Anita O'Day

Anita O'Day (born October 18, 1919) is a American jazz singer. O'Day is much admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of a dem

Anita O'Day (born October 18, 1919) is a American jazz singer. O'Day is much admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of a demure female vocalist by swinging just as hard as the other musicians on the bandstand.

O'Day was born Anita Belle Colton in Chicago, Illinois. O'Day got her start as a singer in her teens. In the late 1930s, began singing in a jazz club called the Off-Beat, a popular hangout for musicians such as 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 huge hit, boosting the popularity of the Krupa band. Also that year, Down Beat named O'Day "New Star of the Year" and, in 1942, she was selected as one of the top five big band singers. According to Anita, she chose the stage name O'Day for herself because it was Pig Latin for dough, and thought it might bring her luck.