Gia Maione

Gia Maione Prima (May 20, 1941 – September 23, 2013) was an American singer and the fifth wife of musician/entertainer Louis Prima.

Biography

Born in the Roebling section of Florence Township, New Jersey,^[1] Maione lived in Bordentown before moving with her family to Toms River, New Jersey.^[2] She was a 1959 graduate of Toms River High School (since renamed as Toms River High School South).

Maione 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.

In 1963, she married Prima, becoming his fifth and final wife. She had two children with Prima, a daughter named Lena and a son named Louis Prima Jr.

In 1965, the couple recorded Let's Fly With Mary Poppins, a popular album containing jazz versions of songs from the

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 hometown of New Orleans.

The Prima estate was tied up in litigation for almost 15 years following Prima's death. He left Maione Gia in debt, to the point where she was forced to sell off assets to appease his ex-wives and biological children. Maione was so impoverished, with millions in debt to the medical institutions, that she was sewing Lena and Louis Jr.'s clothing. In 1994, Maione assumed control of the Prima archives, at which time she set about managing his vast musical legacy. She dedicated herself to remastering and re-releasing Prima's work. Among her other duties, Maione handled the licensing of Prima's work for television, film and advertising, such as the use of '

In 2004, Maione was inducted into the Toms River Schools Hall of Fame.[1]

Maione died in Pensacola, Florida, at the age of 72.^[1]

References