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.
Robins and Roses
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A few morning glories, a cottage two stories high
Robins and roses, and your love for me
To live on forever, and my love to never die
A place where neighbors may drop in
And smile when they see
We can add to their glee serving afternoon tea
Mid robins and roses, and then life will be
A poem by Kipling, while troubles go rippling by.
The lyrics to June Christy's song Robins and Roses depict a dream of a perfect life with a lover in a cottage surrounded by nature. The image of robins, roses, and a tree all evoke a sense of peace and tranquility. The few morning glories may represent the small things in life that bring joy, and the two-story cottage may symbolize a life full of dreams and possibilities. The line "your love for me" suggests that the person singing the song wants to share this perfect life with someone they love, and they hope their love will live on forever.
The lyrics also suggest a desire for a close-knit community. The line "a place where neighbors may drop in" implies an open-door policy and a welcoming attitude towards others. The armchair to flop in and serving afternoon tea add to the sense of hospitality and warmth. These lyrics evoke an idyllic image of a simple life, free from troubles and worries.
Overall, Robins and Roses is a song about finding happiness in life's simple pleasures and sharing that happiness with others. It's a dream of a life that's full of love, peace, and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Robins and roses, and maybe a tree
The natural surroundings of the place we dream of - the robins, roses and tree.
A few morning glories, a cottage two stories high
The place we dream of - a small and cozy cottage with a beautiful garden of morning glories and two stories.
Robins and roses, and your love for me
Apart from the natural beauty, the place is adorned with my partner's love for me which keeps us both going.
To live on forever, and my love to never die
Our love for each other is true and eternal, it will never fade away with time.
A place where neighbors may drop in
Our dream place is open and welcoming to our neighbors.
And smile when they see
We want our neighbors to feel happy whenever they see us or visit our place.
An armchair to flop in
We want a comfortable armchair to relax in after a long and tiring day.
We can add to their glee serving afternoon tea
We want to share our happiness and joy with our neighbors by serving them afternoon tea and making their day better.
Mid robins and roses, and then life will be
Amidst all the natural beauty, the little things in life which bring us joy - we will be content.
A poem by Kipling, while troubles go rippling by.
Life will be a beautiful experience, where we can appreciate art from great poets like Kipling while not letting any troubles come in our way.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: E LESLIE, J. BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind