Website Of Sam Butera The Legendary Sax Playing Sideman Of Louis Prima
Website Of Sam Butera The Legendary Sax Playing Sideman Of Louis Prima
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Louis Prima's legendary sideman Sam Butera has officially retired. Sam, with his distinctive sax playing and his powerful vocals, has thrilled millions via performances from Las Vegas major showrooms to the famed Copacabana in New York City and will
be truly missed by us all.
Sam Butera is renowned as one of the most impeccable players of the tenor sax of this or any other musical era. Sam, with his distinctive sax playing and his powerful vocals, has thrilled millions via performances from Las Vegas’ major showrooms to the famed Copacabana in New York City. With his recordings, television, and motion picture appearances, Sam went on to reach and thrill millions more.
Sam was born on August 17, 1927 in New Orleans, where his father, Joe, ran Poor Boy’s Grocery & Meat Market. His mother’s name was Rose and he had a brother, Joe, Jr. Sam always loved music and at a young age, was given a saxophone by his father. At the age of eighteen, in a contest held at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Sam was voted the Outstanding Teenage Musician in America by Look Magazine.
Upon graduation, he went on the road with Ray McKinley, with whom he made his recording debut on McKinley’s versions of “Civilization” and “Celery Stalks At Midnight”. After stints with various bands including Tommy Dorsey, Joe Richman, and Al Hirt, Sam returned home. Once home, Sam played at Leon Prima’s 500 Club, where he and his five-piece band backed bad comics and strippers.
In his spare time, Sam jammed with the band of one of his father’s customers, Paul Gayten, who had one of the top bands in the city. In 1951 a recording was made of Sam with Paul for Regal records. Eventually, Sam formed his own group and produced such hits as “Easy Rockin’” and “Chicken Scratch” for RCA Victor.
When Louis Prima was looking for his Vegas band, his brother reminded him of Sam. In 1954 Sam joined Louis Prima and Keely Smith in Las Vegas, and the rest is musical history. Together they recorded several albums, appeared on many T.V. shows, starred in several movies and broke attendance records in every showroom and lounge in the country.
Sam recorded for Cadence under his own name and, after the Capitol signing, for subsidiary label Prep as Sam Butera & The Witnesses. The group was also given billing on all Prima recordings.
Sam appeared with Frank Sinatra across America from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to the Latin Casino in Philadelphia. The two recorded the song “Stargazer”, which was written by Neil Diamond and was released through Reprise Records.
Sam has also appeared with Danny Thomas, Jerry Vale, Sergio Franchi, Jimmy Roselli, and Sammy Davis, Jr. with whom he recorded an album “Sam Meets Sam, When The Feeling Hits You”.
On April 3, 1998 the Augustus Society gave Sam the "Life Time Achievement" and the "Entertainer of the Year" awards. In 1999 the Tropicana Casino and Hotel inducted Sam Butera into the "Las Vegas Hall of Fame".
To this day Sam is still packing them in and blowing them away in major showrooms and lounges around the world and at home in Las Vegas. A Sam Butera performance is an event not to be missed.