life, the path that has led them to where they are and, more importantly, the path that lies ahead.
The song also contains religious undertones, referencing the biblical figure of Gabriel and the image of the end times, where Gabriel blows his horn to summon the dead to rise and meet their maker. The inclusion of such imagery serves to remind the listener that the journey on this lonesome road is not solely their own, and that there are forces greater than themselves at play. The final lines of the song emphasize that the road can be burdened with the weight of the past and difficult to navigate, and the listener should look carefully before making the next move.
Line by Line Meaning
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Take a moment to reflect on the difficult and lonely journey you're about to embark on.
Before you travel on.
It's important to pause and consider the path you're taking before continuing.
Look up, look up and greet your maker,
Take a moment to acknowledge the divine and reflect on your spiritual path.
For Gabriel blows his horn.
This is a reference to the angel Gabriel from the Bible signaling the end of days. It serves as a reminder to be mindful of our actions.
Weary, totin' such a load,
The journey has been long and tiring, and the weight of one's troubles is heavy.
Travelin' down that lonesome road,
Continuing on a difficult path while feeling isolated and disconnected from others.
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Repeating the same message from the beginning of the song to emphasize the importance of reflection.
Before you travel on.
The song ends with the same phrase it began with, again emphasizing its importance.
Lyrics © NATHANIEL SHILKRET MUSIC CO. , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY CARROLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind