Remembering Anita O'Day on her birthday (Oct 18, 1919 – Nov 23, 2006). She changed her last name from Colton to O'Day, pig Latin for "dough," which is slang for money. She cited #MarthaRaye as the primary influence on her vocal style, also expressing admiration for Mildred Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. She always maintained that the an accident during a childhood tonsillectomy left her incapable of vibrato, and unable to maintain long phrases. That botched operation, she claimed,

Remembering Anita O'Day on her birthday (Oct 18, 1919 - Nov 23, 2006, the self-proclaimed "song stylist" widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances that shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer". Refusing to pander to any female stereotype, O'Day presented herself as a "hip" jazz musician, wearing a band jacket and skirt as opposed to an evening gown. She changed her surname from Colton to O'Day, pig Latin for "dough", slang for money. O'Da