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.
I Get Alone Without You Very Well
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of course I do
Except when soft rains fall
And drip from leaves then I recall
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
Of course I do
But I've forgotten you just like I should
Of course I have
Or someone's laughter just the same
But I've forgotten you just like I should
[Chorus]
What, again
What a fool am I
To think my breaking heart could kick the mood
What's in store
Should I phone once more
No, it's best that I stick to my tune
I get along without you very well
Of course I do
Except perhaps in Spring
But I should never think of Spring
For that would surely break my heart in two
[Chorus]
In June Christy's song "I Get Along Without You Very Well," the singer is trying to convince themselves that they are doing just fine without a past lover, but in reality, they find themselves thinking about them. The lyrics acknowledge that there are certain triggers, such as soft rains falling, that bring back memories of being held in their arms. The singer has forgotten about their past love, but their name or hearing someone else laugh can quickly bring them back.
The chorus creates a contrast between the singer's attempt to move on and their true feelings. They feel foolish for thinking that they can forget about their past love and be okay. They question whether they should reach out to them again, but ultimately decide that it's best to stick to their current path.
Overall, the song is about the struggle of trying to move on from a past love while still having lingering feelings. The lyrics create a sense of loneliness and longing, as the singer tries to bury their feelings but ultimately can't escape them.
Line by Line Meaning
I get along without you very well
I am able to go about my life without you just fine
Of course I do
It's not surprising that I am able to move on without you
Except when soft rains fall
The only time I really think of you is when it's raining softly
And drip from leaves then I recall
The sound of rain dripping from leaves reminds me of memories with you
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
I remember the comfort and security I felt in your embrace
Of course I do
It's not surprising that I remember these things
But I've forgotten you just like I should
Despite these memories, I have moved on from you as I should
Except to hear your name
The only other time I really think of you is when I hear your name
Or someone's laughter just the same
Laughter that reminds me of you can also bring thoughts of you back
But I've forgotten you just like I should
Again, I have moved on from you as I should
What, again
I can't believe I'm still feeling this way
What a fool am I
I feel foolish for still being affected by you
To think my breaking heart could kick the mood
I thought that maybe hearing from you would make me feel better, but it only hurts me more
What's in store
I wonder what would happen if I try to reach out to you again
Should I phone once more
Should I try to contact you one more time?
No, it's best that I stick to my tune
I know deep down that it's better for me to just move on and stay away from you
Except perhaps in Spring
The only other time that I might still think of you is in the Spring
But I should never think of Spring
However, I know that thinking of you in the Spring would only reopen wounds and hurt me more
For that would surely break my heart in two
Memories of you in Spring would be too much for me to handle emotionally
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind