June Christy
Encyclopedia
June Christy born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz
genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra
. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool
. After her death, she was hailed as "one of the finest and most neglected singers of her time."
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 quarantine
d in Chicago with scarlet fever
.
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.
. 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 Alan Young Show (1950), The Jack Carter Show (1950), Penthouse Party (1951), The Jackie Gleason Show
(1953), The Tonight Show
(1955), The Nat King Cole Show
(1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show
(1959), Playboy's Penthouse (1961), The Lively Ones
(1963), The Mike Douglas Show
(1965), Not Only But Also (1965) 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."
.
, 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
. Her final performance came in 1988 sharing the stage with Chet Baker
. Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final LP, Impromptu.
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.
Cool jazz
Cool is a style of modern jazz music that arose following the Second World War. It is characterized by its relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the bebop style that preceded it...
genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool
Something Cool
Something Cool is a studio album recorded by June Christy in 1953, 1954, and 1955, and featuring Christy singing 11 jazz songs backed by the orchestra of Pete Rugolo...
. After her death, she was hailed as "one of the finest and most neglected singers of her time."
Early life
Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
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
Boyd Raeburn
Albert Boyd Raeburn was an American jazz bandleader and bass saxophonist.Boyd Raeburn was born in Faith, South Dakota, and became one of the greatest and least-known of jazz bandleaders during the 1940s...
. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the same time Christy was quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
d in Chicago with scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
.
Work with Stan Kenton's Orchestra
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'DayAnita O'Day
Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
had left Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
'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
Tampico (song)
"Tampico" is a popular song, written in 1945 by Gene Roland and produced by Stan Kenton. The song gave June Christy a top-ten hit in 1945, peaking at #6 on the Billboard charts...
" in 1945, and "How High the Moon
How High the Moon
"How High the Moon" is a jazz standard with lyrics by Nancy Hamilton and music by Morgan Lewis. It was first featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show, where it was sung by Alfred Drake and Frances Comstock....
". "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.
Solo career
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete RugoloPete Rugolo
Pietro "Pete" Rugolo was an Italian-born jazz composer and arranger.-Life and career:Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily, Italy. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settled in Santa Rosa, California...
. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool
Something Cool
Something Cool is a studio album recorded by June Christy in 1953, 1954, and 1955, and featuring Christy singing 11 jazz songs backed by the orchestra of Pete Rugolo...
, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper
Bob Cooper (musician)
Bob Cooper was a West Coast jazz musician known primarily for playing tenor saxophone, but also for being one of the first to play solos on oboe. He worked in Stan Kenton's band starting in 1945 and married the band's singer June Christy...
and alto saxophonist Bud Shank
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
. 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
The Misty Miss Christy
The Misty Miss Christy is a 1956 studio album by June Christy. Christy sings several jazz standards, along with a few lesser-known tunes, all arranged by Pete Rugolo, who also conducted the orchestra, which actually consisted of different combinations of musicians assembled on different recording...
.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz
Adventures in Jazz
Adventures in Jazz is a 1949 CBS television show. The program was broadcast live, showcasing jazz musicians and singers. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and June Christy made appearances on the short-lived series....
(1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Alan Young Show (1950), The Jack Carter Show (1950), Penthouse Party (1951), The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
(1953), The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
(1955), The Nat King Cole Show
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
(1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
(1959), Playboy's Penthouse (1961), The Lively Ones
The Lively Ones
The Lively Ones were an American instrumental surf rock band active in Southern California in the 1960s. They played live mostly in California and Arizona. They recorded for Del-Fi records with production from Bob Keane...
(1963), The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
(1965), Not Only But Also (1965) and The Joey Bishop Show
The Joey Bishop Show
The Joey Bishop Show is the title of the following shows which starred American comic actor Joey Bishop:* The Joey Bishop Show , American situation comedy, broadcast by NBC and CBS...
(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
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. 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
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
. 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."
Personal life
Christy was married to Bob Cooper. In 1954, she gave birth to a daughter, Shay Cooper. Christy's nephew claims that although she was agnostic, she was very well versed in religion and philosophy, identifying at least partially with BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
Later years and death
Christy mostly retired from the music business in 1969. In 19721972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, 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
Shorty Rogers
Milton “Shorty” Rogers , born Milton Rajonsky in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played both the trumpet and flugelhorn, and was in demand for his skills as an arranger. Rogers worked first as a professional musician with Will Bradley and...
. Her final performance came in 1988 sharing the stage with Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
. Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final LP, Impromptu.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
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.
Discography
| Release date | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Something Cool Something Cool Something Cool is a studio album recorded by June Christy in 1953, 1954, and 1955, and featuring Christy singing 11 jazz songs backed by the orchestra of Pete Rugolo... (10" LP) |
Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
| 1955 | Something Cool (12" LP) | Capitol Records |
| May 5, 1955 | Duet | Capitol Records |
| July 30, 1956 | The Misty Miss Christy The Misty Miss Christy The Misty Miss Christy is a 1956 studio album by June Christy. Christy sings several jazz standards, along with a few lesser-known tunes, all arranged by Pete Rugolo, who also conducted the orchestra, which actually consisted of different combinations of musicians assembled on different recording... |
Capitol Records |
| 1957 | Fair and Warmer! Fair and Warmer! Fair and Warmer! is a 1957 studio album by singer June Christy. The songs were all arranged by Pete Rugolo, and players on the record include the well-known jazz musicians Don Fagerquist on trumpet, trombonist Frank Rosolino, altoist Bud Shank, and tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper ; none of the notable... |
Capitol Records |
| 1957 | Gone for the Day Gone for the Day Gone for the Day is a 1957 studio album by singer June Christy. The songs were all arranged by her longtime collaborator Pete Rugolo.Gone for the Day was repackaged and released on August 25, 1998 as a part of a 2-albums-on-1-CD release along with Fair and Warmer!.- Track listing :#"It's So... |
Capitol Records |
| 1958 | This Is June Christy | Capitol Records |
| 1958 | June's Got Rhythm | Capitol Records |
| 1958 | The Song Is June! The Song Is June! The Song Is June! is a 1958 album by June Christy recorded with Pete Rugolo’s Orchestra. It was re-issued in 1997 as a double-CD together with Off-Beat.-Track listing:# “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” – 4:13... |
Capitol Records |
| 1959 | Recalls Those Kenton Days Recalls Those Kenton Days Recalls Those Kenton Days — A 1959 album by June Christy of tunes she sang with her days with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, arranged by Pete Rugolo.The album was re-issued in 2001 as a double-CD together with This is June Christy.... |
Capitol Records |
| 1959 | Ballads for Night People Ballads for Night People Ballads for Night People is a 1959 album by jazz vocalist June Christy.# “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” # “Night People” # “Do Nothing till You Hear from Me”... |
Capitol Records |
| 1960 | The Cool School The Cool School The Cool School is a 1960 album by June Christy of songs sung by children the world over accompanied by the Joe Castro Quartet. June’s daughter Shay was pictured on the LP/CD cover wearing a blue smock.... |
Capitol Records |
| 1960 | Something Cool (rerecorded in stereo) | Capitol Records |
| 1960 | Off-Beat Off-Beat Off-Beat is a 1960 album by American jazz vocalist June Christy, arranged and conducted by Pete Rugolo.The tracks on this album were included in a 1997 double-CD re-issue under the title The Song Is June!.# “Remind Me”... |
Capitol Records |
| 1961 | Do-Re-Mi Do-Re-Mi (June Christy album) Do-Re-Mi is a 1961 jazz album by June Christy and Bob Cooper, consisting of selections from the Broadway musical Do Re Mi, written by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolf Green... (with Bob Cooper) |
Capitol Records |
| 1961 | This Time of Year | Capitol Records |
| 1962 | Big Band Specials Big Band Specials Big Band Specials .# “You Came a Long Way from St... |
Capitol Records |
| 1963 | The Intimate Miss Christy The Intimate Miss Christy The Intimate Miss Christy - a 1963 June Christy album.# “Spring Is Here” # “Fly Me to the Moon” # “I Fall in Love Too Easily” # “Time After Time”... |
Capitol Records |
| 1965 | Something Broadway, Something Latin Something Broadway, Something Latin Something Broadway, Something Latin ). For the CD version a bonus ”singles” track was added... |
Capitol Records |
| 1977 | Impromptu Impromptu (June Christy album) Impromptu - June Christy with The Lou Levy SextetJune Christy’s final album, recorded in 1977.# "My Shining Hour" – 3:20# "Once Upon a Summertime" – 4:47... (with The Lou Levy Lou Levy Lou Levy may refer to:*Lou Levy , American music publisher who played a key role in the careers of some of the most famous songwriters... Sextet) |
Interplay Records |
| 1986 | A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (album) A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening # “A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening” # “From This Moment On”... (airchecks) |
Jasmine Records Jasmine Records - History :The label was founded in 1982 as part of Hasmick Promotions. The label began by issuing LPs and cassettes of jazz and popular vocalists, but diversified to country and western in 1985. In 1990, the label released their first compact disc.... |
| 1994 | Uncollected June Christy with the Kentones 1946 | Hindsight Hindsight Record Company Hindsight Records is a record company based on original recordings from the Big Band era by Wally Heider. Rights to the Hindsight catalogue were acquired from Wally Heider by Thomas Gramuglia in 1979... |
| 1995 | Day Dreams Day Dreams (June Christy album) Day Dreams is an album collecting examples of jazz vocalist June Christy's 78-rpm and 45-rpm recordings from the 1940s and 1950s, mostly from her pre-Something Cool days.-Track listing:... (compilation, 1947–1955) |
Capitol Records |
| 1995 | Through the Years | Hindsight |
| 1995 | Spotlight on June Christy | Capitol Records |
| 1998 | June Christy with The Johnny Guarnieri Johnny Guarnieri Johnny Guarnieri was an American virtuoso jazz and stride pianist, born in New York City, perhaps best known for his big band stints with Benny Goodman in 1939 and with Artie Shaw in 1940... Quintet |
Jasmine Records |
| 2002 | Cool Christy Cool Christy Cool Christy is a 2002 double-CD compilation of recordings by jazz vocalist June Christy from 1945 to 1951.Disc One# "Tampico" # "It's Been a Long, Long Time"... (compilation, 1945–1951) |
Proper Records Ltd |
External links
- [ June Christy] at AllMusic
- June Christy at IMDB
- June Christy at last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
- June Christy at NNDBNNDBThe Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, the same entity that produces Rotten, Daily Rotten, Dr. Sputnik's Society Pages and Penny Postcards, is an online database of biographical details of over 36,000 people of note...