Conlon played the accordion and was active in musical groups including the Vested Choir directed by Father Alphonse Dress.
By the time he was in college, the group toured the Midwest and was often featured on Iowa radio stations WMT in Cedar Rapids, WHO in Des Moines, and WOC in Davenport.
At that time, the other Kids were Diane Pendleton, Donna Wood, Loulie Jean Norman, and Charlie Parlato.
In The Campus Kids, he was exposed to two singers with a four-octave range and perfect pitch: Loulie Jean Norman and Gloria Wood.
[3] The formation of Conlon's group was likely hastened by the sudden departure of The Charioteers as Bing Crosby's vocalists on his weekly radio program toward the end of the first Philco season in March, 1947.
Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires was christened and ready to go as recordings for the second Philco season commenced in August 1947.
Other notable recordings were "Home Cookin", "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "Teddy Bears' Picnic", "It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas", "Zing a Little Zong", and "Road to Bali".
[3] The Rhythmaires also furnished background vocals for Crosby in Walt Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), released in 1949.
[3] In 1957, the Rhythmaires appeared on jazz ensemble leader Russell Garcia's The Johnny Evergreens (ABC-Paramount, 1956).
A requiem Mass was held a few days later at St. Victor's Roman Catholic Church in West Hollywood.