Julie London, the sultry-voiced nightclub and recording vocalist whose style was often called "kittenish," died Oct. 18 in Encino, CA, at the age of 74.

Ms. London had not performed since the late 1960s, but her interpretations of American pop standards and show tunes — including a recording of Cole Porter songs — are preserved on CD. She had a hit with "Cry Me a River" and is known to TV viewers as silver-haired nurse Dixie McCall on the old "Emergency!" TV series (1972-77).

Wire reports indicate her health has been failing since a stroke five years ago. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Her marriage to producer-actor Jack Webb ("Dragnet," "Emergency!") ended in divorce. Her second husband was "Emergency!" co-star Bobby Troup, an actor-musician-composer. Troup died in 1999 at the age of 80. They were married nearly 40 years.

Although she appeared on TV and in films, sometimes in grade B pictures such as "The Jungle Woman," the nightclub circuit is where Ms. London found live success, leading to her most enduring contribution — recording 32 albums, many of which are now on CD. Billboard voted her one of the top female vocalists of 1955, '56 and '57, according to wire reports. She was born Julie Peck, the daughter of vaudevillians, in Santa Rosa, CA. When her family moved to Los Angeles, she was picked by talent scouts.

She is survived by four children.

— By Kenneth Jones