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.
Imagination
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It makes the cloudy day sunny
Makes the bee think of honey
Just as I think of you
Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
Starts you asking a daisy
Have you ever felt the gentle touch
And then a kiss, and then, and then
Find it's only your imagination again
Oh, well
Imagination is silly
You go around willy-nilly
For example, I go around wanting you
And yet I can't imagine that you want me too
Imagination is silly
You go around willy-nilly
For example, I go around wanting you
And yet I can't imagine that you want me too
June Christy's song Imagination is a whimsical and lighthearted tune that explores the power of the human mind to conjure up the most fanciful and unrealistic scenarios. The lyrics are ripe with clever wordplay and metaphors, inviting the listener to embrace the imaginative spirit that pervades the song. The opening line sets the tone for what is to come, as Christy sings, "Imagination is funny, it makes the cloudy day sunny, makes the bee think of honey, just as I think of you." Here, she uses the image of a bee and honey to illustrate the irresistible nature of imagination, which can turn even a dreary day bright, just as the thought of a loved one can bring joy to one's heart.
The second verse further explores the wild and unpredictable nature of imagination. "Imagination is crazy, your whole perspective gets hazy, starts you asking a daisy, what to do, what to do," she sings. This reinforces the idea that imagination can sometimes take us to unexpected places, leaving us feeling lost and uncertain. Even the most mundane things can take on new meaning and significance when viewed through the lens of imagination.
In the third verse, the singer turns her attention to the disappointment that often accompanies the contrast between fantasy and reality. "Have you ever felt the gentle touch, and then a kiss, and then, and then find it's only your imagination again," she laments. Here, Christy acknowledges the bittersweet nature of imagination, which can lift us up one moment and bring us crashing down the next.
Overall, Imagination is a delightful and whimsical song that celebrates the human capacity for creativity and inventiveness. It reminds us that while our minds may lead us down some strange and unpredictable paths, it is through the power of imagination that we are able to make life truly magical.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagination is funny
The concept of imagination is interesting and amusing.
It makes the cloudy day sunny
Imagination can change one's perspective on things and make a negative situation more positive.
Makes the bee think of honey
Imagination can inspire thoughts of pleasant things like a bee's desire for honey.
Just as I think of you
The singer's imagination is focused on the person she loves.
Imagination is crazy
Imagination can distort one's perception of reality in a confusing way.
Your whole perspective gets hazy
Imagination can make it difficult to see things clearly or with a rational mindset.
Starts you asking a daisy
Imagination can lead to talking to nature or inanimate objects to try to find answers.
What to do, what to do
The singer is unsure of how to proceed based on the confusion created by her imagination.
Have you ever felt the gentle touch
The singer introduces a scenario where tangible experiences can be confused with the power of imagination.
And then a kiss, and then, and then
The imagined experience can continue and escalate.
Find it's only your imagination again
The singer realizes that what she felt was not real but a figment of her imagination.
Oh, well
The singer expresses a sense of resignation or acceptance of the limitations of imagination.
Imagination is silly
The idea of imagination is seen as foolish and unwise.
You go around willy-nilly
Imagination can cause one to act impulsively or without a clear direction.
For example, I go around wanting you
The singer's imagination is focused on her desires for the person she loves.
And yet I can't imagine that you want me too
The singer recognizes that her imagination may not be an accurate reflection of reality, and is uncertain if her affections are returned.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW GEORGE GABRIEL, CORY CHARLES LERIOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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