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That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas
In 1948, New Orleans veteran trumpeter and singer Louis Prima stumbled into a young girl named Keely Smith. She was barely a performer at all, almost half his age, destined for a relatively quiet life; their encounter was pure coincidence. But they went on to invent “The Wildest,” the most exciting and successful lounge act Las Vegas has ever seen, an act that became one of the hottest in the U.S. in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their records were hugely popular, and they were courted by Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Robert Mitchum, and other well-known entertainers of the day. Their professional success helped bring about the rise of Las Vegas as a mecca of American entertainment. Their love story ended soon after they helped usher in John F. Kennedy’s presidency--singing “That Old Black Magic” for him at his inauguration--but their influence is still evident. And Keely still draws SRO audiences to her nightclub appearances.
Now, on the occasion of Louis Prima’s 100th birthday, comes the first book on this duo, illustrating not only one of show business’s greatest love stories but also the Vegas milieu in which they reached the pinnacle of their success.
Now, on the occasion of Louis Prima’s 100th birthday, comes the first book on this duo, illustrating not only one of show business’s greatest love stories but also the Vegas milieu in which they reached the pinnacle of their success.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Tom Clavin
44 books522 followersTom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.
His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.
He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 11, 2022
I'm not sure how I discovered Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Might have been that odd Gen X swing revival period in the '90s. I never heard my parents, who were Silent Generation, say anything about Louis and Keely, but they were definitely interested in jazz, part of the DNA of the Prima/Smith act. Prima's Vegas incarnation was a small band, which was all most of those swing revivalists could afford, and the emphasis on the proto-rock "fast shuffle" and hammy stage antics suited the aging punk rocker and future rockabilly-lifer demographics.
Also, I could listen to Louis and Keely and call it studying my local (ie, Nevada) history. And, funny thing, my kids really liked their mix of raunchy dialect novelty numbers and torchy ballads. Listening to their CDs oddly dovetailed with a time where I listened to the radio a lot in my car. In the 2000s, Keely Smith had a bit of an unlikely career renaissance. Her voice, in fine form in her 70s, was a staple on various "old people" radio shows that just might have drawn a few Gen X listeners.
This book is enjoyable. It's almost two books in one. It documents Prima's very long career as jazzman/entertainer and "apelike" Lothario, and Keely's role as his ingenue/foil as he aged. It also features lots of early Vegas Rat Pack gossip, with a lot of interesting stuff about segregation there, always leading back to Frank Sinatra.
Formative Gen X quote from "Spinal Tap", released a dozen years before formative Gen X nostalgia-for-their-parents'-youthful-heyday film "Swingers": "I mean, when you've loved and lost the way Frank has..."
Also, I could listen to Louis and Keely and call it studying my local (ie, Nevada) history. And, funny thing, my kids really liked their mix of raunchy dialect novelty numbers and torchy ballads. Listening to their CDs oddly dovetailed with a time where I listened to the radio a lot in my car. In the 2000s, Keely Smith had a bit of an unlikely career renaissance. Her voice, in fine form in her 70s, was a staple on various "old people" radio shows that just might have drawn a few Gen X listeners.
This book is enjoyable. It's almost two books in one. It documents Prima's very long career as jazzman/entertainer and "apelike" Lothario, and Keely's role as his ingenue/foil as he aged. It also features lots of early Vegas Rat Pack gossip, with a lot of interesting stuff about segregation there, always leading back to Frank Sinatra.
Formative Gen X quote from "Spinal Tap", released a dozen years before formative Gen X nostalgia-for-their-parents'-youthful-heyday film "Swingers": "I mean, when you've loved and lost the way Frank has..."
July 22, 2015
Pros:
-If you have an interest in anything Jazz and the development of the New Orleans jazz scene, then this is a great representation of the time.
-Also a great book to read if you like American history in general, especially in the post-war years of the 40's and 50's.
-Provided an entertaining telling of the development of Las Vegas from a desert oasis into one of the most populated cities in the American west.
-Lots of Frank Sinatra references
-Details how Prima's music and his performance style was an inspiration to many entertainers including Elvis Presley and Sonny and Cher.
Cons:
-Writing skill of the author may be equivalent to that of a college freshman.
-Grammar may have been correct but was since the style was so poor many parts of it were difficult to read and did not make sense.
-The author was trying to use slang of the times in parts of the book where he was not quoting other people which interrupted any respectful flow of language that may have occurred otherwise.
-Many statements were made as fact without anything to back it up including Frank Sinatra's involvement with the so called "cosa nostra" and how he and JFK were best friends until JFK was president by reasoning that the president couldn't be seen having liaisons with the mob. There is no tangible proof of this, and although it is likely that these things did occur, it is only speculation for the most part and should be presented as such; not presented as cold, hard facts.
Overall I am glad I read the story. I did not know what a profound impact Louis and Keely had on the lounge scene of the early days of Las Vegas entertainment. Would have been an excellent read had it been written with more skill and tact.
-If you have an interest in anything Jazz and the development of the New Orleans jazz scene, then this is a great representation of the time.
-Also a great book to read if you like American history in general, especially in the post-war years of the 40's and 50's.
-Provided an entertaining telling of the development of Las Vegas from a desert oasis into one of the most populated cities in the American west.
-Lots of Frank Sinatra references
-Details how Prima's music and his performance style was an inspiration to many entertainers including Elvis Presley and Sonny and Cher.
Cons:
-Writing skill of the author may be equivalent to that of a college freshman.
-Grammar may have been correct but was since the style was so poor many parts of it were difficult to read and did not make sense.
-The author was trying to use slang of the times in parts of the book where he was not quoting other people which interrupted any respectful flow of language that may have occurred otherwise.
-Many statements were made as fact without anything to back it up including Frank Sinatra's involvement with the so called "cosa nostra" and how he and JFK were best friends until JFK was president by reasoning that the president couldn't be seen having liaisons with the mob. There is no tangible proof of this, and although it is likely that these things did occur, it is only speculation for the most part and should be presented as such; not presented as cold, hard facts.
Overall I am glad I read the story. I did not know what a profound impact Louis and Keely had on the lounge scene of the early days of Las Vegas entertainment. Would have been an excellent read had it been written with more skill and tact.
April 27, 2011
Not only a look at Louis Prima and Keely Smith's life and music but a good overview of the blues, jazz and nightclub scene from the 30's through the 60's.
May 15, 2022
Tom Clavin is one of my very favorite authors. I look forward to each and every book he writes. When I found this one about Keely Smith and Louis Prima, I had to read it. I was not disappointed. They didn't call Prima 'The Wildest' for nothing. He was in perpetual motion on stage. The book is biographical, but focuses on their years in Las Vegas. At the time, Vegas was an up and coming tourist center with casinos being built one after the other. Clavin also gave a good background on the development of the gambling town complete with mobster ties and all. It was a fascinating read, which led me to YouTube where I watched as many videos as I could of Prima and Smith along with Sam Butera and The Witnesses. Made me wish I could find a time machine that could transport me back to Vegas during the fifties so I could catch their crazy act. Of course, Smith had quite a voice and has always been underrated. They shaped Vegas entertainment and drew in record numbers of guests--second only to Sinatra. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last and their time in the Vegas limelight waned. Keely was a product of her times and did not seem to have the self-confidence she needed to pursue her own successes, even though she definitely had the talent. Prima replaced her as his wife and costar with another songbird, but could not replicate 'That Old Black Magic' that he had with Keely. Read the book. It is definitely a winner. As for me, I will be on the hunt for more books by Tom Clavin. Well done!
December 11, 2017
I read this book after watching several favorite Lois Prima/Keely Smith/Sam Butera & the Witnesses videos on YouTube. They had a show called 'The Wildest", and I had to know the inside story. Thank goodness for Tom Clavin's study of their lives, with a bonus: a thorough review of the successful establishment of entertainment in Las Vegas. Louis Prima and his band were there to establish a Vegas act that drew customers to the new entertainment city first...like no other.
A pleasure of a little book.
A pleasure of a little book.
September 3, 2024
Story of Trumpeter and singer Louis Prima and a young singer Keely Smith and their rise to be one of the biggest entertainment acts, particularly in Vegas in the late 40’s and 50’s. Their lounge act “The Wildest” was hugely successful and Keely continued to entertain almost to the current day. Prima lived to be 100. 3***
February 14, 2024
This book will take you back in time to an old Las Vegas!
September 1, 2011
A solid dual-biograpy of Keely Smith and Louis Prima (with lots of info on Sam Butera, too), this does a nice job of giving an overview of both their careers without dwelling too much on why they divorced. There are some b&w photos, and lots of quotations from celebrities who saw their show or worked with them.
January 11, 2016
A great primer on Louis Prima and Keely Smith and their career in a Las Vegas that was just starting to become the entertainment mecca it was in the late 1950's. Lots of behind-the-scenes stories on both them and the city and other entertainers like The Rat Pack. A great glimpse of showbiz and civic history. Enjoyed it a lot! - BH.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews