Louis Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an
American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece
New Orleans style
jazz band in the late 1920s, then leading a
swing combo in the 1930s, a
big band in the 1940s, a
Vegas lounge act in the 1950s, and a pop-rock band in the 1960s.