PALM SPRINGS, California (CelebrityAccess) – Legendary jazz and pop singer Keely Smith passed on Saturday at the age of 89. It is thought she died of heart failure. Smith is known for both her solo recordings and her work with her first husband Louis Prima. The Grammy winner will be greatly missed.
According to Variety, Keely Smith got her start in her teens singing with bands of the 40s. She even joined Louis Prima’s band and went on the road in 1948 while still a teenager. She and Prima ultimately married and had two kids.
As a duo they won a Grammy for best pop vocal performance by a duo or group for “That Old Black Magic” in 1959. The duo later sang the song at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.
Smith was also later nominated for a Grammy for her solo album “Keely Sings Sinatra” in 2001.
While Keely Smith sang for many years in Las Vegas and received such honors as stars on both the Hollywood and Palm Springs walks of fame, she also had a larger visibility through such movies as “Senior Prom” and “Thunder Road.”
In addition, she caught popular attention through events such as her appearance in the 2008 Grammy Awards singing “That Old Black Magic” in a performance involving Kermit the frog and Kid Rock.
Keely Smith’s final show was at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center in 2011. Her children Toni Prima and Luanne Prima survive her.
