Nick Lucas
Listening to Nick Lucas' high-pitched voice and knowing that he introduced "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" makes one immediately realize that he was a major influence on the infamous Tiny Tim in the late '60s. But there was much more to Nick Lucas than that; even beyond his singing.
Lucas was a musical wizard, learning guitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele early in life. Born Domenic Antonio Nicola Lucalese, he and his brother played for money on trains, entertaining riders, at the age of ten. Lucas performed regularly in restaurants and cafes as a teenager. When he was 20 he formed the Kentucky Five with pianist Ted Fio Rito, a group which performed in vaudeville.
In 1922, Lucas recorded the two earliest examples of unaccompanied guitar solos which he called "Pickin' the Guitar" and "Teasing the Frets," predating Eddie Lang by several years. He remade the songs in 1923 and 1932. He also appeared on jazz records by Bailey's Lucky Seven and Sam Lanin and was regularly on the radio in 1924 with Ted Fio Rito's band. He became best known as an easygoing singer who was billed as "the Singing Troubadour" and during 1925-1932 Lucas' records sold over 84 million copies. Most of his performances were more pop than jazz. Among the songs that he made famous were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover," "I'll Get By," and "My Best Girl." In addition to his radio work and recordings, Lucas starred on Broadway in Sweetheart Time and Show Girl, and is in the early talking films The Show of Shows and Gold Diggers of Broadway. In Gold Diggers, he introduced "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" and "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine." He was so famous that the Nick Lucas model was introduced in 1928 by the Gibson Company: it was the first guitar named after a specific artist.
While the Depression and the eventual rise of swing eclipsed Lucas' fame, he stayed active for another half-century. His singing style may have been dated but he worked regularly in Hollywood clubs during the '30s, was often on the radio, performed in Las Vegas in the '50s, and was a favorite on the Ed Sullivan Show. He can be heard singing some of the songs used on the soundtrack of the 1974 movie version of The Great Gatsby. Nick Lucas' singing and guitar playing looked back towards the '20s but always seemed fresh, heartfelt, and credible.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Discografía
14 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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Souvenir Album
Lounge - Editado por Melody Man Records el 1 ene. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rose Colored Glasses
Lounge - Editado por Melody Man Records el 20 ene. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
First and Last Accents
Lounge - Editado por Melody Man Records el 1 ene. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tip-Toe Through The Tulips - The Best Of
Jazz vocal - Editado por Master Classics Records el 1 may. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Song Spotlight
Pop - Editado por Melody Man Records el 7 abr. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Singing Trobadour
Jazz vocal - Editado por Vintage Music el 5 ene. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Presenting Nick Lucas
Pop - Editado por Universal Digital Enterprises el 3 jun. 1922
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tip Toe Through the Tulips (From "The Walking Dead" Season 6 Episode 8)
Bandas sonoras de cine - Editado por MD NFM el 11 dic. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nick Lucas - Music History
Jazz - Editado por Vintage Jukebox el 25 jun. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nick Lucas (Vintage Charm)
Jazz - Editado por Don't stop the music el 20 abr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Picking the Guitar
Pop - Editado por Transatlantica el 9 feb. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Singing Troubadour
Música vocal (profana y sacra) - Editado por PnR el 1 ene. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1920’s Jazz Vocals & Guitar (Encore 3) (Recorded 1928-1932)
Jazz - Editado por Crazy Warthog Media el 1 ene. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1920's Jazz Vocals & Guitar (Encore 2) (Recorded 1926-1927)
Jazz - Editado por Crazy Warthog Media el 1 ene. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo