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.
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I had nothing but shadows
Then one morning you passed
And I brightened at last
Now I greet the day and complete the day
With the sun in my heart
All my worry blew away
When you taught me how to say
Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street
I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But I'm not afraid
This Rover crossed over
If I never have a cent
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street
Grab your street
This song by June Christy and Stan Kenton, "On the Sunny Side of the Street", is a celebration of transformation and new beginnings. The lyrics speak to a feeling many of us experience when we are stuck in a rut, feeling weighed down by our worries and uncertainties. The singer describes walking alone, carrying nothing but shadows, until one morning when they encounter someone who brightens up their day. From that moment on, they find joy in the simple things and face the world with renewed optimism.
The chorus of the song, "Grab your coat and get your hat, leave your worry on the doorstep, just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street," is a call to action, a reminder that even if life feels difficult or uncertain, there is always a sunny side to things if we choose to look for it. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody capture this spirit of hope and resilience, making it a true classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Walked with no one and talked with no one
I was alone and had no one to talk to.
And I had nothing but shadows
My life was filled with darkness and sadness.
Then one morning you passed
But one day, you came into my life.
And I brightened at last
You brought light into my life.
Now I greet the day and complete the day
Now I wake up happy and end my day happy.
With the sun in my heart
I am filled with joy and happiness.
All my worry blew away
All my worries disappeared.
When you taught me how to say
You taught me to be positive and optimistic.
Grab your coat and get your hat
Get ready to go out and enjoy life.
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Don't bring your troubles with you.
Just direct your feet
Focus on moving forward in a positive way.
To the sunny side of the street
To the place where life is happy and optimistic.
Can't you hear a pitter-pat?
Can't you feel the excitement building?
And that happy tune is your step
And your footsteps are filled with joy and positivity.
Life can be so sweet
Life can be wonderful and full of joy.
On the sunny side of the street
If we look at life positively, everything will be great.
I used to walk in the shade
I used to be negative and pessimistic.
With those blues on parade
My sadness was always on display.
But I'm not afraid
But now I am not scared.
This Rover crossed over
I have moved to the sunny, happy side of life.
If I never have a cent
Even if I never have any money.
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
I would still feel wealthy and happy.
Gold dust at my feet
I feel like I have everything I need to be happy.
On the sunny side of the street
On the happy, positive side of life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tzal39
Yes, June Christy! great pipes, great tune......the good old days.
Joe hallen
I LOVE THIS. MAGNIFICENT!!
leonard Polito
What a treat. Where did you find this magnificent gem. Fantastic.
Pierre Bergeron
J'aime beaucoup. merci
Glint
Grab your coat and grab your hat
Leave your worries on the door step
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street
Don't you hear that pitter-pat
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street
I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But now I'm not afraid
This rover's crossed over
If I never had a cent
I'd be as rich, as rich as Rockefeller
Cause I've got my feet
On the sunny side of the street
Richard Prosapio
Indeed. We can use a LOT of sunny side walking these days (keeping June's voice in our heads at the same time!)
anfiorsceal
aah, lovely!
soapbxprod
Stan and June... BLISS
John Horne
I did't know June was with Stan that early?