Nellie Lutcher
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Nellie Lutcher (born October 15, 1915) was an African-American jazz singer and pianist who achieved some prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Lutcher is most recognizable for her distinctive voice, particularly her phrasing and exaggerated pronunciation.
She was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Isaac and Suzie Lutcher. Her father was a bass player and she learned to play piano. She was the oldest daughter of 15 children. Her father formed a family band with Nellie playing piano. At age 11 she played piano for Ma Rainey, when Rainey's regular pianist fell ill and had to be left behind in the previous town. Searching for a temporary replacement in Lake Charles, one of the neighbors told her there was a little girl who played in church who might be able to do it. Nellie later toured (with her father) with the Clarence Hart band.
By 1935, Lutcher had moved to Los Angeles, California and began to play swing piano in small combos throughout the area. One of her first gigs was launching an eight-week run at the historic Dunbar Hotel on Central Ave., where most of the celebrated black performers stayed. At the end of the engagement, the hotel discontinued its music policy, so Nellie has the distinction of being the only performer who ever actually worked there. For many years she only played, and didn't start to sing until audiences started to ask for it.
She was not widely known until 1947 when she learned of March of Dimes talent show at Hollywood High School and performed. The show was broadcast on radio and her performance caught the ear of Dave Dexter, a scout for Capitol Records.
She was signed by Capitol and made several records, including "Hurry On Down", "He's A Real Gone Guy", "Fine Brown Frame", and "The Pig Latin Song". Her songs charted on the pop, jazz, and R&B charts and she became widely known. She even recorded a song with fellow Capitol artist Nat King Cole ("Can I Come in for a Second").
Although she had success touring the country, and was especially popular in England, her record sales slumped and Capitol released her in 1952. She recorded sessions for other labels, including Decca, Epic and Liberty, but by 1957 she had joined the board of the Los Angeles Musician's Union, preferring to stay home and raise her son. She continued to perform occasionally until the 1990s, enjoying a resurgance of popularity at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill and Michael's Pub in New York. This prompted the Bear Family record company in Germany to issue a lavish box set containing her entire body of work.
She is the sister of saxophonist Joe Woodman Lutcher and aunt of latin jazz percussionist Daryl "Munyungo" Jackson.
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