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Anita O’Day, 1919-2006: Thanks for the Boogie Ride



Gene Krupa Orchestra with Anita O’Day on vocals and Roy Eldridge on trumpet.

I’m not a singer because I have no vibrato…. If I want one I have to shake my head to get it. That’s why I sing so many notes — so you won’t hear that I haven’t got one. It’s how I got my style.

oday.jpgAnita O’Day, 87; renowned singer billed as the ‘Jezebel of Jazz’ (LA Times)
High Times, Hard Times by Anita O’Day, (aka The. Best. Book. Ever.)
Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer documentary website
Anita O’Day, Wikipedia
NPR Jazz Profile

This entry was posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 at 12:05 pm and is filed under Female Performers, Music, Obituaries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Anita O’Day, 1919-2006: Thanks for the Boogie Ride”

  1. Henry Says:
    November 30, 2006 at 6:02 pm

    I read somewhere that Anita did not have a uvula, and that this accounted for her unique sound. (I believe that the uvula is the dangly stalactite at the back of your mouth).

  2. Liz Says:
    December 1, 2006 at 12:24 pm

    Apparently, she lost “the dangly stalactite” when a tonsillectomy went awry.

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