Keely Smith (Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, Norfolk, Virginia, March 9, 1928 - D… Read Full Bio ↴Keely Smith (Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, Norfolk, Virginia, March 9, 1928 - December 16, 2017) was a Grammy Award-winning American jazz and popular music singer, who performed and recorded extensively in the 1950s with then-husband Louis Prima, and throughout the 1960s as a solo-artist.
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)
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)
Happy Birthday Frank
Keely Smith Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Happy Birthday Frank' by these artists:
Mrs. Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Celebrate Happy's here for you Happy Birthda…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Keely Smith:
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of…
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening Some like a night at the movies, some like a…
A Wonderful Guy I'm as corny as Kansas in August, I'm as normal as…
All Or Nothing At All You know the game of love, so the flame never…
All the Things You Are Time and again I've longed for adventure, Something to make …
All The Way When somebody loves you It's no good unless he loves you…
And I Love Him Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
April In Paris I never knew the charm of spring I never met it…
As You Desire Me As you desire me So shall I come to you Howe'er you…
At Long Last Love Is it an earthquake or simply a shock? Is it the…
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
Autumn Leaves (Live) The falling leaves Drift by my window Those autumn leaves Of…
Banana Split For My Baby Banana split for my baby A glass of plain water for…
Be My Love Be my love, for no one else can end this…
Because Because you're mine the brightest star I see looks down My…
Birth of the Blues Oh! they say some people long ago Were searching for a…
Buona Sera Buona sera, signorina, buona sera It is time to say goodnigh…
But Beautiful Love is funny or it's sad, Or it's quiet or…
But Not for Me They're writing songs of love, but not for me A lucky…
Can't Buy Me Love Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
Can't Take My Eyes Off You You're just too good to be true I can't take my…
Canadian Sunset Once I was alone So lonely and then You came, out of…
Closer: I Wish You Love Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
Cocktails For Two In some secluded rendezvous That overlooks the avenue With…
Come Rain Or Come Shine I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you, Come rain…
Don Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
Don't Laugh At Me Tear a star from out the sky And the sky feels…
East Of The Sun East of the sun and west of the moon We'll build…
Embraceable You Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you Embrace me, you irrepla…
Everybody Loves A Lover Everybody loves a lover I'm a lover, everybody loves me Anyh…
Fly Me to the Moon Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars Let…
Fools Rush In "Romance is a game for fools" I used to say A game…
For My Baby 'Cause nothing is too good for my baby For my baby,…
Giddy Up Ding Dong I said, giddy up, giddy up a Ding Dong Giddy up,…
Goodbye My heart is broken, But what care I? Such pride inside me…
Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe It seems like happiness is just a thing called Joe He's…
Hello Young Lovers When I think of Tom I think about a night When the…
Hey Boy! Hey Girl! Aha (Aha) Uhum (Uhum) Si, si (Si, si) Ya, ya (Ya, ya) Oui, …
How Are Ya' Fixed For Love How are ya fixed for moonlight ? How are ya fixed…
How Are Ya' Fixed For Love? How are ya fixed for moonlight ? How are ya fixed…
How Deep Is The Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no…
How High The Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
How Sweet It Is How sweet it is to be loved by you How sweet…
I Ain't Got Nobody Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you Embrace me, you irrepla…
I Can What can I do to prove it to you that…
I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
I Can't Get Started I've flown around the world in a plane I've settled…
I Can't Stop Loving You (I can't stop loving you) I've made up my mind To live…
I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you Embrace me, you irrepla…
I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
I Love to Love Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
I Love You I love you so much, it hurts me Darling, that's why…
I Love You So Much It Hurts I love you so much, it hurts me Darling, that's why…
I Never Knew I've been running in circles while playing a game of…
I Understand Why do you go on pretending You know you want to…
I Want To Hold Your Hand Oh I'll tell you something I think you’ll understand Then I'…
I Wish You Love Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
I'll Get By I'll get by As long as I have you Though there be…
I'll Never Smile Again I'll never smile again Until I smile at you I'll never laugh…
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter And…
I'm In The Mood For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I've Got A Crush On You How glad the many millions of Annabelles and Lillians Would …
I've Got The World On A String I've got the world on a string And I'm sittin' on…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin I've got you deep in…
If I Should Lose You If I should lose you The stars would fall from the…
Im Gonna Sit Right Down I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter And…
Imagination Magic mirror come and search my heart Can you tell me…
Indian Love Call Oo-oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo When I'm calling you Oo-oo-oo-oo, o…
It Was A Very Good Year When I was seventeen It was a very good year It was…
It's Been A Long Long Time Kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once…
It's Magic You sigh and the song begins You speak and I hear…
Jump Jive An' Wail Baby, baby it looks like it's gonna hail Baby, baby it…
Jump, Jive an' Wail baby, baby it looks like its gonna hail baby, baby it…
Kansas City I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come I'm…
Let The Good Times Roll Come on baby let the good times roll, come on…
Love Me Tender Love me tender, love me sweet Never let me go You have…
Lover When I think of Tom I think about a night When the…
Lullaby Of The Leaves Rustling of the leaves used to be my lullaby In the…
Man I Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Memories Are Made of This The sweet sweet memories you gave-a me You can't beat the…
Misty Look at me I'm as helpless as a kitten up a…
moments to remember January to December, we'll have moments to remember The New…
Mood Indigo You ain't never been blue; no, no, no, You ain't…
More Than You Know Whether you are here or yonder Whether you are false or…
Mr Wonderful Why this feeling, why this glow Why the thrill when you…
My Devotion My devotion Is endless and deep as the ocean And like a…
My Heart Cries For You If you're in Arizona, I'll follow you If you're in Minnesota…
My Special Angel You are my special angel Sent from up above The Lord smiled…
My Way Now, the end is near And so I face the final…
Nearness of You It's not the pale moon that excites me That thrills…
New York New York Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a…
Night And Day Like the beat, beat, beat, Of the tom-tom; When the jungle s…
No Other Love (No Other Love) No other love have I, Only my love…
Nothing In Common We've got nothin', got nothin' in common, just nothin' in…
Oh Babe First you say hello! Then ya get mellow! Mustn't be lazy! …
on the sunny side Walked with no one and talked with no one And I…
On The Sunny Side Of The Street - 1995 Digital Remaster Grab your coat and get your hat Leave your worries on…
One For My Baby 'Cause nothing is too good for my baby For my baby,…
Only You Only you can make this world seem right Only you can…
Opener: I Wish You Love Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
Pennies from Heaven And every time it rains, it rains, pennies from heaven…
Please Mr. Sun Talk to her please, Mr. Sun Speak to her, Mr. Rainbow And…
Pretend Pretend You′re happy when you're blue It isn′t very hard to …
Prisoner of Love Someone that I belong to Doesn't belong to me Someone who ca…
Rags To Riches I know I'd go from rags to riches If you would…
Secret Love Once I had a secret love, That lived within the heart…
Sentimental Journey Gonna take a sentimental journey Gonna set my heart at ease …
She Loves You Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes They asked me how I knew my true love was…
someone to watch There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Someone To Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Song Is You I hear music when I look at you, A beautiful theme…
South Of The Border South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell…
St Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down, I…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stormy Weather Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky Stormy…
Sweet And Lovely Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May Sweet and…
Swing Swing Swing How glad the many millions Of Annabelle's and Lilian's Wou…
Talk Well every night I see a light up in your…
Tell Me Why Tell me why nights are lonesome Tell my why days are…
That Lucky Old Sun Up in the mornin' out on the job, work like…
That Old Black Magic Old black magic has me in its spell Old black magic…
The Birth Of the Blues Oh! they say some people long ago Were searching for a…
The Loveliest Night of the Year When you are in love It's the lovliest night of the…
The Man I Love Goodbye, no use leading with our chins This is where our…
The More I See You Each time I look at you Is like the first…
The Music Stopped It was a most romantic interlude And we were in a…
The Nearness Of You It's not the pale moon that excites me That thrills…
The Song Is for You I hear music when I look at you, A beautiful theme…
The Twist Oh, well, I'm sittin' here, la, la Waiting for my ya…
They Say It's Wonderful They say that falling love is wonderful It's wonderful, so t…
This Love Of Mine This love of mine goes on and on, Though life…
Until The Real Thing Comes Along Oh I'd work for you, I'd slave for you, I'd be…
What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry What can I do to prove it to you that…
What Is This Thing Called Love I was a hum-drum person Leading a life apart When love flew…
What's New What's new How is the world treating you You haven't changed…
What's New? What's new How is the world treating you You haven't chang…
When Day Is Done When day is done and shadows fall I dream of you When…
When The Saints Go Marching In Oh, when the saints go marching in Oh, when the saints…
When You're Smiling When you're smilin', when you're smilin' The whole world smi…
When Your Lover Has Gone What good is the scheming, the planning and dreaming That co…
Where Is Your Heart When ever we kiss, I worry and wonder. Your lips may be…
Without a Song Without a song the day would never end Without a song…
Ya Ya Twist Oh, well, I'm sittin' here, la, la Waiting for my ya…
Yellow Bird Yellow bird, up high in banana tree Yellow bird, you sit…
You Go To My Head You go to my head and you linger like a…
You Made Me Love You Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
You'll Never Know You'll never know just how much I miss you You'll never…
You're Driving Me Crazy You left me sad and lonely; Why did you leave…
Young At Heart Fairy tales can come true It can happen to you if…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@slicksnewonenow
@@glenntremblay5406 I'm pretty sure that actual choreography would have wrecked the Prima show... He and Keeley were known for their goofy, off the cuff antics.
To me, the craziest part of it was how GREAT the whole band was... And every song almost sounded different, each time it was played (when seeing the live footage and they play a certain song in a different tempo, faster or slower than the record) those guys were RIGHT ON IT.
My grandparents loved that band and would go see them whenever they'd play shows close enough to their hometown... And I was blessed by getting to meet Miss Keeley and Mr. Butera once in Las Vegas.
This was in the Nineties and both of them still had "it".
That was one of the highlights of my life!
Wow... What a show!
@jeffreybarkin3177
@@bishlap
This is COLOURIZED as Colour Film Recording was not yet available yet when this was likely recorded...
But, Keely SMITH and LOIUS PRIMA's Live shows in places like The Neville in the scenic Catskill's resort country clubs were Legendary!
Believe THIS recording is from 1958, when Las Vegas was being first developed...
Today, this would be TOTALLY VEGAS!
@stephencurtis1504
This is my old dads favourite song , he always used to sing it , he’s 91 years old and suffers from dementia and now lives in a care home, but still sings it to all the female residents in the home , bless him forever. STEVE C.
@poppyfield1619
Bless him!😘
@glenntremblay5406
My dad played it for me years ago and I instantly loved it... Great song.
It's too bad they weren't choreographing dance moves back then as that would have put it over the top absolutely.
@aug9676
All the choicest blessings for your pops' i bet he knows how to have fun🤣
@slicksnewonenow
@@glenntremblay5406 I'm pretty sure that actual choreography would have wrecked the Prima show... He and Keeley were known for their goofy, off the cuff antics.
To me, the craziest part of it was how GREAT the whole band was... And every song almost sounded different, each time it was played (when seeing the live footage and they play a certain song in a different tempo, faster or slower than the record) those guys were RIGHT ON IT.
My grandparents loved that band and would go see them whenever they'd play shows close enough to their hometown... And I was blessed by getting to meet Miss Keeley and Mr. Butera once in Las Vegas.
This was in the Nineties and both of them still had "it".
That was one of the highlights of my life!
Wow... What a show!
@logann7942
Much love to you and your dad. Music does something different to people. I’ve known dementia patients who don’t remember their own families, but if you find a song they liked, they remember every word. ❤
@artbeau
Got a chance to see Keely in 2010 in CA. She was absolutely genuine. She pitched the first number, "It's Magic". She stopped mid-note to say, "Stop! Stop! What the hell... " Someone right in front of us hollered.... "WE LOVE YOU KEELY"... She said "I love you too and you deserve better." She started over and absolutely killed it!!! The rest of the show was absolutely amazing! I was so happy I was able to see this legend in my lifetime!
@scottsmith2508
Keely Smith is the best. The absolute very best. She's exceptionally cute and exceptionally talented.
@barneypooch
I'm so jealous I could kill!
@catchawave1963
Saw her around the same time. Her tribute album to Sinatra from this period is terrific.