Judy Bailey (pianist)
Judy Bailey | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bailey in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Judith Mary Bailey |
| Born | 3 October 1935 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Died | 8 August 2025 (aged 89) Willoughby, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Jazz, soundtrack, children's music, third stream |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Piano |
| Labels |
|
Judith Mary Bailey OAM (3 October 1935 – 8 August 2025) was a New Zealand-born pianist, classical jazz musician, composer and lecturer who lived in Australia from 1960.
Life and career
Bailey was born in Auckland on 3 October 1935,[1] and raised in Whangārei. As a young child she learned ballet, followed by piano and theory when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Trinity College London when she was 16.
Bailey moved to Australia in 1960,[2] spending most of her time in Sydney.[3] She performed on TV, music venues such as the El Rocco, and on many recordings.[2]
She served with Tommy Tycho's orchestra on the Seven Network.[4]
Bailey was a senior lecturer in jazz composition and jazz piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music[2] where she commenced in 1973, and was also musical director of the Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble (Jazz Connection).[5]
In 1973, Bailey became the pianist on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation children's radio show Kindergarten, which often featured presenters from Play School[6]
In 2017, rapper Rick Ross with producer Bink sampled Bailey's "Colour of My Dreams" from the Judy Bailey Quartet album Colours. The sample was used on Ross's track "Santorini Greece" on the album Rather You Than Me.[7]
Bailey was a represented artist of the Australian Music Centre.[8]
She died in Willoughby, New South Wales on 8 August 2025, at the age of 89.[4]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Wind (The Errol Buddle Quartet featuring Judy Bailey) |
|
| You & The Night & The Music |
|
| My Favourite Things |
|
| One Moment |
|
| Colours |
|
| Solo |
|
| Notwithstanding |
|
| Sundial |
|
| The Spritely Ones |
|
| Speakeasy |
|
| Jazz Legends: Judy Bailey |
|
| Another Journey |
|
Awards and honours
- 2002: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) "for service to jazz music and education."[10][11]
- 2008: Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music at the Annual Classical Music Awards.[12]
- 2017: Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sydney[10]
- 2022: Australia Council Don Banks Music Award[13][14]
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards which recognise excellence, innovation and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Notwithstanding | Best Jazz Album | Nominated | [15] |
| 1994 | Sundial | Nominated |
Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award
The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Judy Bailey | Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award | awarded | [16] |
Australian Jazz Bell Awards
The Australian Jazz Bell Awards, also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells, are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014[10] | Judy Bailey | Hall of Fame | inducted |
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognised achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Bailey won one award in that time.[17]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Judy Bailey | Jazz Performer of the Year (Female) | Won |
References
- ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Judy Bailey | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ a b c "Judy Bailey : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Judy Bailey | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ a b Rasmussen, Henry (9 August 2025). "Remembering Judy Bailey". ABC Jazz. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "SOUNZ - NZ composer - Judy Bailey". Sounz. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Judy Bailey". ABC. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ "Home Cooked". Jazz. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Judy Bailey : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". www.australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Jazz Legends: Judy Bailey". ABC Music. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "Judy Bailey Graeme Bell Hall of Fame Jazz Australia". Jazz Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Ms Judith Mary Bailey". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Staff Detail". music.sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Dr Judy Bailey OAM - Australia Council Don Banks Music Award". Australia Council for the Arts. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Bryant, Lily. "2022 Australia Council Awards announced". Limelight.
- ^ ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards Best Jazz Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Judy Bailey honoured with the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award". The Melbourne Newsroom. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
External links
- Judy Bailey at IMDb
- AudioCulture profile
- Judy Bailey discography at Discogs