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.
That's for Me
Julie London Lyrics
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I know what I liked and I liked what I saw
And I said to myself, that's for me
A lovely morning, I remarked, and you were quick to agree
You wanted to walk and I nodded my head
As I breathlessly said, that's for me
There's nothing for me but the dream in my heart
And the dream in my heart, that's for you
Oh my darling, that's for you
These lyrics from Julie London's song "That's for Me" depict a love-at-first-sight moment when the singer sees someone she finds attractive standing in the sun. She immediately knows she likes what she sees and says to herself, "that's for me." Their conversation continues as they both admire the lovely morning, and the person she is speaking to suggests taking a walk, which she agrees to enthusiastically. The singer then leaves the person standing under the stars at the end of the day, saying that there's nothing left for her but the dream in her heart, and that dream is for the person she has met.
These lyrics express a sense of lightness and excitement that comes with the promise of newfound love. The singer sees something she loves and is confident in expressing her desire for it. The imagery of the sun and stars suggests a timeless quality to the attraction, as if it exists outside of the usual confines of time and space. The dream in her heart also speaks to a sense of optimism and hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you standing in the sun and you were something to see
You caught my eye and intrigued me with your appearance.
I know what I liked and I liked what I saw
My attraction to you was instantaneous.
And I said to myself, that's for me
You were exactly what I was looking for.
A lovely morning, I remarked, and you were quick to agree
We both enjoyed the beautiful day and agreed on its pleasantness.
You wanted to walk and I nodded my head
You wanted to spend time together and I happily agreed.
As I breathlessly said, that's for me
I was excited about the prospect of being together.
I left you standing under stars, the day's adventures are through
Our time together has come to an end and I am leaving.
There's nothing for me but the dream in my heart
My thoughts are consumed by the wishful vision of being with you.
And the dream in my heart, that's for you
My longing is for you, my love.
Oh my darling, that's for you
I express my love and commitment to you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind