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.
Nobody's Heart
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hiegh ho, who cares
Nobody writes his songs for me
No one belongs to me
That's the least of my cares
I may be sad at times
And disinclined to play
To go your own sweet way
Nobody's arms belong to me
No arms feel strong to me
I admire the moon as a moon, just a moon
Nobody's heart belongs to me today
The lyrics of the song "Nobody's Heart" convey a sense of independence and self-reliance. The singer is stating that nobody's heart belongs to her, meaning she is not tied down to anyone or dependent on anyone for her happiness. She is okay with not having anyone write songs for her or belong to her. The lyrics convey a sense of freedom, and the singer acknowledges that sometimes it's okay to be sad and disinterested in things, but it's also important to go your own way and not rely on others for your happiness or well-being.
The line "I admire the moon as a moon, just a moon" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the singer is content with admiring something for what it simply is, without the need for any more than that. The moon is just the moon, and she is okay with that. The song speaks to the idea that society often puts pressure on people to be in relationships or have someone to belong to, but the truth is that it's okay to be on your own and find contentment in yourself. The song is a reminder that nobody can truly belong to another person and that it's essential to find happiness within yourself.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody's heart belongs to me
I am currently not in a romantic relationship with anyone
Hiegh ho, who cares
I am indifferent about the fact that I am single
Nobody writes his songs for me
I don't have anyone who creates music or special moments for me
No one belongs to me
Again, I am not currently in a romantic relationship with anyone
That's the least of my cares
This doesn't bother me in the grand scheme of things
I may be sad at times
Occasionally, I may experience feelings of sorrow
And disinclined to play
During this time, I may not feel like socializing or participating in activities
But it's not bad at times
However, it is not always a negative experience
To go your own sweet way
Choosing to focus on oneself and prioritize individual needs can be valuable
Nobody's arms belong to me
I am currently not in a romantic relationship with anyone to receive physical affection from
No arms feel strong to me
I don't have anyone to lean on for emotional support
I admire the moon as a moon, just a moon
I can appreciate the beauty of the moon without feeling the need to attribute any deeper meaning to it
Nobody's heart belongs to me today
In the present moment, I am still not in a romantic relationship with anyone
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind