Judy Whitmore’s “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” is so festive that it could even trigger your sense of smell if you close your eyes, transporting anyone home, seated at a long table with family and friends, a Christmas menu, children running around the room, and adults talking and smiling as they pour themselves a glass of eggnog.
A majestic Christmas tree, family photos, memories, food, a snowy landscape, and a deep sense of nostalgia are all part of what this song evokes. It speaks to that feeling of companionship and comfort that comes from remembering loved ones who are no longer here.
The track, written by Michael Orland (American Idol) and Jamie Wooten (The Golden Girls), is accompanied by a video that reinforces everything the song makes you feel. It shows Christmas images and footage mixed with what appear to be Judy’s personal archives.
The single also belongs to her holiday album “Christmas,” a twelve-track project shaped under the creative direction of seven-time GRAMMY® nominee Chris Walden (Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder). The album presents fresh and sophisticated interpretations of beloved Christmas classics, all brought to life with full, lush orchestral arrangements.
Judy Whitmore is one of those artists who lives several lives in one. And perhaps that’s why her work carries such emotional depth. Born in New York and raised in California, Judy has shaped her experiences across recording studios, flight decks, stages, and therapy rooms, crafting each into an artistic chapter that feels polished, honest, and compelling. In addition to being a singer, Judy is a jet pilot, best-selling author, psychotherapist, and theater producer.
Her projects, ranging from Amazon Kindle #1 bestseller books to jazz albums, cabaret shows, and collaborations with legendary producers, have garnered millions of streams and praise from outlets like Grammy.com, Flaunt, and American Songwriter. Today, as an active member of The Recording Academy and a cultural leader within institutions such as Pacific Symphony, Judy continues to build a career driven by experience and discipline.
Even though it may seem impossible to uncover more layers within her, “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” reveals a new and different side of Judy, one that is more intimate, vulnerable, and closer to that emotional space reached only by songs that connect with memory.
Judy places herself on a quiet Christmas morning, in a silent room that nonetheless feels full. There are no voices, yet a presence remains. No embraces, yet companionship. She recognizes she is not alone, because the ghosts of Christmas past surround her, bringing the best memories, the laughter that no longer echoes, the hands that can no longer be held, the people who once gathered around the tree and who, though no longer physically here, still inhabit every tradition.
The song expresses it with profound simplicity, showing that, if you remember them, they never leave. Life ends, but love doesn’t, because memories are not absence; they are presence transformed. And those we love remain there, turned into those beautiful ghosts that return every December.
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