He toured Europe twice and performed with jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington.

He might perform as a professional musician until the wee hours and then jump into a taxicab standing by in front of his mother's house to rush him to class at Central High School the next morning.

While Waites served in the U.S. Army during World War II at Camp Lee, Virginia, he met jazz drummer Elvin Jones.

In 1960, Waites founded The Contemporaries, a multicultural, independent drum corps that featured jazz rhythms, lyres and modern dance steps.

As a drummer, Luigi Waites was influenced by Buddy Rich, Joe Jones, Louie Bellson and Max Roach.