"I am a singer," says Anna Danes. "A singer with: asthma, sleep apnea, chronic sinusitis, and allergies. Oh, and I also have pericarditis, and a leaky heart valve, and arrhythmia. And all kinds of gut issues." Danes says she deals with these issues via her music and writing.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer this week," Danes posted on Facebook in summer 2016. "I am making my story public in order to demystify the disease more and to potentially help others. I am one of the lucky ones: my cancer was caught early."

Her 2016 album Find Your Wings, which debuted on the iTunes jazz charts at number one, was produced by Dave Darling (Mötley Crüe, the Stray Cats).

“It’s a cross between the Great American Songbook and original material. I felt I was at a place in my life where I was ready to write my own music so I did — half of the songs I wrote or co-wrote with Mary Harris and Cindy Alexander and one with Janiva Magness. The rest are standards that spoke to me at that point in my life.”

"They say good things take time," said the singer-songwriter in early 2022. "Three years ago, I was asked to be a lead in a documentary film about overcoming personal struggles, and becoming better version of yourself. The world went quiet not too soon after we shot the footage and I have not heard much about the film since. 'Til now. Finding Inner Hero, as the documentary is now titled, is sweeping the film festival circuit around the world - and making a difference - and will soon be in wide distribution, thanks to the vision, hard work and patience of its producers, Constance Brenneman and Brad Hammer. So proud to have been a part of this. And yes, always be the hero of YOUR story."

The film was named an Official Selection at the Doctors Without Borders Film Festival and scored awards at IndieEye Film Awards, Halicarnassus Film Festival, Black Swan International Film Festival, Druk International Film Festival, Tagore International Film Festival, and the ARG International Film Festival.