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.
Everything Must Change
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing stays the same
Everyone must change
No one stays the same
The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold
Cause that's the way of time
There are not many things in life
You can be sure of
Except rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds do fly
Winter turns to spring
A wounded heart will heal
But never much too soon
Yes everything must change
The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold
Cause that's the way of time
Nothing and no one goes unchanged
There are not many things in life
You can be sure of
Except rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And butterflies do fly
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And music
And music
Makes me cry
The lyrics to "Everything Must Change" by June Christy convey a sense of inevitability and impermanence that is inherent in life. The first verse states that everything must change and nothing stays the same, which is an irrefutable truth. The second verse notes that even people change, as the young become the old and mysteries are revealed over time. The following lines in the verse continue to emphasize that nothing and no one is immune from change.
The chorus provides examples of things that are consistent in life, such as rain coming from clouds and the sun lighting up the sky. However, it also includes a more abstract element, music, which makes the singer cry. This brings in an emotional element to the song and highlights how even the most constant of things can stir up strong feelings.
The final verse returns to the idea that nothing is permanent, with the reminder that winter turns to spring and that time is necessary for emotional healing. The repeated line of "everything must change" serves as a reminder to embrace change and not resist it, as it is an essential aspect of life.
Overall, "Everything Must Change" serves as a poignant reflection on the inevitability of change and the importance of accepting it as an irrefutable fact of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything must change
Change is an inevitable part of life and everything will eventually change.
Nothing stays the same
The permanence of anything in life is impossible; everything is subject to change.
Everyone must change
Individuals must adapt to change if they want to survive and thrive.
No one stays the same
Like everything else in life, people undergo changes and transform over time.
The young become the old
As time passes, young people grow up and age into old age.
And mysteries do unfold
As we age and experience life, we accumulate more knowledge and understanding, revealing previously unknown or confusing things.
Cause that's the way of time
Change is an inherent part of the passage of time, and we must adjust to it.
Nothing and no one goes unchanged
Even things or individuals that appear static are indeed in a process of change or evolution.
There are not many things in life you can be sure of
Like the inevitability of change, there are few fixed certainties in life.
Except rain comes from the clouds
One of the few reliable things in life is the relationship between weather phenomena and their sources (rain comes from clouds).
Sun lights up the sky
The sun illuminates the sky every day, providing a consistent source of light and energy to the earth.
And hummingbirds do fly
Hummingbirds are a natural and beautiful phenomenon that underscore the beauty and complexity of life.
Winter turns to spring
Seasons change, and the cold and barren winter months give way to the warmth and renewal of spring.
A wounded heart will heal
Though significant emotional pain can be challenging to endure, time has a way of bringing healing and closure to emotional wounds.
But never much too soon
Healing takes time, and it is not always an immediate process.
And butterflies do fly
The presence of butterflies in the world is another reminder of the beauty and diversity of life.
And music
Music is an emotional, evocative art form that can elicit strong feelings and memories.
And music
Along with rain, sunshine, hummingbirds, and butterflies, music is one of the few things that we can rely on in uncertain times.
Makes me cry
Music is so powerful that it can bring tears to one's eyes and leave an emotional imprint on the soul.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENARD IGHNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RONNSWIRL
According to her daughter, June considered this her greatest album.....the raw honesty of her singing is almost overwhelming.....she was the one of the greatest jazz singers....listening to this album always moves me to tears......
Paper Darts
I adore this album, Impromptu. One of the best albums by June Christy. She definitely seemed to have saved the best for last....There is another gem track called The Trouble With Hello is Goodbye written by the lyricists, Bergmans.
Scott Luster
As you might appreciate, when June's nephew Rick (my brother) died, I wanted some of June's music poignantly played at his memorial service. After going thru almost everything she recorded, I landed on "The trouble with Hello is Goodbye" by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, myself. I said at the time this when I want music that is so elegantly precise in capturing the human experience, I always seek out the Bergmans. It seemed fitting. Thanks for reinforcing my choice.
Adam Hayden
Such an under-rated artist. I would love to know more about June's later life. I find the whole of her Impromptu album enchanting... and this song in particular haunting. I can almost see a tear rolling down her weary cheek. What an amazing actress she would of made. RIP June. You are missed.
Scott Luster
It was 1977, June had just recorded this song and her mother was not doing well. She flew back to the Midwest and stayed with us overnight in Edwardsville, IL. When June came, it was always an "event." To be in her presence was really transcendent. My Dad (her brother Jack) at dinner, always asked her to sing at the end. He'd say something like "Honey, we always appreciate it if you'd share a song with us." And, of course she would. This time she said "I have one of the more moving songs I've ever recorded. It's new and I hope you'll like it." A cappella, she sang "Everything Must Change." My memory of this is strong. There was not a dry eye at the table when she was through. June gave us gifts like that over the years. I am so filled with gratitude to share this story with her fans. Recordings didn't do her justice. In person, she was a loving force who always down-played her gifts. She will never know how her talent started me on a lifetime of exploration of jazz and the greats that continue to this day. Without You Tube, so many of these moments would have no purpose in sharing. Gratitude is called for.
Sasha Elizabeth Conrad
Scott Luster this is a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it with us.