I wasn’t making it with the violin because I was playing all of the ‘long hair’ stuff.

Meaning of the quote

The quote means that Louis Prima was not becoming successful with the violin because he was playing classical music, which was often called "long hair" music, instead of more popular and lively music that people wanted to hear at the time. He realized that to be a successful entertainer, he needed to play the type of music that the audience enjoyed, rather than just the serious classical pieces.

About Louis Prima

Louis Prima was a versatile American musician who embraced various genres, including New Orleans jazz, swing, jump blues, early R&B, and Italian folk music. He is also known for voicing the character of King Louie in the Disney film ‘The Jungle Book’.

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