The Big Apple
New York was an attraction for hungry musicians during the Great Depression. It posed numerous risks, but all of the best artists in the nation made it in New York if not anywhere else. Guy Lombardo met Louis Prima while he was performing at club Shim Sham during the Mardi Gras season of 1934. Lombardo was impressed with Prima's stage performance and energy. He immediately offered him to go to New York.
Prima’s first gig in New York was supposed to be at a club called Leon and Eddie’s, located on 33 West 52nd street. Eddie Davis, one of the owners of the club, did not hire Prima because he thought he was a negro. This misconception led to Prima’s unemployment for the next six months.
Read more about this topic: Louis Prima
Famous quotes containing the words big and/or apple:
“It is not only a question of who is responsible for very young children. There is no longer anyone home to care for adolescents and the elderly. There is no one around to take in the car for repair or to let the plumber in. Working families are faced with daily dilemmas: Who will take care of a sick child? Who will go to the big soccer game? Who will attend the teacher conference?”
—Fran Sussner Rodgers (20th century)
“The apple doesnt fall far from the tree.”
—Swedish proverb, trans. by Verne Moberg.