La Rosa was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1947, at age 17, he joined the United States Navy after finishing high school, becoming a radioman. He sang in a Navy choir, at the officers club, and at bars to pay for his drinks.
The young sailor's Navy buddies managed to promote him to Arthur Godfrey - at the time one of America's leading radio and television personalities, and himself a Naval Reserve officer, whom the Navy often accommodated as a nod to the good publicity he gave the service. The Navy buddy most instrumental in this was George "Bud" Andrews, from Omaha, Nebraska, the seaman mechanic on Godfrey's airplane. While working on Godfrey's plane, Andrews struck up a conversation with Godfrey and told him that he really should hear his buddy sing. They arranged a time for LaRosa to audition in Pensacola, Florida, where LaRosa was stationed. Godfrey was impressed, offering La Rosa a job. Godfrey had LaRosa flown to New York to appear on his television show, with Godfrey ending the spot by saying, "When Julie gets out of the Navy he'll come back to see us."
Discharged from the Navy on a Friday, La Rosa went to Godfrey on the following Monday, and a week later, in November 1951, he appeared on Godfrey's variety show. He was a regular on both the morning Arthur Godfrey Time (broadcast on both the CBS radio and television networks) and the Wednesday night variety show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends.
LaRosa was joining a show that was extremely profitable for the new CBS television network. CBS owner William S. Paley disliked much of the show, in which a Time magazine article found Godfrey to be vulgar and "scatological". Hearing that William Paley thought the Godfrey TV show 'lacked movement,' Godfrey brought on a line of hula dancers and leered into the TV camera: 'Is that enough movement for you, Bill?'" But CBS management supported the show, which was extremely successful and inexpensive to produce.
La Rosa was on Godfrey's shows from November 19, 1951 to October 19, 1953. When Archie Bleyer, Godfrey's bandleader, formed Cadence Records in 1952, the first performer signed was La Rosa. Cadence's first single, which was also La Rosa's first recording, was "Anywhere I Wander". It reached the top 30 on the charts, and his next recording, "My Lady Loves To Dance", was a moderate success. As with the other "Little Godfreys", as the cast members were known, Godfrey had discouraged La Rosa from hiring a manager or booking agent, preferring to have his staff coordinate and negotiate on La Rosa's behalf. Godfrey's contracts with his artists, however, did not preclude them from doing so. After La Rosa's third recording, and a dispute with Godfrey over his failure to attend a Godfrey-mandated dance class required of all cast members (the singer claimed a family emergency), La Rosa hired his own agent and manager: Tommy Rockwell.
With hit recordings and his appearances on Godfrey's shows, La Rosa's popularity grew exponentially. At one point, La Rosa's fan mail eclipsed Godfrey's. A year after La Rosa was hired, he was receiving 7,000 fan letters a week. Godfrey did not react well to receiving a formal notification that LaRosa had hired Rockwell as his manager. After consulting with CBS President Frank Stanton, on the morning of October 19, 1953 (in a segment of the show broadcast on radio only), after La Rosa finished singing "Manhattan" on Arthur Godfrey Time, Godfrey fired La Rosa on the air, announcing, "that was Julie's swan song with us." La Rosa tearfully met with Godfrey after the broadcast and thanked him for giving him his "break". La Rosa was then met at Godfrey's offices by his lawyer, manager and some reporters. Tommy Rockwell was highly critical of Godfrey's behavior, angrily citing La Rosa's public humiliation.
The "humility" comment backfired badly on Godfrey. Stanton himself later admitted "maybe (the on-air firing) was a mistake." Comedians began working the phrase "no humility" into their routines. Singer Ruth Wallis, known for her raunchy double entendre novelties, recorded "Dear Mr. Godfrey", a biting satire on the matter, which made it to #25 on the Billboard charts in November 1953. Days after firing La Rosa, Godfrey also fired bandleader Archie Bleyer, owner of La Rosa's label Cadence Records, for producing spoken word records for Cadence featuring Chicago-based talk host Don McNeill, whose Don McNeill's Breakfast Club on ABC Radio opposite Godfrey's morning show was considered a direct competitor, even though McNeill's success was nowhere on a par with Godfrey's.
The firing did not hurt La Rosa's career in the short run. Ed Sullivan immediately signed La Rosa for appearances on his CBS Toast of the Town TV variety show, which sparked a feud between him and Godfrey. La Rosa's first appearance on Toast of the Town following the firing got a 47.9 Trendex rating,[citation needed] and La Rosa would appear 12 more times on Sullivan's show that year.
Shortly after he left Godfrey, La Rosa's third recording, "Eh, Cumpari", hit #1 on the Cash Box chart and #2 on the Billboard chart, and La Rosa got an award as the best new male vocalist of 1953. "Eh, Cumpari" was followed by another major hit, "Domani". For thirteen weeks during the summer of 1955, La Rosa had a three-times-a-week television series, The Julius La Rosa Show, featuring Russ Case and his Orchestra. The Julius La Rosa Show aired in an hour-long format in the summers of 1956 and 1957 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturdays on NBC as a seasonal replacement for The Perry Como Show.
In 1981, Peter Kelley, who handled Godfrey's commercial bookings, suggested the host reunite with cast members from his morning show and record a reunion album. Though Godfrey initially balked, recalling his disputes with LaRosa and other cast members, he agreed to a meeting, and was amenable to having LaRosa participate. LaRosa, feeling sufficient time had passed, was also amenable. At the meeting, held at Godfrey's Manhattan office, Godfrey brought up the firing and asked LaRosa why he didn't tell the 'truth' as Godfrey saw it: that LaRosa had asked to be released from his contract and Godfrey had obliged. When LaRosa started to respond by reminding him of the dance class dispute, Godfrey exploded in anger. LaRosa left, and any talk of the reunion show ended forever.
La Rosa tired of revisiting the Godfrey affair, in part because it had been rehashed so many times, but he was also known to declare publicly Godfrey was in fact the one individual who made his career, but La Rosa always added, "He wasn't a very nice man (to me)."La Rosa appeared on a range of television shows including The Honeymooners in 1953, What's My Line?, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Polly Bergen Show (two episodes, including the 1957 premiere), The Merv Griffin Show and Laverne and Shirley in 1980. He starred in the 1958 film Let's Rock. In 1977 he hosted an unsold game show pilot for NBC called "Noot's Game".
In the 1980s, La Rosa received a non-contract, recurring role in the NBC soap opera Another World, for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor in the Daytime Emmy Award.
La Rosa eventually moved on to a long-time disk jockey position at New York's WNEW and continued to sing and occasionally record. As late as 1999, LaRosa was a disc jockey on WNSW hosting "Make Believe Ballroom Time". La Rosa, profiled by jazz critic and composer Gene Lees, has continued to work clubs and release records and compact discs. New York Times film critic Stephen Holden says: "His singing is very direct and unpretentious - he can wrap his voice tenaciously around a melody line and bring out the best in it." He has also been a frequent contributor to comedian Jerry Lewis's marathon annual Labor Day telethon programs for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, often hosting the New York outpost of the shows.
In 2008, LaRosa said "Music is 'a very egotistical thing.' 'It makes me feel good' and fortunately, I have the capacity to make people feel good who hear me feeling good.'"
LaRosa lived in Westchester County, New York.
La Rosa's name was used in a joke by Coach in the sitcom Cheers, in the episode "Friends, Romans, And Accountants".
In Times Like These
Julius La Rosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They still throw shoes and rice
It′s a wonderful thing in times like these
How warm, how fine
They still sing Auld Lang Syne
It's a wonderful thing in times like these
There's still a kind hello
Someone to bless you when you sneeze
Imagine too they still say 'I love you′
It′s a wonderful thing in times like these
How sweet, how nice
But they still throw shoes and rice
It's a wonderful thing in times like these
How warm, how fine
They still sing Auld Lang Syne
It′s a wonderful thing in times like these
And it's so nice, so nice to know
There′s still a kind hello
Someone to bless you when you sneeze
Imagine too they still say 'I love you′
It's a wonderful thing
It's a glorious thing
It′s a wonderful, glorious thing in times like these
Shoes and rice and Auld Lang Syne
It′s worth singing about one more time
How nice, how sweet
They still say 'I love you′
It's a wonderful thing
It′s a glorious thing
It's a wonderful, glorious thing in times like these
Julius La Rosa's song "In Times Like These" is a nostalgic tribute to the simple joys and pleasures of life that still exist in a world that seems to be constantly changing. La Rosa's lyrics celebrate the enduring traditions of throwing shoes and rice at weddings, singing "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve, and expressing love and kindness to one another. The phrase "in times like these" suggests that times may be tough or difficult, but there is still beauty and goodness to be found in the world.
La Rosa's song is a reminder that no matter how much the world around us changes, there are certain things that remain constant and worth holding onto. The repetition of the phrase "It's a wonderful thing" emphasizes the sentimentality and joy of the song, while the final stanza brings all the themes together in a triumphant reprise of the lyrics. The song's message is simple but powerful, reminding us to appreciate the simple pleasures and kindnesses of life, even in the midst of challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
How sweet, how nice
It's heartwarming and pleasant to see that even in difficult times, people are still able to find joy and celebrate special moments.
They still throw shoes and rice
Even though some traditions may seem outdated or silly, they still bring happiness and a sense of community to people.
It's a wonderful thing in times like these
These small acts of celebration and togetherness are even more meaningful during challenging times.
How warm, how fine
It's heartwarming and pleasant to see that even in difficult times, people are still able to connect and show affection towards each other.
They still sing Auld Lang Syne
Even though traditions and customs may change, there is comfort in continuing timeless traditions that bring people together.
And it's grand to know
It's reassuring and uplifting to realize that there are still people who are kind and caring towards others.
There's still a kind hello
Even a simple greeting or connection can make a big difference in someone's day and bring a sense of positivity amidst difficult times.
Someone to bless you when you sneeze
Even small acts of kindness and consideration towards others can provide a sense of comfort and optimism during uncertain times.
Imagine too they still say 'I love you′
During times of hardship and turmoil, it's important to express our love and appreciation for those we care about, and this small act can bring a sense of hope and joy.
But they still throw shoes and rice
Even though some traditions may seem outdated or silly, they still bring happiness and a sense of community to people.
And it's so nice, so nice to know
It's comforting and uplifting to realize that even in challenging times, there are still positive aspects of life that we can celebrate and be grateful for.
It's worth singing about one more time
Even though we may have celebrated these traditions many times before, they are still worth acknowledging and commemorating.
How nice, how sweet
It's heartwarming and pleasant to see that even in difficult times, people are still able to find joy and celebrate special moments.
It's a wonderful thing
These moments of celebration and community are important and valuable in their own right, and can help us find hope and optimism during challenging times.
It's a glorious thing
The ability for people to come together and celebrate in times of hardship is truly magnificent and can bring a sense of joy and positivity to everyone involved.
It's a wonderful, glorious thing in times like these
These moments of celebration and community are even more meaningful and necessary during challenging times, and can help us find hope and happiness amidst difficulties.
Writer(s): E.y. Harburg, Arthur Schwartz
Contributed by Declan E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.