Louis Prima Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Louis Prima
OCCUPATION: Actor, Songwriter, Singer, Trumpet Player
BIRTH DATE: December 07, 1911
DEATH DATE: August 24, 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH: New Orleans, Louisiana
PLACE OF DEATH: New Orleans, Louisiana

Best Known For

Louis Prima was an influential jazz trumpeter, singer and composer known for songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Angelina," "Buona Sera" and "Jump, Jive an' Wail."

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Louis Prima

APA Style

Louis Prima. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 10:11, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209.

Harvard Style

Louis Prima. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209 [Accessed 21 May 2013].

MLA Style

"Louis Prima." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 10:11 http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209.

MHRA Style

"Louis Prima," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209 [accessed May 21, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Louis Prima," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209 (accessed May 21, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Louis Prima [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209.

Bluebook Style

Louis Prima, http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209 (last visited May 21, 2013).

AMA Style

Louis Prima. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/louis-prima-21110209. Accessed May 21, 2013.

Providing the voice of the swinging king of the apes, Louie, Prima recorded the classic "I Wan'na Be Like You," with the movements of he and his band serving as inspiration for Disney animators. Prima later recorded songs for the Disney film The Rescuers (1977) that remained unreleased until the 2000s.

Prima continued to play together in Vegas for a time and by the '70s had returned to New Orleans. In 1975, he underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed and lapsed into a coma,

in which he remained until his death in 1978. He was survived by Maione and their children Louis Jr. and Lena, both of whom have pursued musical careers as well.

Maione has worked to maintain the Prima estate and helped to keep his legacy alive in the pop culture canon, including overseeing his music's usage in a number of films that have included Analyze This and Swingers. A 1999 documentary appeared on the musician's life as well--Louis Prima: The Wildest.