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)
When Day Is Done
Keely Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dream of you
When day is done, I think of all the joys we knew
That yearning, returning to hold you in my arms
Won't go love, I know love
Without you night has lost it's charms
With twilight's dew
My lonely heart is sinking with the sun
Although I miss your tender kiss
The whole day through
I miss you most of all when day is done
When day is done and grass is wet
With twilight's dew
My lonely heart is sinking with the sun
Although I miss your tender kiss
The whole day through
I miss you most of all when day is done
The lyrics to Keely Smith's song "When Day Is Done" speak to the feeling of missing someone after a long day, especially as the sun begins to set and shadows fall. The singer dreams of their loved one as they are apart, and yearns to hold them once again. The repetition of the phrase "when day is done" drives home the feeling of inevitability that comes with the passing of time, and underscores the importance of cherishing the moments we have with the people we care about.
The second verse of the song paints a picture of loneliness as the sun sets and the world begins to quiet down. The grass is wet with dew, and the singer's heart sinks as they long for the person they miss most. The final lines of the song drive home the sense of longing, as the singer admits that they miss their loved one "most of all when day is done."
Overall, "When Day Is Done" is a moving testament to the power of love, and the ache that comes with missing someone deeply. By conjuring up vivid images of the sunset and the loneliness that can come with the end of the day, the lyrics tap into universal emotions that make the song resonate with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
When day is done and shadows fall
At the end of the day, as darkness creeps in
I dream of you
I long for you in my thoughts and dreams
When day is done, I think of all the joys we knew
As the day ends, I reminisce about the happy times we shared in the past
That yearning, returning to hold you in my arms
My desire to have you in my embrace keeps coming back again and again
Won't go love, I know love
My love for you is constant and unwavering
Without you night has lost it's charms
My nights are meaningless and dull without you by my side
Although I miss your tender kiss
Even though I crave the sweetness of your kiss
The whole day through
Every moment of the day
I miss you most of all when day is done
The time when I miss you the most is when the day comes to an end
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATSCHER ROBERT, B.G. DESYLVA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jean-Pierre Guyot
Keely Smith makes this song timeless! The combo Keely Smith & Nelson Riddle etches the music into the listener's soul, giving it a bigger-than-life presence that translates a fleeting moment into immortallity!
catman916
Keely made some wonderful recordings with Nelson Riddle and Billy May when she was with Capitol Records, Jean.
Redcoat‘s Return
She had something....be grateful for the depth of musical talent in America over so many decades....its a blessing for all of us!
Scott King
I can't believe this song is so unknown....this song inspires my day, every time I hear it.
montse pastén
amo esta canción con cada parte de mi ser 😭😭😭😭😭
John Whitehead
Great song wonderful singer
Anthony Hall
RIP Keely - You will always have a place in my heart x
Joe Rhoden
Same here,Anthony!!!!!!!! Richard Rhoden from Alabama (ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!)
Joe Rhoden
"When Day Is Done" and all is said and done,Dorothy Keely/Keely Smith is the greatest female singer of all time. May God bless you and your family,Miss Smith!!!!!! Richard Rhoden
Joe Rhoden
"When Day Is Done" ans all is said and done,Keely Smith is the greatest female singer of all time!!!!!!!!!!! Richard Rhoden