Louis Prima
December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978
Louis Prima was a popular jazz trumpeter, singer, and band leader who came to prominence performing and recording with his then-wife, Keely Smith. Thanks to his big personality on stage, Prima and his jazz combo became a popular Las Vegas draw during the ’50s. Prima and Smith won a Grammy in 1959 for their single, “That Old Black Magic.” His widest exposure came thanks to the 1967 Disney film, Jungle Book. In it, Prima voiced the popular orangutan, King Louie and sang the hit song, “I Wanna Be Like You.” In 1975, Prima’s doctors discovered a stem brain tumor. During the surgery to remove it, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, putting him into a coma. He passed away on August 24, 1978 at the age of 67.
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