Statue Park on Bourbon Street, New Orleans
Louis Prima Allen Toussaint Irma Thomas
Al Hirt Pete Fountain
Chris Owens Ronnie Kole
Bronze Portrait Bust of DJ Larry McKinley
Entrance from Bourbon Street to New Orleans Musical Legends Park
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was born in New Orleans French Quarter to a musical family. His mother wanted him to play the violin but Louis loved the trumpet. He became a legendary musical genius and a big name talent that spanned several generations. He constantly reinvented himself and kept up with the trends of the times.
He was a singer, songwriter and trumpeter. He started with a New Orleans Jazz style band in the 1920s, later a swing band in the 30s ‘swing era’, then a Big Band in the 1940s. He later became a wildly popular Vegas Actor that began in the 1950s up until the 1970s. He ended his career at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon St with sax player Sam Butera and Gia Malone.
He is most widely known as King Louie voice in Walt Disney animation hit Jungle Book.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Louiehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Louie
Louis Prima had countless hits during the Big Band Era . His biggest hit was“Sing Sing Sing” that he co-wrote with Benny Goodman. Louis Prima hits include “Just a Gigalo/ Aint Got Nobody”, “That Old Black Magic”, “ When Your Smilin” and too many to list in this brief bio.
When Elvis Presley was asked where he got his dance style, he said “From Louis Prima, of course”.
“Just a Gigalo with Keely Smith and Sam Butera
