RIP Keely Smith

[Hypoxia]

Hawt singer back in the day. Wikipedia sez:

Of Irish and Cherokee ancestry, at age 14, Smith sang with a naval air station band... She saw Louis Prima perform in New York City in 1949. 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.

They put on a lively show, maybe halfway between April Stevens & Nino Temple and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

 

[Balladeer08]

Hawt singer back in the day. Wikipedia sez:


They put on a lively show, maybe halfway between April Stevens & Nino Temple and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Keely Smith was the perfect foil for Louis Prima's manic style. It was an act, but it worked so well. She had a marvelous voice, and was head to toe gorgeous.

You can find a few videos of them on YouTube.