Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, Illinois, and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois, when she was three years old. She began to sing with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at thirteen. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his society band, the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden's Band. After high school she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York at the same time Christy was quarantined in Chicago with scarlet fever.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was chosen for the role as a vocalist. During this time, she changed her name once again, becoming June Christy.
Her voice produced successful hits such as "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon". "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.
Beginning Sept. 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week road tour of 38 performances called "Road Show". The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his orchestra, June Christy, The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued in 1991 on CD.
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper and alto saxophonist Bud Shank. Something Cool was re-released as a 12" LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. Christy would later say that the album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with." Something Cool was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album, The Misty Miss Christy.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963). and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the first sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957), which also featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan. She toured to such an extent that eventually it began taking a toll on her marriage. She began to pull back from touring in the early 1960s.
R.M. Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's body of work: "Christy's wholesome but particularly sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for long, controlled lines and the shading of a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments—the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun,' 'I Should Care'—are as close to creating definitive interpretations as any singer can come."
Christy semi-retired from the music business in 1969, in part due to her battle with alcoholism.
In 1972, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City, where she was reunited with the Kenton Orchestra. She also performed at a handful of jazz festivals during the late 1970s and 1980s, playing with a band of all-star West Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking part in a number of world tours.
Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final solo LP, Impromptu. She recorded an interview for a Paul Cacia produced an album in 1987 called "The Alumni Tribute to Stan Kenton" on the Happy Hour label. A number of other Kenton the alumni-Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them, plus Mort Sahl - interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the man and the years on the road.
Christy toured one final time in 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Her final performance was sharing the stage with Chet Baker.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64. Her remains were cremated and scattered off the coast of Marina Del Rey.
Aren't You Glad You're You
June Christy Lyrics
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Aren't you glad you've got a nose
And if the dawn is fresh with dew
Aren't you glad you're you
When a meadowlark appears
Aren't you glad you've got two ears
And if your heart is singin' too
You can see a summer sky
Or touch a friendly hand
Or taste an apple pie
Pardon the grammar, but ain't life grand
And when you wake up each morn
Aren't you glad that you were born
Think what you've got the whole day through
Aren't you glad you're you
Every time you're near a rose
Aren't you glad you've got a nose
And if the dawn is fresh with dew
Aren't you glad you're you
When a meadowlark appears
Aren't you glad you've got two ears
And if your heart is singin' too
Aren't you glad you're you
You can see a summer sky
Or touch a friendly hand
Or taste an apple pie
Pardon the grammar, but ain't life grand
And when you wake up each morn
Aren't you glad that you were born
Think what you've got the whole day through
Aren't you glad you're you
The song "Aren't You Glad You're You" by June Christy is a jazzy tune that plays on the idea that we should be thankful for the small things in life. Each verse describes a different natural occurrence or sensation that we may take for granted, but that we should be grateful to have. The first verse mentions the scent of a rose and having a nose to appreciate it. The second verse talks about hearing a meadowlark and being thankful for having two ears to hear it with. The song goes on to highlight the joys of simple pleasures like tasting an apple pie and waking up in the morning.
The lyrics are a reminder to appreciate life's little moments and to be grateful for all we have. The song encourages the listener to think about the things they have to be thankful for and to find joy in the present moment. It's a message that is as relevant today as it was when the song was first released in 1945.
In summary, "Aren't You Glad You're You" is a jazzy tune that encourages the listener to appreciate life's simple pleasures and to be thankful for what they have. The song is a reminder to find joy in the present moment and to live life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time you're near a rose
When you are close to the beauty and fragrance of a rose
Aren't you glad you've got a nose
Aren't you grateful to be able to experience the pleasant aroma of a rose through your sense of smell?
And if the dawn is fresh with dew
When the early morning is covered in dew drops
Aren't you glad you're you
Aren't you thankful for being alive and experiencing the beauty of nature?
When a meadowlark appears
When you hear the beautiful sound of a meadowlark singing
Aren't you glad you've got two ears
Aren't you happy to be able to hear the sweet melody of the meadowlark with both your ears?
And if your heart is singin' too
And if you are also feeling happy and content in your heart
Aren't you glad you're you
Aren't you grateful for being able to experience the beauty of music and happiness?
You can see a summer sky
You can look up and appreciate the beautiful blue sky of summer
Or touch a friendly hand
Or feel the warmth and kindness of a friendly person's touch
Or taste an apple pie
Or enjoy a delicious slice of apple pie
Pardon the grammar, but ain't life grand
Excuse the informal language, but isn't life wonderful and amazing?
And when you wake up each morn
And every time you wake up in the morning
Aren't you glad that you were born
Aren't you grateful for the gift of life that you have been given?
Think what you've got the whole day through
Think about all the amazing things you have to experience throughout the entire day
Aren't you glad you're you
Aren't you thankful for being able to live and enjoy everything life has to offer?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Van Heusen, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind