Louis Prima

Louis Leo Prima was an American singer, actor, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. For Disney, he was best known for having been the original voice of King Louie in The Jungle Book. He was both considered to voice Alan-A-Dale and Little John in Robin Hood. He also recorded the 1974 concept album Let's Hear It for Robin Hood, in response to the fact that he was not given a part. 
Prima was born to a musical Italian American family in New Orleans, Louisiana. His interest in jazz was sparked while frequenting these clubs and observing black and Italian jazz artists playing together. While attending high school, he formed his own band that soon became a popular Las Vegas lounge act beginning in the 1950s. From the 1940s through the 1960s, his music further encompassed early R&B and rock 'n' roll, boogie-woogie, and Italian folk music, such as the tarantella. Prima made prominent use of Italian music and language in his songs, blending elements of his Italian and Sicilian identity with jazz and swing music.
He continued to perform right up to 1973 when he suffered a heart attack which hindered his ability to perform. In 1975, after being diagnosed with a brain stem tumor, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma following surgery to remove the tumor. He never fully recovered and died in 1978 in his native New Orleans. He was buried in Metairie Cemetery.
==Trivia==
*Prima's and Keely Smith's rendition of "That Old Black Magic" was also the subject of a DTV music video (set to footage of, among others, Magician Mickey and the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene from Fantasia), which aired on the Disney Channel and was included on the DTV: Golden Oldies video release. This version of the song was also made famous by Jim Henson in his earliest Muppet shows Sam and Friends with Sam performing as Prima and a cross-dressing Kermit the Frog as Smith.
*Another Prima-Smith duet version, that of "I've Got You Under My Skin", was also made into a DTV video, and set to footage of Donald's Better Self.
*Prima was supposed to provide the voice of Louis in The Rescuers, but his character was scrapped when Prima had his heart attack and had to leave the project.
*He was later mentioned in the Lizzie McGuire episode "Come Fly with Me".
==Roles==
Profile - King Louie.jpeg|King Louie(The Jungle Book)
Louis the bear.jpg|Louis the Bear(A deleted character from The Rescuers)
==Gallery==
Louis and king louie.JPG
Louis Prima and his band on set.jpg|Prima and his band performing on set.
Louis prima posing for animators.jpg
Louis prima and walt disney.jpg|Prima with Walt Disney
Louis prima and the sherman brothers.jpg|Prima with Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman
Louis prima recording session 1.JPG
Louis prima recording session 2.JPG
Louis prima recording session 3.JPG
Louis prima recording session 4.JPG
Louis prima recording session 5.JPG
Category:Males
Category:Musicians
Category:Singers
Category:Songwriters
Category:Singer-songwriters
Category:Actors
Category:American people
Category:Voice actors
Category:Deceased
Category:People from Louisiana
Category:1970s deaths
Category:1910s births
Category:Lizzie McGuire
Category:The Jungle Book
Category:The Rescuers