Judith Mary Bailey, known professionally as Judy Bailey, was born on October 3, 1935, in Auckland, New Zealand. She began learning piano at age ten and graduated from Trinity College London at sixteen. In 1960, Bailey moved to Australia, performing extensively on television and in venues like the El Rocco. Her early recordings include You & the Night & the Music (1964) and My Favourite Things (1965). She served with Tommy Tycho's orchestra on the Seven Network and was a senior lecturer in jazz composition and piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music from 1973. Bailey released notable albums such as Colours (1976) and Solo (1978). She received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2002 for her service to jazz music and education. She died in Willoughby, New South Wales, on August 8, 2025, at the age of 89.
