Julie London

Julie London was a glamorous American jazz singer and actress who had a big hit with the single 'Cry Me a River' in 1955 and recorded many other standards in the American Songbook that have sustained her popularity amongst aficionados to this day. Her beauty and soft, smoky singing voice led to fame and fortune and she appeared opposite some of the top male stars of the time in feature films and had a lasting career on American television.

Born in a Los Angeles suburb to parents who formed a song-and-dance team, she sang on their radio show as a child and at 18 landed a screen test in Hollywood. She sang with the Matty Malnech Orchestra until 1947 when she married TV producer and star Jack Webb, who became famous for the crime show 'Dragnet'. After having two daughters she returned to singing and made movies including 'Saddle the Wind' (1958) opposite Robert Taylor and 'Voice in the Mirror' (1958) with Richard Egan for which she sang the title songs.

Jazz band leader Bobby Troup guided her to recording success in 1955 with the massive hit 'Cry Me a River' and after they married in 1959 her success continued. She starred with considerable praise opposite Gary Cooper in 'Man of the West' (1959) and Robert Mitchum in 'The Wonderful Country' (1959). She acted in TV shows such as 'Laramie' (1960), 'Rawhide' (1960), 'The Big Valley' (1968) and starred with Troup in 126 episodes of the medical series 'Emergency' from 1972 to 1978, retiring soon afterwards. A lifelong heavy smoker, she died in Los Angeles in 2000.