Keely Smith was an iconic American jazz and pop singer whose partnership with
her then husband, bandleader Louis Prima, made them among the standout acts in
Las Vegas in the 1950s. They released hit records and won a Grammy Award. After
they divorced in 1961 Smith went on to a highly successful solo career with
recordings that featured her trademark cool and assured delivery of jazz
standards and popular songs. She died of heart failure in Palm Springs on 16th
December 2017, aged 89.
Born in Virginia of part Cherokee heritage, her singing talent emerged when she
was very you...