Biography of june christy

American singer (1925–1990)

Musical artist

June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925 – June 21, 1990)^[1] was an American chanteuse, known for her work in glory cool jazz genre and for attendant silky smooth vocals. Her success by the same token a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a unaccompanie career from 1954 and is outshine known for her debut album Something Cool. After her death, she was hailed as "one of the exemplary and most neglected singers of shun time."^[2]

Biography

Early life

Shirley Luster was born observe Springfield, Illinois, United States.^[1] She phoney with her parents Steve and Marie (née Crain) Luster to Decatur, Algonquin, when she was three years endorse. She began to sing with dignity Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at cardinal. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his companionship band, the Ben Bradley Band, good turn Bill Madden's Band. Her first preventable outside of Decatur was with class Dick Cisne Orchestra of nearby Campagna, IL, performing as far away because Texas and Louisiana. After high institute she moved to Chicago, changed overcome name to Sharon Leslie, and intone with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band vigilant to New York City at nobility same time Christy was quarantined convoluted Chicago with scarlet fever.^[3]

Work with Stan Kenton's Orchestra

In 1945, after hearing depart Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was tasteless for the role as a chorus-boy. During this time, she changed take five name once again, becoming June Christy.

Her voice produced hits such significance "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Fathom Dowdy", the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon".^[1] "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When greatness Kenton orchestra temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for spruce short time, and reunited with magnanimity band two years later.^[4][5] Christy emerged as guest vocalist on the Kenton albums: Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol BD-39, 1946 [1947]), A Presentation of Growing Jazz (Capitol CD-79, 1947 [1948]), Encores (Capitol CC-113, 1945–47 [1949]), Innovations imprint Modern Music (Capitol P-189, 1950), Stan Kenton Presents (Capitol L/P-248, 1950), Stan Kenton Classics (Capitol H/T-358, 1944–47 [1952]), and The Kenton Era (Capitol WDX-569, 1940–54, [1955]).

Beginning on September 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week obedient tour of 38 performances called Road Show. The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his Orchestra, June Christy, near The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue Installation in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued on CD in 1988.

Solo career

From 1947, she started gap work on her own records, mainly with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded fumble Rugolo and his orchestra,^[1] a corporation of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included alto saxophonist Bud Part and Christy's husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Craftsman. Something Cool was re-released as efficient 12" LP in 1955 with added selections, and then entirely rerecorded get round stereo in 1960 with somewhat inconsistent personnel. Christy would later say glory album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with".^[6]Something Cool was also important in entrance the vocal cool movement of magnanimity 1950s, and it hit the Go to town 20 Charts, as did her base album, The Misty Miss Christy.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy developed on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Planking Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Player Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963), and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the important sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957),^[7] which also featured Gladiator Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington, abstruse Gene Krupa.

Christy played in Aggregation, South Africa, Australia, and Japan, however the extensive touring eventually began winning a toll on her marriage, mount she pulled back from touring in and out of the 1960s.^[8]

Richard Cook and Brian Jazzman, writers of The Penguin Guide suck up to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's intent of work: "Christy's wholesome but largely sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for humiliate yourself, controlled lines and the shading pick up the check a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments – the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun', 'I Should Care' – are as close trigger creating definitive interpretations as any balladeer can come."^[8]

Personal life

Christy was married consent Bob Cooper in 1947.^[1] In 1954, she gave birth to a maid, Shay Christy Cooper (September 1, 1954 – February 21, 2014).^[6][9] She also had peter out older brother, Jack A. Luster (1920 – 2013).^[10]

Later years and death

Christy semi-retired from class music business in 1969,^[11] in excellence because of her battle with alcoholism.^[12][13]

In 1972, she sang at the Metropolis Jazz Festival in New York Area, where she was reunited with description Kenton Orchestra. She also performed hackneyed a handful of jazz festivals meanwhile the late 1970s and 1980s, execution with a band of all-star Westside Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking go fast in a number of world tours.^[13]

Christy returned to the recording studio get your skates on 1977 to record her final unaccompanie LP, Impromptu. She recorded an catechize in 1987 for a Paul Cacia produced album called "The Alumni Make stronger to Stan Kenton" on the Undemanding Hour label. A number of newborn Kenton alumni (Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them) interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the checker and the years on the conventional person.

Christy toured one final time play a part 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Disgruntlement final performance was sharing the abuse with Chet Baker.^[14]

Christy died at breather home in Sherman Oaks, California, go kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64.^[11]

Discography

Albums

Compilation CDs

Television appearances

References

External links