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.
This Time of Year
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hot fire's bright and Church bells ringing
Hands to hold
Hearts feeling light and lover's clinging
This time of year
With its holiday style
Makes it easy for a while
Til the night is near
This time of year
I feel better alone
I ignore the telephone
What's the use, of making all thee old excuses
Friends don't care to hear
So I sit and listen
To the party going on next door
I admit, that I thought twice
Before deciding not to go
The laughter sounds so nice
I'll just stay here
I'm a lost in a crowd
There's no loneliness allowed
And a ball, so like a Christmas Cinderella
Trading in her fella and her dreams
I'll spend a quite fireplace evening
With lonesome ice cubed chill
And I'll forget you
Just as I forget you
This time of every year
The song "This Time Of Year" by June Christy is a ballad that expresses a range of emotions that one experiences during the holiday season. The lyrics reflect conflicting feelings of warmth, happiness, loneliness, and despair, sensitively capturing the different responses to the celebratory time. The opening stanza speaks about the contrast between the cold weather and the warmth of a bright fire, which further amplifies the feeling of togetherness that the holiday season brings. However, the singer also acknowledges that these feelings are fleeting and are only true for the duration of the holiday season. When the season is over, the reflection on what one has lost surfaces.
The second stanza is a testament to the emotional turmoil that the season brings in the singer's life. The holiday season that seems so welcoming and inclusive also makes them feel better alone. The singer refuses to answer the phone and feels isolated despite being surrounded by friends. The party next door also serves as a reminder of the memories that they are no longer part of. The sense of despair is palpable and the lyrics expertly capture the melancholy of the singer's innermost feelings. The final stanza is about acceptance, where the singer is resigned to spending the evening with a bottle of alcohol by the fireplace, reminiscing about someone they've lost in the past. Despite the painful memory that the holiday evokes, the singer knows that this too shall pass and that they'll forget about it in time.
Line by Line Meaning
Weather cold
The temperature is low
Hot fire's bright and Church bells ringing
Amidst the cold weather, the fire is providing warmth and the church bells are ringing, possibly signaling the holiday season.
Hands to hold
There are people to hold hands with, possibly a loved one or family member.
Hearts feeling light and lover's clinging
During this time, people feel happy and in love with their significant other.
This time of year
Referring to the holiday season, particularly towards the end of the year.
With its holiday style
The time of year is characterized by festive decorations and celebrations.
Makes it easy for a while
The holiday season is a welcome distraction from the everyday stresses and worries.
To pretend, that nothing but a year is ending
It's easy to forget about the difficulties of the year and focus on the joy of the holidays.
Til the night is near
However, as the night approaches, things may not be as cheerful.
I feel better alone
The singer feels more content being by herself.
I ignore the telephone
She doesn't want to talk to anyone, separating herself from society.
What's the use, of making all thee old excuses
She sees no point in trying to explain her absence to anyone.
Friends don't care to hear
Even if she tried to explain, she feels that her friends wouldn't understand.
So I sit and listen
To avoid the crowd, she chooses to stay at home and listen to sounds from her surroundings.
To the party going on next door
Even though she's not part of it, she can hear the noise from a party next door.
I admit, that I thought twice
The singer initially considered going to the party, but ultimately decided not to.
Before deciding not to go
She ultimately decided that staying home was a better choice for her.
The laughter sounds so nice
She can hear the laughter and excitement from the party next door and wishes she were a part of it.
I'll just stay here
She has made the decision to stay at home for the night.
I'm a lost in a crowd
Despite being alone, the singer feels lost amidst the chaos of the holiday season.
There's no loneliness allowed
During the holiday season, everyone is supposed to be happy and surrounded by loved ones, and feeling lonely is frowned upon.
And a ball, so like a Christmas Cinderella
The reference to a ball (possibly referring to a New Year's Eve party) alludes to the idea of magical, romantic moments during the holiday season, like in the story of Cinderella.
Trading in her fella and her dreams
The singer is giving up the idea of having a significant other or achieving her dreams during this time of year, instead choosing to be alone.
I'll spend a quite fireplace evening
She plans on spending a calm, peaceful night by the fireplace.
With lonesome ice cubed chill
Although she tries to create a cozy atmosphere, she still feels the chill of being alone and lonely.
And I'll forget you
The singer may be referring to a past relationship or emotional baggage that she wants to ignore for the time being.
Just as I forget you
She has forgotten this person before during this same time of year.
This time of every year
The singer experiences these emotions and feelings every year during the holiday season.
Writer(s): Cliff Owens, Jesse Hollis
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.