"I wasn't making it with the violin because I was playing all of the 'long hair' stuff"

Louis Prima was a jazz artist and vocalist who was known for his upbeat and dynamic style. In this quote, he is referring to the reality that he was not accomplishing success with his violin playing since he was playing classical music, which was typically referred to as "long hair" music. This was a derogatory term utilized to explain symphonic music, which was seen as being too serious and intellectual. Prima was more thinking about playing jazz and swing music, which was more popular and accessible to the general public. He wished to make music that people might delight in and dance to, and he felt that classical music was not the method to do that. Prima's quote is a tip that music need to be accessible and satisfying, and that it needs to not be viewed as something that is only for the elite.