Smith showed a natural aptitude for singing at a young age. At 14, she sang with a naval air station band led by Saxie Dowell. At 15, she got her first paying job with the Earl Bennett band.
She saw Louis Prima perform in New York City in 1949. When he came through Norfolk, Virginia, she auditioned. She became the calm balance to Prima's wild antics, as he made his way through a repertoire of jump blues, jazz, and Italian pop songs. They recorded together in 1949 and married in 1953.
Their songs included Johnny Mercer's and Harold Arlen's "That Ol' Black Magic", which was a Top 20 hit in the US in 1958. At the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959, Smith and Prima won the first Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group for "That Ol' Black Magic". Her deadpan act was popular with fans. The duo followed up with the minor successes "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", a revival of the 1937 Andrews Sisters hit. Smith and Prima's act was a mainstay of the Las Vegas lounge scene for much of the 1950s. Though her actual voice was not used, she was caricatured as "Squealy Smith" in Bob Clampett's 1960 Beany and Cecil episode "So What and the Seven Whatnots," a Snow White spoof in a Vegas setting.
Smith appeared with Prima in the 1959 film, Hey Boy! Hey Girl!, singing "Fever", and also appeared in and sang on the soundtrack of the previous year's Thunder Road. Her song in Thunder Road was "Whippoorwill". Her first big solo hit was "I Wish You Love" in 1957. In 1961, Smith divorced Prima. She then signed with Reprise Records, where her musical director was Nelson Riddle. In 1965, she had Top 20 hits in the United Kingdom with an album of Beatles compositions, and a single, "You're Breaking My Heart" which reached No. 14 in April.
She returned to singing in 1985, recording the album I'm in Love Again with Bud Shank and Bill Perkins. Her albums, Swing, Swing, Swing (2002), Keely Sings Sinatra (2001) for which she received a Grammy nomination, and Keely Swings Count Basie Style with Strings (2002) won critical and popular acclaim.
In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.
Smith was of Irish and Native American ancestry.
Married Louis Leo Prima July 13, 1953, in Virginia Beach; the couple divorced in 1961. They had two children: Toni Elizabeth and Luanne Francis.
Married Jimmy Bowen in 1965. The couple divorced in 1969.
Married singer Bobby Milano (real name Charles Caci) in 1975 in Palm Springs. Frank Sinatra gave the bride away.
Smith died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs California on December 16t, 2017 at the age of 89.
Discography
1957 I Wish You Love (Capitol)
1958 Politely! (Capitol)
1959 Swingin' Pretty (Capitol)
1959 Be My Love (Dot)
1960 Swing, You Lovers (Dot)
1960 A Keely Christmas (Dot)
1961 Twist With Keely Smith (Dot)
1961 Dearly Beloved (Dot)
1962 Because You're Mine (Dot)
1962 What Kind of Fool Am I? (Dot)
1962 Cherokeely Swings (Dot)
1963 Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New (Reprise)
1964 The Intimate Keely Smith (Reprise)
1965 Keely Smith Sings the John Lennon—Paul McCartney Songbook (Reprise)
1965 That Old Black Magic (Reprise)
1985 I'm In Love Again (Fantasy)
2000 Swing, Swing, Swing (Concord Jazz)
2001 Keely Sings Sinatra (Concord Jazz)
2002 Keely Swings Basie-Style With Strings (Concord Jazz)
2005 Vegas '58 – Today (Concord)
With Louis Prima
1958 Breaking It Up! (Columbia)
1958 Louis Prima & Keely Smith on Broadway (Coronet)
1959 Louis and Keely! (Dot)
1958 Together (Dot)
1961 Return of the Wildest! (Dot)
With Louis Prima and Sam Butera and the Witnesses
1957 The Call of the Wildest (Capitol)
1957 The Wildest Show at Tahoe (Capitol)
1958 Las Vegas Prima Style (Capitol)
1959 Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (Capitol)
1960 On Stage (Dot)
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening
Keely Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some are content with an evening spent home by the radio
Some like to live for the moment, some like to just reminisce
But whenever I have an evening to spend. just give me one like this
This is a lovely way to spend an evening. can't think of anything I'd rather do
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anyone as lovely as you
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
This is a lovely way to spend an evening
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
This is a lovely way to spend an evening
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
The lyrics to Keely Smith's song A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening are a romantic reflection on the perfect evening. It starts with the idea that everyone has different preferences for how to spend their time - some might like to go out to the movies, others might prefer to stay home with the radio, some like to live in the moment while others like to reminisce. But the singer knows exactly what she wants: an evening spent with her partner. She describes the perfect activities that would make up this evening, such as strolling through a garden, kissing by a lagoon, and catching a breath of moonlight while humming their favorite tune. The repetition of the refrain "This is a lovely way to spend an evening" reinforces the idea that this would be the ultimate way to spend time with someone special.
The lyrics are deceptively simple, but there is a lot of depth to them. The contrast between the different ways people like to spend their time emphasizes how unique and special the perfect evening with a loved one is. The imagery used to describe the activities of the evening, from strolling through a garden to catching a breath of moonlight, creates a romantic and dreamy atmosphere. The singer's desire to save all her nights and spend them with her partner is a strong declaration of love and commitment. Overall, the lyrics express the idea that true happiness is found in spending time with the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Some like a night at the movies, some like a dance or a show
People have different preferences for entertainment, some prefer going to the movies or watching a dance performance or show.
Some are content with an evening spent home by the radio
Some people are satisfied with spending their evenings at home, listening to the radio.
Some like to live for the moment, some like to just reminisce
People have different perspectives towards life, some prefer living in the moment while others prefer reminiscing about the past.
But whenever I have an evening to spend. just give me one like this
The artist has a specific preference for how they would like to spend their evenings.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening. can't think of anything I'd rather do
The current moment is a beautiful way to spend an evening and the artist cannot think of anything better to do.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anyone as lovely as you
The company of the person the singer is spending the evening with is so lovely that they cannot think of anyone else as lovely.
A casual stroll through a garden. a kiss by a lazy lagoon
The singer describes a romantic setting of taking a leisurely walk through a garden and sharing a kiss by a peaceful lagoon.
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
The artist describes sharing a romantic moment with their partner by taking in the moonlight and humming their favorite song together.
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
The artist expresses their desire to spend all of their evenings with their partner.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Harold Adams, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Garrett Meadows
Keely was a very under-rated singer. She was one of the best.
ΛΕΩΝΙΔΑΣ ΚΟΝΔΥΛΗΣ
The best female jazz singer of all time!!!
Gustavo Morales Battaglini
estoy de acuerdo , pero también Ella Fitzgerald
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 76yo Aussie fan.
What about Ella,Sarah,Carmen McRae etc??????????