Happy birthday Meredith Monk, Don Braden & Geoffrey Keezer and we remember June Christy, the epitome of vocal cool. Born Shirley Luster in Springfield, IL, she began singing early on and appeared with a local society band during high school. She moved to Chicago in the early 40s, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. In 1945, after hearing that Anita ODay had just left Stan Kentons Orchestra, she auditioned for the role and got it early that year. Despite an early resemblance (physically and vocally) to ODay, the singer -- renamed June Christy -- soon found her own style: a warm, chipper voice that stretched out beautifully and enlivened Kentons crossover novelties (Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy, the million-selling Tampico) as well as the leaders intricately arranged standards (How High the Moon). As she became more and more popular within the Kenton band, arranger Pete Rugolo began writing charts with her style especially in mind. After the Kenton orchestra broke up in 1948, Christy worked the nightclub circuit for awhile before reuniting with Kenton for his 1950 Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra, a very modern 40-piece group that toured America. She had already debuted as a solo act the year before, recording for Capitol with a group led by her husband, Kenton tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper. Something Cool Christys debut LP for Capitol in 1954 hit the Top 20 album charts in America
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 08:06:19 +0000
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