Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Judy Argo launched her vocal pursuits in hometown venues when she reached the age of 15, with her mother routinely collecting her after each appearance. At 17 she relocated to New York City, where substance abuse and a violent marriage successively derailed her ambitions and compelled a long hiatus from performance. Recovery began only in the late 1980s, with a return to the stage materializing in the following decade. Engagements at Tavern on the Green and Danny's Skylight Room led to her receipt, in 1995, of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs award for Best Female New York Debut Performer, an honor previously accorded Rosemary Clooney and Annie Ross. Subsequent appearances took her to London’s Pizza on the Park and Café Royal. Sterling Records issued her album True Love Ways in 1995, featuring an ensemble that included Gerry Mulligan, Jay Leonhardt, Marvin Stamm, Ray Brown, Toots Thielemanns, Houston Person, and her longtime accompanist Mike Renzi. Additional collaborations involved Duke Pearson and drummer Akira Tana. Although unmistakably her own, Argo’s approach aligned with the lineage of Peggy Lee, Carol Sloane, Sue Raney, Ella Fitzgerald, and Anita O’Day. She died quietly in her sleep on March 29, 2004, having established herself among the steadier exponents of the Great American Songbook.
