Nelson Riddle’s arrangement and Keely’s voice. Absolutely smashing.

I especially love Keely Smith 's rendition of "When day is done " on Sinatra's show. In it she allows us to get a glimpse of the emotional and sensual side of her, instead of the usual deadpan expression whenever she's with Louis Prima. Together with a perfect Nelson Riddle arrangement, irresistible.

Now at 75 y/o, I still love this woman ---she was too underrated.

Her voice was really awesome, strong, smooth, perfect practically.

So underrated. One day, she will be rediscovered and music will again be marvelous.

Awe, this is who I was named after, I met her when I was 5.

She is by far one of the most original, sexy singers of 1950s, bet she was lots of fun to have as a friend, jokes etc.

So happy I was named after someone so iconic 💛

She sang so beautifully touched me I lost my his and this year after 52 years of marriage I miss him and this song brought me to tears this comment is from mrs john gray

Keely Smith was always proud to be Cherokee, even in a time when some folks stayed quiet about their origins. Awesome lady.

This woman could sing!!!!! Absolutely pure clear voice!!!!

I have seen Keely perform 3 times in my life. 1 of those times was when she was a guest at a wedding I was catering and she performed. I begged my boss to let me have her table!! He did, and I waited on her all night!! Even helped her carry the centerpiece from her table to her car!! I stll get goosebumps. Keely is my favorite!

I love her voice. She is so underrated.

just discovered Keely. Really enjoy her singing 😀

You just have to love Keely Smith. She is absolutely wonderful. Always remember Keely!

Keely Smith died on December 16, 2017 at age 89. Rest in Peace!

I don't know how long she performed after I saw her last. Before I moved back to my hometown of Buffalo, New York after about 20 years in Las Vegas. I watched her perform at the Desert Inn Lounge and she was terrific. She was 69 or 70 and still had a great voice.

Keely remained hiddened by the showmanship of Louie and the band. She was not only pretty but a great singer!

Such a wonderful singer...a strong voice and yet she always kept it smooth.

Discovered her when she was in Thunder Road with Robert Mitchum.Great voice.

I just found out Keely passed away on December 16. I consider it one of the honors of my life to have been able to see her perform twice in Palm Springs in the '00s. Only time in my life outside of weddings that I've rented a tuxedo. I'll never forget one line from her show about the men she had known in her life. She said something about talking to them and knowing exactly where to look to talk to Louis (looks down at the floor). Then, looking up, she says, "Isn't that right, Frank?" Even in her 80s the voice was exactly the same. Not bad for a little girl from Norfolk, VA. RIP, Keely.

Always loved Keely - fabulous talent

What a stupendous singing performance. She always has plenty in reserve. Thrilling high notes. Love the way she gives her notes full value, holds the note right to the end. Beginning singers usually wonder what to do w their face & hands, display too much strain & emotion in facial expressions. Learn from Keely here, the master of her craft. Face is calm, relaxed, sincere. Focus is on the emotion in the eyes & the words of the song. Hands are still. Others to watch: Peggy King, & Tony Bennett.

Love her voice. Severely underrated singer. Her performance of ‘It’s Been A Long, Long Time’ is the definitive version of that tune in my opinion.

R.I.P. Keely. You were a beautiful and gracious lady. Your golden voice will be missed.

Her voice was magic, totally seamless across her entire range. Who else do we know who could boast of that?

Smooth iconic voice

RIP, dollface, and what a sweet voice. You will be missed.

So great to have Keeley stand alone she was up there with the greats. A “Very Special” voice.

The talent, the class. So blindingly brilliant when juxtaposed against today's entertainment

Such a great singer. Poised. Classy. Cool. Really, this lady DEFINES cool. I just ordered a dvd of HEY BOY! HEY GIRL! Louis Prima and Keely Smith's 1959 Columbia film. Not an award winning story, but the music is sublime!

Love Keely! Funny, great voice, and a naturally great performer. My uncle George was Louis and Keely’s cook for a year and George said that Keely around the house was the entertainer. Always singing and making ppl laugh. Sometimes while helping George, George would turn and look at Kelly, only to see her making the funniest face at him. George says no one enjoyed life more than Louis and Keely. Regardless of being celebrities

One of a kind VOICE..!!!

Whenshe recorded" When your love has gone' she had done it. Brilliant singer. I have a number of her albums and she has a permanent place in my heart

I've seen her in person twice. Terrific, but what a mouth! She graciously offered to sing requests from the audience. I asked her to sing "It's Been A Long, Long Time." She sang it and during the piano interlude I heard her say to the pianist (her son-in-law), "I really hate this song!"

Keely is one of my favorite vocalist!

a very underrated singer! and overlooked an amazing talent

A great underestimated singer. Great jazz stuff and minor keys

One year before I was born. I consider myself lucky to have been born into the post war 20th century cultural apex in so many ways.

Heckuva voice!!

Beautiful lady, loved all her solo records back in the day, she sounds exactly the same singing live. Pure talent. Great post, thank you.

watching this reminds me of when keely passed away (she lived somewhat locally) her estate was selling off some her stuff on craigslist. i specifically remember she had the most beautiful vintage dresses. quality you just don't see today.

Keely - so many memories from the Dessert Inn. You are angelic - thank you for sharing your Passion & your time... Beth Bono

One of the best jazz artists I’ve ever heard, beyond underrated

What a songbird! 👏

Keely Smith was HAAAWT! What pipes!

we will see you in resurrection Keely... I love you my friend!

A beautiful voice.

A ten. Gone forever. Her voice lives on!

A supreme performer...Keely Smith still is in 2015!

Luke, thanks for this pallie. 1958...I was born.

Im English, I live in UK. Ive always loved this Lady's voice. Somehow sad i discovered most people in UK, never heard of Keely Smith. Anyway, Peace to all.

I love these guys!

This is simply perfect. I never heard her singing solo before, i'm astonished

Get em babe Just gorgeous and oh what a voice

R.I.P wonderful voice and a lovely person!!

RIP Keely - the greatest.

Keely Smith (Mar. 9, 1928 - Dec. 16, 2017) RIP

I love her music

My Dad loved this woman --------he always said she was too underrated. -----------I agree.-------------This takes me back to my childhood. ----------------------------------WolfSky9, 72 y/o

Love Keely! Saw her live a few years ago, and she sounded exactly like this, but slightly jazzier.

Thanks for the post. This is one of the best one with Keely.

That’s talent!

What an amazing video / moment!!! RIP Keely Smith :(

My oh my... THANK YOU SO MUCH for sending me here, Luke!!! I have no words... இڿڰۣڿڰ

Really talented and gifted. I'm going to look for her albums. She was under her husband's thumb it looks

Luke, wow pallie, you cover the waterfront! You have it all -- great clip of Miss Keely. I'm sure you know, but if not, Louie's daughter, Lena Prima lives in New Orleans -- just wrapped up her last show for the summer at The Monteleone in New Orleans, which I caught. I know Lena --great pipes and a great entertainer..has all of Louie's arrangements.

So interesting seeing the comments below. I too am named after her. My dad absolutely loved her voice and took a shining fancy to her too. My mother being a fan too and pregnant with me at the time, said to my Dad that he could name their baby in waiting Keely, should it be a girl! That was 1967. Keely Brooke Thomas, how amazing that you met her and Mikey Trahant ….your boss couldn't have chosen a better person to look after her that day!!

Luke, Pallie -- that would be great -- many thanks. Look forward to receiving the QT movies.

Why wasn’t she better known? She has one of the best voices I ever heard.

I'm in love all over again!!

so sorry to have heard of this lovely lady of song.

very good voice have a few of her albums with Nelson Riddle orchestra

wnnnn, toda hermosa ella 😭😭😭

Salut, Paul! We never talked about Keely? I begged her to let me produce her bio after the Rat Pack, but he kept turning me down... dang shame... she's bar none my favorite female singer, even ahead of Ella or Sarah or Doris or Dinah or Judy! I've got a bunch of great Keely performances, with Perry Como, Andy Williams, and others- will send them to you as quicktime movies or on a dvd if you want!

MUSICAL MEMORIAL: Keely Smith, born as Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, died on this day, December 16, 2017, at the age of 89, in Palm Springs, California. The cause of death was heart failure. She was born on March 9, 1928, in Norfolk, Virginia. For more information, and more musical memorials, please visit this internet group: FACE BOOK/TONY JAMS MUSICAL MEMORIALS 1950'S AND BEYOND & FACE BOOK/FRIENDS WHO LIKE TONY JAMS MUSICAL MEMORIALS. MAY DOROTHY JACQUELINE KEELY, AKA KEELY SMITH, REST IN HARMONY.

RIP lady..

RIP Keely...............

nothing to say but...DAMN!

The shade with the three

RIP Keely.

I couldn't agree more! I am an unconditional Keely fan. Alas, singers with her caliber of talent aren't even recognized by the music industry anymore -- the business school wiz-kids who run the show today are only concerned with making a fast buck and a quick return on minimal investment.

RIP Keely…

Does "underrated" now mean "I wasn't aware of this artist" now? Keely was a legendary performer. Underrated talent doesn't regular appear with Frank Sinatra and play Vegas and abroad consistently.

Keely had a lovely voice and rhere was sonething special about her , besides being a sexy woman !!!!

RIP Keely 17/12/2017

Great! Windmills.

Luke, that is a shame that you didn't get to do her bio. I love her too..and would love to have those QT movies -- thanks Pallie.

Todays singers rely on over engineered recording techniques. Back when Keely sang this live, audio engineers saw their job to make the sound as transparent as possible. Todays sound engineers, due to the proliferation of technology, perform techniques to keep the singer on pitch, add echo, change the equalization, apply compression and as a result, the quality of the talent has dwindled. Todays singers know they need gimmicks to attract the "fans" Crazy hair, Laser beams, explosions, etc.

Hi Paul- I'm gonna start with the Keely Smith stuff!

R.I.P

My, she's good, classy.

Hey Soap, what's up? Long time no hear!...........................Strange to see Keely and Louis together in 1958. I think they were long divorced by this time, great band. I don't think Keely really ever lost her love of Louis Prima. Her voice sounded great into at least her seventies, when she did a Count Basie tribute album in 2002.

I would have loved to talk to her back then. She is very elderly now. Very strange personality. Amazed people like Frank would bring her on his show. Her voice was just so so to me.

Dear Paul- will start sending the QT movies tonight- they take about 3 hours for each hour of video. :)

RIP

I rank her along with Edie Gourmet as two superlative singers ... Keely with Louis Prima and Edie with Steve Lawrence

Do you have the complete show? I have the audio tape of it and its all Great!!!

I imagine there were not a lot (known) Métis on American television back then.

Keely Smith had an affair with Sinatra after her marriage to Louis Prima ended. He called her "Injun". I saw her perform in Florida during the 1990s where she sang and talked about Frank, her career and Prima (who was abusive to her).