Overview

• Judy Bailey passed away on 8 August 2025 at age 89 at Estia Health in Willoughby, NSW.
• Her children, Lisette and Chris De Gray, were by her side and said they felt privileged to hold her through her final moments and relieved she was free of suffering.
• Tributes have highlighted her pioneering presence in Sydney’s 1960s El Rocco jazz scene, her performances on children’s programs such as Play School and her work in television orchestras across Channels 7, 9 and 10.
• She joined the founding faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s jazz studies program in 1973 and directed youth ensembles, nurturing generations of Australian jazz musicians.
• Her service to music and education earned her an Order of Australia Medal in 2004, induction into the Australian Jazz Bell Awards Hall of Fame and the Don Banks Music Award in 2022.