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).
Born in Santa Rosa, California, as Gayle Peck, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who had a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was 14, they moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from Hollywood Professional High School in 1944.
She was married to Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. Her obvious beauty and self-poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted with his pedestrian appearance and stiff-as-a-board acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from his love for jazz music; their marriage lasted from 1947 to 1953. They had two children, including a daughter who survived her. In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup. They married on December 31, 1959; only his death in 1999 ended their marriage. Together, they had three children.
She suffered a stroke in 1995 and was in poor health until her death in Encino, California, at the age of 74, survived by four of her children.
Man of the West (1958)
