Louis also wrote this classic
his biography, part 2. from the official Prima site
Going into the fifties, Elvis Presley had the country "All Shook Up" and when asked where he got the wiggle, he replied, "From Louis Prima, of course." Louis knew that the times were changing and if he wanted to stay on top, he would have to change as well. He down-sized the big band to a small group and added the sounds and talents of the great sax-man Sam Butera and vocalist, Keely Smith. He performed magic again by developing a shuffle beat, combined with a New Orleans southern rock sound, added the wailing sax and for comedic value, transformed the vocalist into the dead-pan partner that he could play off of. Needless to say, history was again being written. The string of hits that followed included "Just a Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody," "Buona Sera," "Black Magic," "Zooma, Zooma," "When You're Smilin'," and on and on. Louis Prima was not just Louis Prima - he was the "Big Daddy" of them all! And he was the leader of the most talked about attraction in America. He was easily the youngest living legend in show business. In night clubs from coast to coast. . .on theatre screens. . .on television. . .on stage. . .on recordings. . .wherever discriminating audiences gathered for exciting entertainment, they looked first for Louis Prima.
In the truest sense of the words, Louis Prima was a "star." His name alone commanded top billing for some forty-seven years. From the time he was eighteen years old and the leader of his own group, Louis set a standard of showmanship seldom equaled and never surpassed!! He continues to receive the highest compliment that show business can convey - imitation!! Louis Prima's style is more than an exciting entertainment spectacle; it is a goal to which performers will always aspire.
These facts have their basis in the background of this magnificent man of music. His beginnings were actually his training on the violin. Until he was fifteen years of age, Louis was headed for a career as a concert violinist. The sheer physical brawn of Prima, as well as the hardening rigors of high school football, soon made it impossible for him to feel the sensitivities of the violin. It was then that he tried his brother Leon's trumpet and never put it down again.
Less than a handful of performers make the transition from one generation to another. Louis' successes are not limited by any such arbitrary standards. His music is just as refreshing today as the day he first played it.
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