Julie London on Weekly Southern Video
"As a teenager of the 1940s, she was described as the young Bette Davis, "that London was provocative, very different", while in the 1950s, she was described as "the magnificently assembled blonde child."
Julie London was an American actress and singer, who in her private and public life, was equal parts actress, mother, and profane broad, stunning feminine ideal and sultry chanteuse. She was a well-regarded jazz singer with a smoky, sensual voice and a gift for lyrical interpretation. London was married to Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. Both shared a mutual love for jazz. They divorced and she later married jazz composer Bobby Troup.
London began her career as a pin-up model, popular with the G.I.’s in WWII. She made films and then finished her acting career with the popular early seventies TV show “Emergency.” It was as a singer, however, that she will most likely be remembered.
Julie London never had the chops of an Ella Fitzgerald or a Sarah Vaughn; however, what she lacked in vocal muscle was made up for by a natural sensuality and intimacy that made her popular with serious jazz fans and the public alike.
In an interview from the 1950’s, she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
It was more than that. She made damned good records, chose music that was perfect for her and wasn’t afraid to take risks. Weekly Southern Video is happy to pay tribute to Julie London.
Julie London was an American actress and singer, who in her private and public life, was equal parts actress, mother, and profane broad, stunning feminine ideal and sultry chanteuse. She was a well-regarded jazz singer with a smoky, sensual voice and a gift for lyrical interpretation. London was married to Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. Both shared a mutual love for jazz. They divorced and she later married jazz composer Bobby Troup.
London began her career as a pin-up model, popular with the G.I.’s in WWII. She made films and then finished her acting career with the popular early seventies TV show “Emergency.” It was as a singer, however, that she will most likely be remembered.
Julie London never had the chops of an Ella Fitzgerald or a Sarah Vaughn; however, what she lacked in vocal muscle was made up for by a natural sensuality and intimacy that made her popular with serious jazz fans and the public alike.
In an interview from the 1950’s, she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
It was more than that. She made damned good records, chose music that was perfect for her and wasn’t afraid to take risks. Weekly Southern Video is happy to pay tribute to Julie London.