Nick Lucas

Known in the "Roaring Twenties" as "the crooning Troubadour", Nick Lucas was one of the early stars of American popular music. He was a well-established, influential singer and guitarist. Nick would become one of the most popular crooners on radio. Nick Lucas was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1897. His birth name was Dominic Nicholas Anthony Lucanese. At an early age, Nick learned to play the guitar, the mandolin, and the banjo. He, along with his brother Frank, would play Italian weddings and Italian christenings. They would play on street corners and in saloons. Nick became a very popular recording artist, renown both for his beautiful, sincere singing and his exceptional guitar playing. His guitar playing was very advance for the age.

Nick was among the earliest solo jazz guitar players, and made the first solo jazz guitar record for Pathe in 1922. Nick wrote original compositions for the recording, "Picking the Guitar," and "Teasin' the Frets. " These songs would blaze a trail for many generations of guitarists to come.

In 1922, Nick would also introduce the song, "Yes, We Have No Bananas," while playing for the Russo-Fiorito Orchestra at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. This orchestra was heard over the entire country on Chicago's WEBH radio station. Fellow guitarist, Eddie Lang would often speak about Nick's fast runs, and graceful playing.

In 1923, Nick discovered that he needed a guitar that would both project and provide a balanced sound for his vocalizations. He approached the Gibson Company and had a special guitar built for him. This guitar became known as the Nick Lucas Special. This model was the first custom-made signature guitar.

His 1926 tour of Europe set records for the time at the London Palladium, and the Cafe de Paris. Nick never performed again in Britain.

Gibson kept this model in continual production from 1927 to 1940. Delta blues great, Charley Patton played a Nick Lucas model.

When Nick appeared in the 1929 Gold Diggers of Broadway, he introduced two songs of note, "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine," and "Tiptoe thru the Tulips. " This last became his only number one hit, selling more than 2 million records. Warners offered Nick a seven-year contract. Nick turned it down. The contract then went to Dick Powell. Nick eventually made a series of shorts for Universal and Warners.

In the 1940, Nick was often heard on radio shows of the period, singing a playing his most popular songs. He also played 100 consecutive weeks at Hollywood's El Captain Theater.

In the 1950, Nick played shows in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. He also often appeared on television in shows such as the Ed Sullivan show.

His gentle, high tenor voice was the acknowledged inspiration for entertainer Tiny Tim. They even had the same theme song, "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips." The two men eventually became friends, and, when, on December 17, 1969, Tim married first wife Miss Vicki (Vicki Budinger) on "The Tonight Show," Lucas was there, at his request, to sing "Tulips."

Nick appeared in the 1974 film, The Great Gatsby. In it, he sang, "I'm Gonna Charleston Back To Charleston," "When You And I Were Seventeen," and "Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue. " The film won an Oscar for the best music.

Nick Lucas died in Newark, New Jersey, on July 28, 1982.