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Anita O'Day R.I.P.

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:28 am
by Eyeball
Anita O'Day R.I.P.
From: Jazz Promo Services


ANITA O'DAY

October 18, 1919-November 23, 2006

Jazz Vocal legend Anita O’Day passed this morning November 23, 2006 at 6:17AM in West Los Angeles.
The cause of death was cardiac arrest according to her manager Robbie Cavalina.

Born Anita Belle Colton in Chicago, Illinois on October 18, 1919, O’Day got her start as a teen. She eventually changed her name to O’Day and in the late 1930’s began singing in a jazz club called the Off- Beat, a popular hangout for musicians like band leader and drummer Gene Krupa.
In 1941 she joined Krupa’s band, and a few weeks later Krupa hired trumpeter Roy Eldridge. O’Day and Eldridge had great chemistry on stage and their duet “Let Me Off Uptown” became a million-dollar-seller, boosting the popularity of the Krupa band.
Also that year, “Down Beat” magazine named O’Day “New Star of the Year” and, in 1942, she was selected as one of the top five big band singers.

After her stint with, Krupa, O’Day joined Stan Kenton's band. She left the band after a year and returned to Krupa. Singer Jackie Cain remembers the first time she saw O’Day with the Krupa band. “I was really impressed,” she recalls, “She (O’Day) sang with a jazz feel, and that was kind of fresh and new at the time.”
Later, O’Day joined Stan Kenton’s band with whom she cut an album that featured the hit tune “And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine”

In the late’40s, O’Day struck out on her own.
She teamed up with drummer John Poole, with whom she played for the next 32 years. Her album “Anita”, which she recorded on producer Norman Granz’s new Verve label, elevated her career to new heights. She began performing in festivals and concerts with such illustrious musicians as Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Georg Shearing and Thelonious Monk.
O’Day also appeared in the documentary filmed at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 called “Jazz on a Summer Day”, which made her an international star.

Throughout the ‘60s Anita continued to tour and record while addicted to heroin and in 1969 she nearly died from an overdose. O’Day eventually beat her addiction and returned to work.
In 1981 she published her autobiography “High Times, Hard Times” which, among other things, talked candidly about her drug addiction.

Her final recording was "Indestructible Anita O'Day" and featured Eddie Locke, Chip Jackson, Roswell Rudd, Lafayette Harris, Tommy Morimoto and the great Joe Wider.

A documentary, "ANITA O'DAY-THE LIFE OF A JAZZ SINGER" will be released in 2007.

For more info visit: http://www.anitaoday.com/

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 12:15 pm
by CafeSavoy
A great loss. We love you AO'D. You will always be remembered.

Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:43 pm
by GemZombie
I consider myself fortunate to have seen her perform live.

A great loss, she's one of my favorite singers...

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:49 am
by tornredcarpet
One of my very very favorite singers in the 40s. Her voice with the bright and rich tones that really sends me, especially in Hi-Fi recordings.

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:55 am
by Eyeball
She died on a holiday, so she will get shorted on media coverage.

Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:12 pm
by Serg
Didn't she release a few songs not long ago?

Serg

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:25 am
by GemZombie
Serg wrote:Didn't she release a few songs not long ago?

Serg
Ya, she had released an album and had done some promoting fairly recently.

Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 12:31 am
by Eyeball
http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofile ... day_a.html

Good NPR link with music and interviews

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:15 pm
by julius
Re: promoting

She was at Lindygroove a few months ago signing her new "Indestructible" album.

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:52 pm
by Eyeball
julius wrote:Re: promoting

She was at Lindygroove a few months ago signing her new "Indestructible" album.
Were you there, Julius? How did she look and sound? Did she seem to be enjoying herself

ANITA O'DAY

MARTHA TILTON

GEORGIA GIBBS

3 female vocalists gone in less than 3 weeks.

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:05 pm
by trev
Eyeball wrote:
ANITA O'DAY

MARTHA TILTON

GEORGIA GIBBS

3 female vocalists gone in less than 3 weeks.
Along with Jay McShann, it's been a sad time for Jazz fans.

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:53 pm
by GemZombie
Ruth Brown too.

Anita O'Day R.I.P.

Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:19 pm
by Option
Kenny Davern