Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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SMITH, Keely

(b Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, 9 March 1932, Norfolk VA; d 16 December 2017) Jazz-oriented pop singer with excellent clear, strong voice, always swing and a hint of a sense of humour. She was first married to rockabilly singer Jimmy Bowen, later a prominent record producer; she came to wider fame with her second husband Louis Prima's combo in the mid-'50s, a hot attraction in Las Vegas with mixture of comedy, jazz and pop: she sang in a straight jazz style, poker-faced and with a Tonto hairdo, while he perpetrated his ebullient nonsense. They had hit singles '58-9; for their LPs, films etc together see his entry. The marriage failed; she had charted in a '58 duet with Frank Sinatra 'How Are Ya Fixed For Love?' and LPs of her own: Swingin' Pretty '59, Be My Love '60, an album of Beatle songs '64; worked in UK '65, 'You're Breakin' My Heart' on Sinatra's Reprise label was no. 14 on the UK chart that year. She continued well-loved on clubs and came back with I'm In Love Again '85 on Fantasy, with excellent backing by Bud Shank, Bob Cooper etc. A CD Spotlight On Keely Smith was on Capitol.