It has been said that the records of singer and actress Julie London
were purchased for their provocative, full-color cover photographs as
frequently as they were for the music contained in their grooves. During
the 1950s and '60s, her piercing blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and
shapely figure were used to sell the world an image of cool sexuality.
The contrast between image and reality, the public and the private, is
at the heart of Julie London's story. Through years of research;
extensive interviews with family, friends, and musical associates; and
access to rarely seen or heard archival material, author Michael Owen
reveals the impact of her image on the direction of her career and how
it influenced the choices she made, including the ultimate decision to
walk away from performing.
Go Slow follows Julie London's life and career through its many
stages: her transformation from 1940s movie starlet to coolly defiant
singer of the classic torch ballad "Cry Me a River" of the '50s, and her
journey from Las Vegas hotel entertainer during the rock 'n' roll
revolution of the '60s to the no-nonsense nurse of the '70s hit
television series Emergency!