Louis Prima

To his family, friends, and fans Prima was a much different person. He was very patient with fans and always autographed or took pictures with them. He also became a fatherly figure for Barbara Belle, a songwriter and secretary for Louis. On stage, he was a natural performer. He sold himself to the audience by creating shows that were funny, happy, and extremely entertaining. <br /><br />He shopped at all of the best clothing stores and wore top brand suits. Along with clothing, he spent much of his extra money on horses. He enjoyed gambling because it relaxed him. He had invested six figures in the horses and all seven of them were housed in Aqueduct, New York. Riding was one of the things that relaxed him the most outside of his busy performing life. He knew each of his horses well and read about training. Another hobby was boating. He purchased a boat for his third wife Tracelene Barrett for their honeymoon in the Hudson River. <br /><br />Keely Smith was seventeen years old when Louie Prima laid eyes on her. Her hometown was Norfolk, Virginia. She had a unique voice that separated her from the usual sounds of nightclub singers. Read Less