Julie Budd: Singer Extraordinaire

Julie Budd is one of those enduring talents who has outlived her almost premature early success. Discovered at age 12 in the late 1960s, she played her first engagement in the Catskills that same year, and was appearing on the ‘Merv Griffin Show’ six months later; she subsequently became a fixture on the talk show and supper club circuits. She routinely received standing ovations. Since that phenomenal reception in 1968, Julie has continued to command with her own cabaret shows, and in show rooms and symphonic halls as well as in her many recordings of pop songs, show music and lush standards. Julie Budd continues to be a force to be reckoned with.


Julie's vocal skills were tapped into quite early. While participating in (and winning) a talent contest in the Catskill Mountains, the 12-year-old singing prodigy was spotted by producer/arranger Herb Bernstein, who would become her longtime friend, conductor, pianist, songwriter and mentor. It would not be long before the girl with the throbbing, powerful belt was dubbed "The Mini-Girl with the Maxi-Voice." Signed to a recording contract with MGM, she released her first album at age 13 with 1968's ‘Child of Plenty’ and was pointed towards TV starting with Merv Griffin who was impressed after Bernstein sent him Julie's demo.


Steered for a time by Griffin after her 1968 TV debut on his program, where she made about 40 Griffin appearances in all, Julie proceeded to become a regular fixture on the variety and talk show circuit of the time ‘Della,’ ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ ‘The Kraft Music Hall,’ ‘The Jim Nabors Show,’ ‘The Carol Burnett Show,’ ‘The David Frost Show,’ ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ The teen phenom went on to serve as the opening act for such top entertainment icons as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bill Cosby, Joan Rivers, George Burns and Liberace. Around this time Julie was asked to sing the title song for the film Living Free in 1972. 




While the transition from child to adult star can be a rocky and often unsuccessful road, the grown-up Julie, having endured the expected ups and downs of a career, remains the showstopper she has always been and has an extremely devoted following. Considered one of the great Amerian female singers still performing today, she continues to tour the club and concert circuit with her own one-woman shows both here in venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Algonquin Hotel, Savoy Room, various Las Vegas/Atlantic City show rooms and occasionally abroad at the The London Palladium and the Israeli Arts Center.


While Julie has branched out on occasion into acting work both on stage and in film, she prefers "live" concerts where she can feel her audience. As for film, she had a showy vehicle in the Disney film feature ‘The Devil and Max Devlin’ in 1981, co-starring with Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby in which she sang ‘Any Fools Can See’ and, what would become her signature song, ‘Roses and Rainbows.’  Julie would not make another film until decades later when she played the minor role of a Brooklyn mother in ‘Two Lovers’ in 2008 which starred Joaquin Phoenix, Isabella Rossellini and Gwyneth Paltrow.


Known for her grandly theatrical and emotionally vibrant performances, Julie enjoyed an enduring working relationship with conductor/composer/musical director Marvin Hamlisch that lasted until his death in August of 2012. It was Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager who wrote Julie's movie theme song ‘Roses and Rainbows.’  She has also been from time to time back in the recording studio with her albums, ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘The New Classics.’  Julie has performed as a soloist with such other preeminent classical orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony, The Austin Symphony, the Philadelphia Pops, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.




AM:  Julie, you have been working more these days haven’t you?  Is this because you are wanting to or is it just happening?


JB:   Sometimes I wonder , if anything just happens? What I mean is...this is a business , just like any other business.  You  need to work real hard, devoting yourself fully to your work, and I think as a result of that, things begin to change.  Not only do things change….but, YOU change.  And then, the people around you see the change.  And all of a sudden…new experiences begin to appear and open up for you, because it sparks the growth.


AM:  You never stopped working either, did you?


JB: I have been very lucky.  I have always worked. But, the truth is...this business is crazy.  Any artist can have times when all you do is work, work, work and then, all of a sudden there are times when you say, “Why am I not working more?”  It's just nuts, but  truly at the end of the day I think that when you put in the efforts, you get the results.


AM:  Can you tell me something about the new album you are recording?


JB:  Yes! I am so excited about this recording. I know that when everyone is in a new project, they tend to say, "Oh... this is my best work." But You know what?  It is my best work!




AM:  Why is it your best so far?


JB: It is the culmination of everything that I have been doing and working on.  It is all of the years of singing and performing, and it all shows up in these performances.


AM:  I’m so excited to hear it!


JB:  I'm so excited to share with you and all...real soon.  Herb Bernstein, my long time orchestrator and conductor, was so at the top of his game, in his orchestrations and arrangements.  The man is just brilliant, and he really knows me.


AM:  Did you enjoy being a child prodigy/star?


JB:  Such an interesting question! No one ever asked me that. The truth is, as a young little girl, since I began at 12, working as I did, along side the greatest legends in our industry, I never saw myself that way.  And it kind of feels odd to even think of it that way now.  Even though the truth is I was a child prodigy.  I had a real life with a real family and a real home life and bless them, parents who never pushed me to be in this business.


AM:  So was it all you?


JB:  It was all my desire, believe me, not my parents idea.  Lucky for me, I was guided all the way with the love and encouragement from them.  I was really just a plain kid, training all the time.



AM:  So you were an artist who took her craft and talent seriously.


JB:  I owe so much to my teachers, Lydia Summers and Willard Young.  Again, plain people with one goal in mind, to keep my instrument on target and to keep me grounded as an artist as well.


AM:  Did you realize your life was special and a little different?


JB:  I knew I was having this extraordinary life, but it was my life and the only thing I knew.  It felt natural to me.  I even kept all of my old friends from Brooklyn even to this day!




AM:  Sounds like you’ve always had a lot of fun too.


JB:  Yes, I enjoyed it tremendously, but I worked harder than you could imagine balancing  school, travel, training and rehearsals.  There was a huge amount of pressure.  Somehow I got through it all, and I stayed out of trouble too!


AM:  You have been blessed to work with entertainment legends like Sinatra, Marvin Hamlisch and Liberace, just to name a few.  How does it make you feel today when you are still so vital and many of them are gone?


JB:  When I think of it sometimes, it is heart breaking.  I was so connected to these people, especially Liberace, and now with the passing of Marvin…sometimes I cannot even believe that he is gone.  I think of Frank Sinatra and all of the screaming fans and how wonderful he was to me.  Because I am very vital and I am still in my prime, I take them on stage with me every night.  I hope they would be proud.  Believe me…I do!


AM:  I know they would be proud!  If you saw the recent Liberace bio movie, what did you think of it?




JB:  Oh My Gosh...You cannot believe how absolutely horrible that was, not just for me, but for anyone who really really knew Lee.  It is so frightening to think that anyone can write a book.  Anyone can say anything they want and because they wrote it and they released it, people will believe it all.  And who is there to defend you??  No one!  And did anyone ever bother to look at the source?  Who wrote this book?  Please, please OYE!  Don't get me started!


AM:  Do you ever feel pressure about living up to your stellar reputation as a vocal artist?


JB: That is so lovely of you to say.  Thank you so much.  All I can say is ego kills more voices.  You must always remain the student and thank you again!


AM:  When you were on the ‘Merv Griffin Show’ all the time, you constantly received standing ovations and I know you still get them.  Do you expect it now or is it still a thrill when the audience stands up?


JB: Not only is it a total thrill when the audience stands for you, it is a thrill when they have chosen to buy a ticket for my show!  Remember, people have so many choices for entertainment these days. If they are going to choose you, be humble and grateful.  Standing is a beautiful  gesture from an audience.  They are giving you the ultimate  gift of thanks. It will always be a grand thrill for me...always!


AM:  What’s it like to play Carnagie Hall?  It seems like it might be surreal.


JB:  Oh yes!  It certainly is!!  Think of it...all of the grand artists that have been in that hall before you and there you are!  That little kid from Brooklyn with a  dream.  And Now...YOU are there!
How lucky and how wonderful that it can happen.  That's what hard work…and Mazel can do.




AM:  Are you still teaching master classes?


JB:  Yes I am, every opportunity that I can.  I teach a few students in NYC privately and I also do ‘Mater classes’ all over the country. Teaching is terrific and if you are paying attention, it makes YOU a better student too and a much better artist.


AM:  What is the first bit of advice you give up and coming singers?


JB:  Art is a process.  Everyone has a very different learning curve and depending on who it is, the thoughts and observations can change tremendously.  We all need different help at different times. Anyone can feel stuck at times.  And this business can make even the most gifted feel lost.  We all know that feeling.  And believe me, it has nothing to do with starting out.  Some of the most acclaimed artists have the biggest fears.  Doubt is something that resides in all of us.  We must learn to work through our moments of confusion or the unkindness and harshness of this industry.  Stay in your faith and work hard. Keep your eye on the ball.


AM:  Have you accomplished all your professional goals?


JB:  Absolutely not!!!  Every day I am washed with thoughts and flooded with creative projects that I need to work on.  I would love to do more film work.  I have loved the recording process and want to do more.  I want to continue my writing and teaching.  Oh my dear, I will be doing this, Please GOD, for a long time!  I am going to be one busy old lady!


AM:  What is your day to day regular life like when you aren’t performing?


JB:  Truthfully, I am really a homebody.  I can be home for days at a time and not need to talk to anyone!  I love to cook.  I love to have family and friends at my house.  Never ask me to sing at a party.  I would rather disappear in the back of the room and just enjoy the songs of another.  But I regret that I don't have the opportunity to enjoy that as much as I would like to.  It just always seems like even if I am not performing there is business to tend to.  Remember, this is still an industry and we are in it like little workers always preparing for that next concert or the next tour.  Always planning ahead for the new season. But, as of late, I have learned to take more of my moments.  I have learned that everything is not always about singing and dancing.  Sometimes it's just a delicious pot roast with my family.