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.
Blues for a Day
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I must admit I like it quite well.
It's something to be the darling of all;
Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
There's nothing as gay as life in Paris ,
There's no other person, I'd rather be,
I love what I do, I love what I see,
But where is the schoolgirl that used to be me.
Ah, the apple trees,
Where at garden teas,
Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Fashions of the day,
Vests of applique,
Dresses of shantung,
Only yesterday.
When the world was young
While sitting around we often recall,
The laugh of the year, the night of them all,
The blonds who was so attractive that year,
Some opening night that made us all cheer;
Remember that time we all got so tight,
And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
I laugh with the rest, it's all very bright.
Ah, the apple trees,
Sunlight memories,
Where the hammock swung,
On our backs we'd lie;
Looking at the shy,
Till the stars were strung,
Only last July,
When the world was young.
You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes , or in Spain,
I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
It's any old millionaire in a storm,
For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
And sometimes I see it all through the cloud
Ah, the apple trees,
And the hive of bees,
Where we once got stung,
Summers at Bordeau,
Rowing at bateau,
Where the willow hung,
Just a dream ago,
When the world was young
June Christy's song "Gone for the Day" is an insightful expression of the singer's memories and the present-day lifestyle. The song begins with the singer admitting she enjoys her social status as the coquette and mademoiselle. However, she is not entirely content with that image, and there is a part of her that misses being the schoolgirl that she once was. She finds no greater pleasure than living in Paris, but she is burdened with questions about the life choices she made.
The chorus emphasizes memories of a better time, one where she reminisces about apple trees and garden teas where jack-o-lanterns adorned the surroundings, and fashion wore the day. She mentions "when the world was young," and with that statement, you get a sense of her yearning for her youthful self. It's clear that her joyousness in the present-day is tinged with a sense of nostalgia for the past.
The second and third verse reinforces her remembrance of past joys. She talks about the gendarmes passing out, memories of blondes that existed full of life and the laughter, and nights that used to take the breath away. The song lyrics exude a wistfulness of lost love and memories, reflecting upon the singer's life and the moments when she is asking herself the questions, "where did the time go, and how did I end up here?"
Line by Line Meaning
They call me coquette, and mademoiselle,
People refer to me as a flirt and a young lady of French origin
And I must admit I like it quite well.
I enjoy being called such names
It's something to be the darling of all;
It's a great feeling to be loved by everyone
Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
I see myself as a charming and attractive woman, admired by all
There's nothing as gay as life in Paris ,
Living in Paris is exciting and cheerful
There's no other person, I'd rather be,
I can't imagine being anyone else
I love what I do, I love what I see,
I am happy with my life, my pursuits, and what I observe
But where is the schoolgirl that used to be me.
I miss the innocent girl I used to be
Ah, the apple trees,
A nostalgic memory of apple trees
Where at garden teas,
Garden parties with tea being served
Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Jack-o-lanterns are being hung and swung
Fashions of the day,
The current styles and trends of the day
Vests of applique,
Vests with ornamental needlework sewn on them
Dresses of shantung,
Silk fabric dresses made from double-woven satin
Only yesterday.
It seems like just yesterday
When the world was young
A reflection upon a younger, more carefree time
While sitting around we often recall,
When we're together, we often reminisce
The laugh of the year, the night of them all,
We remember the most memorable events of the year
The blonds who was so attractive that year,
We remember attractive blonde people from a specific year
Some opening night that made us all cheer;
We remember an event that filled us with happiness
Remember that time we all got so tight,
We remember getting drunk together
And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
We remember a fight between Jacques and Antoine
The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
Police officers who came to quell the fight passed out
I laugh with the rest, it's all very bright.
We all laugh at these memories, and they bring joy to us
You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes , or in Spain,
I travel to Cape D'Antibes or Spain
I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
I pursue the sun by various modes of transportation
It's any old millionaire in a storm,
I can rely on any wealthy person during tough times
For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
I have my fur coat to keep me warm and content
And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
I occasionally drink excessively with my friends
And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
I sometimes speak at a high volume
My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
I might have a headache, but I continue to persevere
And sometimes I see it all through the cloud
Sometimes my recollections of the past are hazy
And the hive of bees,
A recollection of bees in a hive
Where we once got stung,
Remembering getting stung by the bees
Summers at Bordeau,
Memories of summers spent in Bordeaux
Rowing at bateau,
Rowing boats in the water
Where the willow hung,
Remembering the willow trees in the area
Just a dream ago,
It feels like a dream from just yesterday
When the world was young
A time when the world seemed more innocent and carefree
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JEROME MOROSS, JOHN LATOUCHE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Luster
This is a marvelous find for those of us who loved June's music. I always thought her style by the late 1960's was so memorable. She was my aunt and our family thanks goes out to Buzz Stevens for posting this.
ted lol
I found June’s music about two years ago and I have not stopped listening since. I’m so thankful for her music and it has really helped me through a lot. Sending love,
Donna Kay
I love her so much and she pretty much was the reason I started singing jazz. You cannot know how much she means to me and how grateful I am for just finding her.
poetmistress2009
🌻🌻💚🌻🌻
JUDITH GILBERT
She was one of a kind. My Mother played her music all of the time. I have always loved her voice.
CraigR_ Mintz
She has a
Beautiful Voice
Marla Lukofsky
June Christy is truly one of the best jazz singers and she sings her heart and soul in songs and man can she swing, too. xo
Mike Vax
We had the pleasure of having June appear with us on the Kenton Orchestra for the 1972 Newport in New York Jazz Festival. It was one of her last appearances in public and she did great. We were all thrilled to be able to back her up!
Wayne Brasler
When I could not for the life of me find two of June's Capitol albums I finally wrote her a note and asked if she knew where I could find them. She wrote me a lovely note and said she had asked her musical director to get copies of them from the Capitol library and he did. I wrote her a long thank you note. Another gem was Chris Connor, who I had always assumed was aloof and strange. Wrong; I was from St. Louis, she from Kansas City and we were both connected with the University of Missouri in ColumbiA. When I finally met her in Chicago she was totally down to earth and very witty. Later I was invited to write the program booklet for a concert in her honor in New York City. I was amazed and poured my heart in it. She told the gentleman running the concert, "I guess it doesn't get nicer than this." Chris was a Anita O'Day fan, and eventually they double-billed together. I happened to know Anita's manager and thus was able to get a message of admiration to her. As a kid gathering all the records of these ladies I never dreamt they also might become at least a tiny part of my life.
Scott Luster
I think there is a magical energy about music and those who excel at performing it. Some of my own life highlights have come through synchronicities associated with jazz and my connection to it. June cared for Chris Connor and really wasn't a fan of Anita O'day, the person. Anita sure was talented, though...a one-woman rhythm section. So many have cited their connections to June as important and every one that I hear makes my day a bit brighter, too.