![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\nThe musician moved to Sydney in 1960, where she immersed herself into the city\u2019s vibrant music scene.<\/p>\n
She performed at the well-known El Rocco club.<\/p>\n
![\"Jazz](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/a19dae25ce9d1986f556db1ffa787d604c9fdd5e.jpg\")
Jazz musician Judy Bailey, who also played music on Play School, has passed away, aged 89. Credit: Facebook<\/p>\n
The vibrant performer soon found her way into TV, including stints on all three major networks. Tommy Tycho\u2019s Orchestra on Channel Seven, John Bamford\u2019s Orchestra on Channel Nine and Jack Grimsley\u2019s Orchestra on Channel 10.<\/p>\n
By 1973, she was part of the founding faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music\u2019s jazz studies program, a role she was deeply passionate about throughout her life.<\/p>\n
Bailey started working on the ABC\u2019s Radio Kindergarten program for young people. That led to her role on Play School, where she became part of the cherished program.<\/p>\n
She later directed the Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble, toured southeast Asia with a quartet for Musica Viva, and served as musical director for Sydney Opera House\u2019s Bennelong jazz series.<\/p>\n
Bailey got a number of honours including the Order of Australia medal in 2004.<\/p>\n
She also received the APRA Jazz Composition Award and an induction into the Australian Jazz Bell Hall of Fame in 2014.<\/p>\n
Tributes started pouring in for Bailey, including from musician Virna Sanzone.<\/p>\n
She wrote: \u201cI\u2019m one of probably thousands of musicians lucky enough to have been mentored, nurtured and championed by Judy. Her generosity, energy and positivity seemed to be boundless.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met Judy in 1996 when I was as green as could be. Two years later, I was singing as part of her trio at the Opera House. She lovingly threw me in the deep end so many times in my early days as a singer, and I can\u2019t thank her enough for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cJudy taught us all so much. For one thing, I can safely say I owe a lot of my inner musical world to Judy. She taught people to listen, to really hear, deeply. What a precious gift for any musician.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is survived by her children, Chris and Lisette.<\/p>\n