Listen: Judy Whitmore Releases First-Ever Holiday Album 'Christmas'

Acclaimed vocalist and theater producerJudy Whitmore has released her first-ever holiday album, Christmas. The 12-song independent collection, produced, arranged, and conducted by seven-time GRAMMY®-nominated composer/arranger Chris Walden includes new versions of holiday standards accompanied by a full orchestra and choir, including “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Kay Thompson’s Jingle Bells,” “Merry Christmas Darling,” and “Christmas Time Is Here” as well as Whitmore’s recent single, “The Ghosts of Christmas Past,” a holiday ballad written by Michael Orland and Jamie Wooten. Listen to the album below.

“I wanted the album to feature ‘contemporary’ Christmas songs, not Christmas carols, though we did include one traditional song…but it’s no ordinary Jingle Bells!” shares Whitmore. “I got a little tearful recording ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ I knew Hugh Martin, the composer, who was such a wonderful man. The recording session for this album was special to me in another way, too – I got to sing a duet with my brother, Billy. I hope these songs add to everyone’s holiday joy.”

Christmas was recorded at Evergreen Studios in Burbank, California, with recording and mixing engineer Steve Genewick helming the boards.

Whitmore’s Christmas follows her fourth independent studio album, Let’s Fall In Love, released this past spring. The 12-track album, also produced and arranged by Walden, features a collection of romantic, love-themed standards, including songs from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and more.

Named after Judy Garland (a friend of her grandfather, who played violin in the MGM Studio Orchestra), Whitmore became infatuated with music and theater as a little girl and throughout her life has remained involved in the arts, from both the creative and philanthropic sectors.

In 2014, she built a career as a solo performer and teamed up with producer John Sawoski and GRAMMY®-winning composer Michael Patterson to make her 2020 debut album, Can’t We Be Friends. The Southern California-based modern-day Renaissance woman has since released her critically acclaimed jazz album, Isn't It Romantic, featuring award-winning pianist/conductor Tamir Hendelman (2022), Come Fly With Me (2024), and the aforementioned Let’s Fall In Love (2025), amassing millions of streams.

Photo credit: Amy Cantrell