I’ve been listening to Anita O’Day ever since I was a little kid. Even then, as that naive, sheltered youngster, I was attracted to swinging jazz, and Anita O’Day was among the best of those swinging singers. Since I have always loved Anita O’Day’s voice and stylings, I naturally wanted to learn more about her. Finally, over 40 years after her first publication, I have only recently read her biography, High Times Hard Times. Here is our High Times Hard Times book review!
High Times Hard Times book review
How did I first hear about Anita O’Day?
I have always loved jazz
Even when I was an outcast, misfit kid, jazz was always my favorite type of music. When I listened to it, the music would carry me away into a dreamland. As I entered a magical realm, I tapped my foot and danced far away into my imagination.
Jazz transported me away from the real world, and opened up a world of possibilities. Of course, no one else I knew liked jazz, and my parents actually forbade me to listen to it!
In fact, my mother was horrified when she ‘caught’ me listening to Frank Sinatra’s spicy rendition of I Get a Kick out of You on her radio! Of course, I didn’t understand the adult content that he was singing about, but I just loved the music and how his voice brought the music to life.
Afterwards, I intensified my illicit love of jazz, but did it in private, on my own transistor radio!
When I first heard Anita O’Day
It was then that I heard my first song by Anita O’Day. The swinging song was The Peanut Vendor, and even though that was not a big hit for her, the local adult AM radio station played it occasionally. And, I loved it!
Maybe the local disc jockey liked that song, too, and sneaked it into the rotation. Either way, I’m grateful for hearing Anita O’Day and her swinging voice at such a young age.
Who was Anita O’Day?
The Jezebel of Jazz was a song stylist
Anita O’Day’s promoters publicized the singer as being ‘The Jezebel of Jazz’. However, Anita thought of herself as a ‘song stylist’, and not a singer.
Anita would ab-lib each song
She loved to use her voice to ab-lib the vocals, while the rest of the band played along. Actually, that’s just another way of saying that Anita would sing the song the way that gave her pleasure! Many times, Anita would never sing the same song the same way.
Anita’s style garnered a passionate audience
Each time she sang, Anita would stylize a song to fit her mood and her personality at that specific time! That’s what I loved so much about her singing style, and that’s what drew in many admiring men and women. They absolutely adored her live shows.
Anita O’Day performed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. This was a brilliant performance for Anita—I wish I could have seen her perform in those earlier days! I believe one of the women in the audience was a fan who Anita wrote about in her book. At least, she matches Anita’s description of her perfectly—it’s crazy!
What is High Times Hard Times about?
Starved for parental affection
The book, High Times Hard Times, is about Anita O’Day’s life, from her childhood all the way to the last year of her life. She talked about being a child born outside of marriage, and how her mother never showed her affection like the other mothers of girls her own age.
Tragically, Anita carried that lack of parental affection throughout her life. Even during her highest, most successful times, those early childhood memories haunted her.
The gritty side of show business
In addition to disclosing her early formative years, Anita shared how she first got into show business. By then, she was only a young teen. Fortunately, Anita was very motivated to make people happy as a talented singer. So, she ran away from home to break into show business, any way that she could!
Anita started performing in dance marathons, which were really endurance type-of walk-a-thons. During those Depression-era shows, she had occasional chances to perform and sing in front of an audience.
Despite the tough, Depression-era times, and with gritty hard work and determination, this unwanted girl blossomed into a rebellious, but talented performer.
A vision told her, you will be a singer
Surprisingly, Anita talked about seeing a vision of Jesus when she was struggling to succeed. She claimed that a person who resembled Jesus told her she would be a singer one day. Throughout her early years, Anita had clung to that vision, which gave her hope that she wasn’t struggling and sacrificing in vain.
I felt that Anita really did have this encounter, because I have also experienced unexplained, spiritual happenings similar to hers. Surprisingly, the way she related that story in her book gave me so much insight into Anita, the person, and not just Anita, the person who wanted to someday be a singer.
I just love Anita O’Day’s live rendition of That Old Feeling. It’s just so, so good—I can get lost in the clouds listening to her voice. And, don’t forget the band—they were great, too! Oh, and watch how much fun Anita’s having—she just loved being a song stylist and making people smile!
Anita had writing help for this book
The publisher of High Times Hard Times hooked Anita up with an experienced writer named George Eells. Fortunately, Eells not only helped Anita arrange her life story in a very readable form, but he also retained her style of speaking while writing her story.
Anita’s hip narrative style shines through
In other words, Anita had her own, hip language, which was common among the trumpeters, drummers, bass players, as well as band leaders. For instance, when Anita described one of the many men who obsessively came to hear her sing, she said:
Does he sound a little square for hip-flip me? Not to me, he didn’t. Maybe I was ready for that kind of guy after the wheeler-dealers I’d met in the Walkathons and in the Uptown district.”
Anita O’Day
I loved that Eells was able to keep Anita’s original style of speaking while creating her written narrative. That way, the author allowed Anita’s own words to convey her story.
Anita’s alcohol and drug use
Unfortunately, alcohol and drug use became an everyday habit for Anita O’Day. Because I don’t want to reveal too much about O’Day’s fascinating story, I’ll just reveal that her illicit substance abuse almost killed her.
But, how Anita survived is all part of her fascinating story of survival and success.
Anita O’Day’s singing style
When I listen to Anita O’Day’s performances today, I am reminded of Billie Holiday’s sultry stylings, as well as the talented but tragic Amy Winehouse, along with Sarah Vaughan. Anita even spoke about meeting Billie Holiday, and working around the incomparably sultry Sarah Vaughan.
Speaking of Amy Winehouse, I love her unique rendition of Lullaby of Birdland. She sounds so much like Anita O’Day in that live version, and it’s one of my favorites.
Anita O’Day performed with a lot of famous musicians
In her fascinating book, Anita shared some of the fascinating and talented musicians she performed with. I was really surprised at some of the smaller band musicians, and how they later went on to release their own successful records.
In addition, Anita mentioned some of the comedians who shared the stage with her. Amazingly, O’Day even mentioned Morey Amsterdam, a comedian who co-starred on the 1960’s comedy, The Dick Van Dyke Show!
Hard-working musicians, vocalists, and comedians
Man, those musicians, vocalists, and comedians were a hard-working group of people. Some made it, while others didn’t. But, they were all super-talented, and tremendously motivated to improve and share their talents to make their audiences smile, just like Anita O’Day! Anita O’Day sang so that her fans could be happy.
FINAL VERDICT
High Times Hard Times book review
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated with the music of Anita O’Day. She had such a unique voice, and her swinging stylings really helped introduce me to the world of jazz at a young age. For that, I’m grateful!
Naturally, when O’Day’s biography, High Times Hard Times, was published in 1981, I was anxious to read it. Unfortunately, other obligations got in the way, and only in 2026 was I able to read her fascinating story.
Fortunately, Anita appeared on the talk-show circuit in 1979, prior to her later book publication. Most memorable to me was her appearance on The Dick Cavett Show.
Cavett was one of the best interviewers, and skillfully connected with Miss O’Day. I have seen excerpts of that show on YouTube, but am still hoping that his YouTube channel might release that full, two-show interview in the future.
You will love High Times Hard Times!
Anyways, I was really swept into Anita O’Day’s biography, High Times Hard Times. The narrative-style was honest, and compellingly communicated Anita’s bitter-sweet life story in Anita’s own words. If you take the time to read this book and to listen to her wide selection of live performances on YouTube, you will love reading High Times Hard Times, too!
Content and photos by Doug Martin and Our Book Banter
