Jazz Musician. A drummer, he will be best remembered for his work as a member of Louis Prima's band. The son of Sicilian immigrants, he began playing the drums at the age of thirteen and landed his first professional gig with the ensemble "The Dukes of Dixieland." An engagement in Las Vegas led to his joining Sal Butera, who backed Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Perhaps, Ferrara's greatest accomplishments were his drum playing on the Prima hits "The Old Black Magic" (1959), "Oh Marie" (1959), "Sing, Sing, Sing" (1959) and "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" (1959). He went on to appear on such TV programs as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Ferrara returned to New Orleans to work with Al Hirt and Frank Sinatra. He died from cancer.
Jazz Musician. A drummer, he will be best remembered for his work as a member of Louis Prima's band. The son of Sicilian immigrants, he began playing the drums at the age of thirteen and landed his first professional gig with the ensemble "The Dukes of Dixieland." An engagement in Las Vegas led to his joining Sal Butera, who backed Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Perhaps, Ferrara's greatest accomplishments were his drum playing on the Prima hits "The Old Black Magic" (1959), "Oh Marie" (1959), "Sing, Sing, Sing" (1959) and "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" (1959). He went on to appear on such TV programs as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Ferrara returned to New Orleans to work with Al Hirt and Frank Sinatra. He died from cancer.
Bio by: C.S.
Advertisement
See more Ferrara memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
