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Leon Prima was born on July 28, 1907 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the older brother of singer Louis Prima. Starting on piano before learning the trumpet, his early jobs were with Ray Bauduc, Leon Roppolo, Jack Teagarden, and Peck Kelley (during the Roaring Twenties. He and Sharkey Bonano led the group the Melody Masters in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
From 1940 to 1946 a move to New York City saw Leon playing in his brother’s big band. After returning to New Orleans, he led his own ensemble and managed more than one nightclub. Then in 1955 he retired from music and made a career for himself in real estate. Trumpeter Leon Prima, who owned the 500 Club on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, passed away on August 15, 1985.
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