Julie London

Julie London (September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress who was known for her smoky, sensual voice and role as Nurse Dixie McCall RN on the television show Emergency! (1972 - 1977).

Career as a Singer

Julie London began singing in public in her teens, prior to her first movie appearance. She was discovered by Sue Carol (wife of Alan Ladd) while London was working as an elevator operator. Her early film career did not include any singing parts.

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Her professional singing career began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles and she recorded 32 albums. She was named one of Billboard's most popular female vocalists for 1955, 1956, and 1957. In 1957, she was the subject of a Life magazine cover article in which 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 oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - ''Life'' magazine

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Among her most famous singles are the million selling "Cry Me a River" (penned by her high school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Bobby Troup); "No Moon at All"; "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"; and "Two Sleepy People". Songs such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and sensual. The lyrics strongly suggest sex but never explicitly define it:

Related Topics:
Cry Me a River - Arthur Hamilton - Bobby Troup

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Go slow, oooooh honey, take it easy on the curves;

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When love is slow, oooooh honey, what a tonic for my nerves.

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Go slow, oooooh honey, we've got such a lot of time;

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When love is slow, oooooh honey, how the mercury does climb.

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Her whispered "you make me feel so good" at the end is breathy and suggests a sexually satisfied partner.

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