- Born
- Died
- Birth nameDorothy Jacqueline Keely
- Keely Smith was born March 9, 1928 in Norfolk, VA. After her parents divorced and her mother remarried Jesse Smith when she was nine years old, she changed her name to Keely Smith after she joined Louis Prima and his band. Her family had a tough time and her three brothers and her took in laundry to make ends meet. In 1947, she was on a vacation trip to New York City where the heat became oppressive. The family decided to go to Atlantic City, N.J. instead. Keely went to the Steel Pier where Louis Prima was appearing. In 1948, Prima appeared at the surf club in Virginia looking for a singer. Keely auditioned and was selected and hit the road at 18-years-old. They were subsequently married on July 13, 1953 and issued two daughters, Toni Prima and Luanne Prima. Keely was Prima's fourth wife. For many years, they appeared together in Las Vegas with bandleader Sam Butera and made "that old black magic" a standard. In 1961, Keely filed for divorce citing extreme mental cruelty. In 1965, she married Jimmy Bowen, a record producer and they were later divorced. She currently lives in Nevada and makes appearances in the Las Vegas area. Prima died in a nursing home in New Orleans on August 24, 1978 after being in a coma for several years. Her film credits include: Sing Sing Sing (2002), Thunder Road (1958) and Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (1959).- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mike McKinley
- SpousesJimmy Bowen(July 19, 1965 - July 29, 1969) (divorced)Louis Prima(July 13, 1953 - October 3, 1961) (divorced, 2 children)Matteo Gambo Gambardella Jr.(September 6, 1947 - December 19, 1950) (divorced)
- She and husband Louis Prima were the toast of Las Vegas in the 1950s. She was the sultry, sexy singer who played "straight man" to her husband's wild antics--years before Sonny & Cher did the same thing in their concerts and television shows.
- Her affair with Clint Eastwood lasted more than 12 years.
- Of part Cherokee heritage, Keely once played the tragic, half-mulatto Julie La Verne in a touring version of "Show Boat".
- Her singing idols were Ella Fitzgerald and June Christy.
- At age 14, she started singing with a naval air station band led by Saxie Dowell and at age 15 received her first paying job with the Earl Bennett Band. She hooked up with Louis Prima's outfit at age 17 and later married him.
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