Judy Whitmore is a vocal artist and an award-winning best-selling author. Born in New York City, and raised in Studio City, California, her singing career began in college when she was hired as a background singer for Capitol Records in Hollywood.
Changing course, she then moved to Aspen, Colorado, where she was President of American Theater Company and President of the Aspen Playwrights Conference. She also served on the Board of Directors of Ballet West Aspen. After Judy got her pilot’s license, she worked as a volunteer pilot on search and rescue missions for Aspen Air Rescue. She continued her flight training and became a Learjet Captain. She also flew seaplanes and hot-air balloons.
When Judy moved back to Los Angeles, she produced the musical Taking a Chance on Love, then headed to London to co-produce the revival of Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town. With another course change, Judy returned to college, earning a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology. After a two-year internship, she opened a private practice in West Los Angeles. When she moved her office to Newport Beach, California, she enrolled in the University of California Irvine’s writing program. Her first book, a novel titled Come Fly with Me, became an Amazon Kindle #1 best-seller. This was followed by a cookbook and the graphic novel William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
In 2012 Judy formed a trio with her brother and another friend. They performed in clubs around the country and at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2016 they released an album titled Act Three. Soon afterward, Judy ventured onto the stage alone with her show-stopping solo cabaret act. Her repertoire is diverse, extending from the great American standards to Broadway and jazz. She released her first solo album, Can’t We Be Friends, in 2020. More albums followed: Isn’t It Romantic, Come Fly with Me, Let’s Fall in Love and the upcoming Christmas album. She is a member of The Recording Academy.
Judy, a true modern-day Renaissance woman, is a community leader in the arts. She was a volunteer make-up artist at the world-famous Laguna Beach Pageant of The Masters from 2005-2020. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Pacific Symphony. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Pacific Jazz Orchestra, Backhaus Dance, and The OC World Affairs Council.
Her latest single “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” is written by famed writer/producer/ vocal teacher Michael Orland (American Idol) and Jamie Wooten (The Golden Girls). The new and timeless holiday single features Judy’s soul-drenched gorgeous vocals gliding over emotive keys and festive sonics for a one-of-a-kind listen. The single is off of her holiday album, Christmas. The 12-song collection, produced, arranged, and conducted by seven-time GRAMMY®-nominated composer/arranger Chris Walden (Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder), includes beautiful new versions of holiday standards accompanied by a full orchestra.
