Happy 100 Louis Prima: The Wildest

This past December 7 was the 100th birthday of Louis Prima. I'm not a biographer so I'm not going to give you a point by point, date by date on the life of Louis. I'm just wanted to show my appreciation for this "wild cat".  And let's face it- this blog is about the soundtrack

I remember Louis Prima mostly from movies. His songs had a way of giving a charge to a film. There's "The Jungle Book"- as King Louie, the orangutan that wanted to be "just like me". Or "Big Night", where he's a huge part of the plot- used as a tool to ruin a couple of brothers who own an Italian  restaurant. This film is worth a rental just to see Marc Anthony do some acting pre J-Lo.

His music was infectious- you could not move- never more evident in his composition "Sing Sing Sing".

Perhaps he is best known for his collaborations with his fourth wife Keely Smith.  Together the revolutionized the Las Vegas lounge act. The show was called "The Wildest"- meaning that it was the "wildest" show in Las Vegas.  To be fair- she is a fantastic singer but it was Louis Prima who created the "Keely Smith" persona (pageboy haircut, the silent observer)- together they were unbelievable.

So here's to you Louis. Happy Birthday.