Louis Prima - World War II

World War II

When World War II came around, many men were drafted. Prima did not have to attend the war because of a knee injury so he could continue performing. Segregation was still very much in existence during the war, but it was not supported by Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt. She heavily encouraged integration and applauded Prima for his efforts. He had grown up in a racially integrated background, and it may have been one of the primary reasons for his success. In 1939 he was under contract to appear in black theatres in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Washington D.C.. It turns out that Mrs. Roosevelt attended his performance in D.C., and formally invited him to the President's birthday celebration. He was in pictures with the president and political powers of the country, which ultimately boosted his publicity.

By the mid-1940s, Prima was experiencing great success. People were purchasing tickets early in the morning for shows later on that evening. Despite the anti-Italian feeling during the war Prima continued to record Italian songs, the most famous "Angelina", named after his mother. Others included “Please No Squeeza Da Banana," "Bacci Galupe (Made Love on the Stoop," and "Felicia No Capricia."

He performed the Italian songs at the Strand Theatre in New York. He brought in an incredible $440,000 in six weeks. In Detroit he could bring in about $38,000 for an afternoon performance. With all of this success, he decided to go back to Chicago to prove himself. He sold out the “Panther Room” and reinvented himself in the windy city.

Prima had some big hits in the summer of 1945 including, "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" and "Bell-Bottom Trousers". As his career was growing even more, his marriage with Alma had ultimately failed. They got a divorce when she discovered he had been cheating on her with Jean Harlow, another actress. Alma was supposed to receive $15,000 a year or 7.5% of his earnings. Prima ignored the payments until they piled up to about $60,000, which forced him to write a settlement check of $45,000 plus $250 per week.

He quickly met a new wife, Tracelene Barrett, who was a secretary of Prima’s. She was a sweet and simple girl and he intended to keep her that way when they got married. She would manage his spending at the race track. He even bought a horse and named it Tracelene II.

With the end of the war, the music industry changed. Most couples were getting married and moving out of the city. Most of the big bands were diminishing, but Louis was able to resist for a few months. In 1947 he played more jazzy versions of music. Under the new contract with RCA Victor, he recorded "Civilization," "You Can’t Tell the Depth of the Well," "Say it with a Slap," “Valencia," and "My Flame Went Out Last Night." A few months later in November he recorded "Thousand Islands," "Mean To Me," and "Tutti Frutti Pizzicato." In 1948 Louis and Tracelene had a baby girl. He continued to work in the northeast, but cut back his orchestra.