Gia Maione
Encyclopedia
Gia Maione is an American singer and widow of singer Louis Prima
born 1941.
Gia Maione is a 1959 graduate of Toms River (New Jersey
) High School (now known as Toms River High School South
). She first gained notice in 1962, when she was signed to sing lead female vocals for Prima and his band. Prima had divorced Keely Smith
, his former lead vocalist, the year before. Smith left the orchestra, creating the opening that Maione filled. The young singer's rich voice was an ideal match for Prima's rugged jazz
riffs, and the couple performed and recorded together until Prima fell ill in 1975.
In 1963 she married Prima, becoming his fifth and final wife. She had two children by Prima, Louis Jr. and Lena. In 1965, the couple recorded Let's Fly With Mary Poppins, a popular album containing jazz versions of songs from the popular Disney film
. The couple routinely performed at locations such as the Copacabana
, the Sahara Hotel, the Sands Hotel
, and the Palmer House
in Chicago. Although paired with Prima near the end of his career, Prima, Maione and orchestra remained extremely popular and sang to sold out crowds up to the time of Prima's death.
In 1975, while undergoing an operation in Los Angeles
to remove a benign brain tumor
, Prima lapsed into a coma
and never regained consciousness. He died almost three years later on August 24, 1978 in his home town of New Orleans.
The Prima estate was tied up in litigation for almost 15 years following Prima's death. In 1994, Maione assumed control of the Prima archives, at which time she set about managing his vast musical legacy. She has dedicated herself to remastering and re-releasing Prima's work. Among her other duties, Maione handles the licensing of Prima's work for television, film and advertising, such as the use of 'Jump, Jive and Wail' for a series of Gap ads in the late 1990s. While living in Island Heights, New Jersey
in 2002, she filed suit against Universal Music Group claiming that proper royalties had not been paid.
She currently operates Prima Music, LLC, which releases previously unavailable Prima titles. The company also operates www.louisprima.com. She has also stated that she is interested in developing a Prima biopic. In a 2003 interview, she stated "In my opinion, there's only one person I believe could play Louis today. John Travolta
. He has the rhythm, he's an Italian, and he has that devilish twinkle in his eye. The only thing he has to learn is the New Orleans flavor, and I know he could do that."
In 2004, Gia Maione was inducted into the Toms River Schools Hall of Fame.
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a Sicilian 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 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
born 1941.
Gia Maione is a 1959 graduate of Toms River (New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) High School (now known as Toms River High School South
Toms River High School South
Toms River High School South is a comprehensive four-year public high school, and was the first high school established in Dover Township , Ocean County, as part of the Toms River Regional Schools. The original Toms River High School graduated its first class in 1891 and the current building opened...
). She first gained notice in 1962, when she was signed to sing lead female vocals for Prima and his band. Prima had divorced Keely Smith
Keely Smith
Keely Smith is an American jazz and popular music singer who enjoyed popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. She collaborated with, among others, Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra.-Career:...
, his former lead vocalist, the year before. Smith left the orchestra, creating the opening that Maione filled. The young singer's rich voice was an ideal match for Prima's rugged jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
riffs, and the couple performed and recorded together until Prima fell ill in 1975.
In 1963 she married Prima, becoming his fifth and final wife. She had two children by Prima, Louis Jr. and Lena. In 1965, the couple recorded Let's Fly With Mary Poppins, a popular album containing jazz versions of songs from the popular Disney film
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
. The couple routinely performed at locations such as the Copacabana
Copacabana (nightclub)
The Copacabana is a famous New York City nightclub. Many entertainers, among them Danny Thomas, Pat Cooper and the comedy team of Martin and Lewis, made their debuts at the Copacabana. The 1978 Barry Manilow song "Copacabana" is named after, and is about the nightclub. Part of the 2003 Yerba...
, the Sahara Hotel, the Sands Hotel
Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel was a historic Las Vegas Strip hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, the Sands was the seventh resort that opened on the Strip....
, and the Palmer House
Palmer House
The Palmer House Hilton is a famous and historic hotel in downtown Chicago.-History:There have been three Palmer House Hotels at the corner of State and Monroe Streets in Chicago....
in Chicago. Although paired with Prima near the end of his career, Prima, Maione and orchestra remained extremely popular and sang to sold out crowds up to the time of Prima's death.
In 1975, while undergoing an operation in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to remove a benign brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
, Prima lapsed into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and never regained consciousness. He died almost three years later on August 24, 1978 in his home town of New Orleans.
The Prima estate was tied up in litigation for almost 15 years following Prima's death. In 1994, Maione assumed control of the Prima archives, at which time she set about managing his vast musical legacy. She has dedicated herself to remastering and re-releasing Prima's work. Among her other duties, Maione handles the licensing of Prima's work for television, film and advertising, such as the use of 'Jump, Jive and Wail' for a series of Gap ads in the late 1990s. While living in Island Heights, New Jersey
Island Heights, New Jersey
Island Heights is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,673....
in 2002, she filed suit against Universal Music Group claiming that proper royalties had not been paid.
She currently operates Prima Music, LLC, which releases previously unavailable Prima titles. The company also operates www.louisprima.com. She has also stated that she is interested in developing a Prima biopic. In a 2003 interview, she stated "In my opinion, there's only one person I believe could play Louis today. John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. He has the rhythm, he's an Italian, and he has that devilish twinkle in his eye. The only thing he has to learn is the New Orleans flavor, and I know he could do that."
In 2004, Gia Maione was inducted into the Toms River Schools Hall of Fame.