Jillian Armsbury (1962-2009) was an American singer-songwriter and activist, originally from Spokane, Washington. She was a pioneer in the Charanga R&B music genre. She was the lead singer of the Latin group Los Jovenes del Barrio. She had worked with the latin jazz percussionist, Mongo Santamaria, singing on an album of his which was released in the late 1980s. She was the co-composer of "Do You Want My Love" which was a hit for CoCo Lee, which appeared on Lee's album Just No Other Way. She was married to bandleader Johnny Almendra and then later to session musician Leon Pendarvis.

Jill Maureen Armsbury was born and raised in Washington and Oregon, and was of German, English, and Scottish ancestry. She had one brother. Her parents divorced when she was 4 years old and her father, activist Charles "Chuck" Armsbury, remarried in 1968 to Sonja Marie Brooks, a black woman with three children.^[1] By the age of nine, Jill was doing community theater. A formally trained dancer, she studied dance for some years. Later wanting to do New York Broadway work she realized that dancers were also singing so that led her to study music and singing. She grew up listening to Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, John Coltrane and Motown.^[2] She later took the name Jillian Armsbury as her stage name.

Armsbury was married to Johnny Almendra who founded Los Jovenes Del Barrio. At the time of their interview with George Rivera of Jazz Con Clave, they had been together for ten years. The union ultimately was dissolved and she later married^[3] Saturday Night Live music director Leon Pendarvis,^[4][5] to whom she remained married until her death.^[6]

An article by Jessica Lynne Valiente of the Graduate Center, City University of New York credited Armsbury with the compositions that she contributed, and the artistic persona in her performances for creating a Latin / R&B fusion that was more successful than anything that had ever been tried during the boogaloo era or following it.^[7][8] The group Los Jovenes del Barrio she was in was one of the most important bands in the New York bands in the New York Latin music scene, pushing the barriers as well as extending the musical shape.^[9][10]

Armsbury appeared on the Olé Ola album by Mongo Santamaria which was released in 1989.^[11][12] She sang lead on the title song", the Diane Bulgarelli composition Olé Ola" as well having some involvement with Santamaria's composition "La Tumba".^[13] In 1996, Los Jovenes Del Barrio released their Evolucionando album. The Billboard reviewer noted her shining performances on the songs "Telephone" and "Stop Slow Down".^[14] A similar review was given by Cashbox in the February 10th issue.^[15] With the group's experimentation with various Afro-Cuban styles, jazz and R&B, it caused a sensation.^[16] In May 1998, along with Baby Zilla, she was appearing at the Downtime in New York.^[17] She co-composed the song "Do You Want My Love" which was a hit for Coco Lee in New Zealand and Australia in 1999 making the top 20 in both countries.^[18]

Armsbury provided background vocals on Rosie O'Donnell's Another Rosie Christmas album which was released in 2000. She also did background vocal work for the Swedish group Play on their 2003 album, Playin' Around.^[19] In May 2007, she was a guest performer with Julia Wade in Wade's "A Canvas of Colors" show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.^[20] She contributed a rap to the Everybody Get Down by Funk Filharmonik, which was released in 2008.^[21]

In 2000, Armsbury volunteered with the Shadow Convention of 2000. She performed with the children’s chorus who were the children orphaned as a result of parents being imprisoned in the war on drugs.^[22] In 2001, she was the spokes-woman for the United Musicians Front, a 50-member group of musicians who were protesting against radio stations which included La Mega, who had gone too far to the commercial side and lost touch with the people in New York.^[23]

In 2008, she came to the Southeast Missouri State University at the request of its musical director Judith Farris to speak to the students.^[24] She shared with them her experience with cancer.^[25]

Jillian Armsbury Pendarvis died on January 22, 2009, aged 46, of mesothelioma.^[26][27]

In 2009, the Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Theatre and Dance and students dedicated their Sweet Charity musical production to Armsbury.^[28] A concert was held in her memory which was in conjunction with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.^[29]

• Q&A: A Conversation With Johnny Almendra And Jillian by George Rivera, jazzconclave.com. Accessed March 26, 2025.
• La Salsa es mi Vida: Danzón, Johnny Almendra y Los Jóvenes del Barrio – Reconfirmando, lasalsaesmivida.com. Accessed March 26, 2025.
• Jillian Armsbury (1962-2009): Pioneer of Charanga R&B, ondacarolina.blogspot.com. Accessed March 26, 2025.