Nellie Lutcher

Biography
Articles

Pianist and vocalist Nellie Lutcher was born on October 15, 1912 in Lake Charles Louisiana. Her parents were both musicians; her father played the bass and her mother the piano. She started piano lessons at age 6 and by age 8 she was playing both piano and organ at the local church.

When Nellie was 12 years old, the legendary Ma Rainey came to Lake Charles for an engagement but her pianist fell ill and the 12-year-old Nellie Lutcher took his place.

At age 14 she joined her father in Clarence Hart's Imperial Jazz Band and a few years later she married the band's trumpet player, a marriage that lasted only two months.

In 1933, Lutcher joined the 16-piece Southern Rhythm Boys and soon became their arranger. Two years later she moved to Los Angeles, where she earned $2 a night performing at the Dunbar Hotel on Central Avenue. Despite initial resistance on her part she eventually gave in to fans requests and started singing in addition to playing the piano. In L.A. she married Leonel Lewis and had a son, Talmadge. This marriage was also short lived and lasted four years.

In 1947 Nellie Lutcher performed at a charity event at Hollywood High School that was broadcast. A Capitol Records executive heard her and signed her to the label and produced her first record under the title "Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm." This session spawned her first hit “Hurry on Down” that went to no 2 on the R and B charts. She recorded number of other R and B hits and became the leader of a group of piano playing and singing female musicians that included among others Hadda Brooks.

Unfortunately her popularity with the record buying public lasted only for 4 years (during which she recorded duets with Nat Cole among others) and her entire recording career a mere 10. In 1957 she retired from both recording and only rarely performed pursueing a career in real estate instead and serving as a director for the Musician’s Union.

She died of pneumonia at age 95 on June 8th 2007 in Los Angeles.

New Releases Plus Birthday Shoutouts To Foremothers Nellie Lutcher, Victoria Spivey & More

by Mary Foster Conklin
October 23, 2023

This broadcast includes new releases from Charu Suri, Ann Hampton Callaway, Sharon Sable, Michael Dease, Colette Michaan, Olivia Perez-Collellmir and Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm, with birthday shoutouts to foremothers Nellie Lutcher (He's A Real Gone Guy, Hurry On Down) and Victoria Spivey (Black Snake Blues), vocalists Amy Cervini, Freddy Cole, Nancy Kelly, Amy London, Nona Hendryx, pianist Johnny O'Neal, trumpeter Pam Fleming, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase ...

Radio & Podcasts

New Releases, Birthday Shoutouts to Foremothers Nellie Lutcher, Victoria Spivey Plus Part 3 Of Selections From New Standards 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers

by Mary Foster Conklin
October 24, 2022

This broadcast presents new releases from Nica Carrington, Judith Owen and Ted Kooshian, with birthday shoutouts to foremothers Nellie Lutcher and Victoria Spivey, vocalists Freddy Cole, Amy London and Nancy Kelly, among others. Also Part 3 of selections from Terri Lyne Carrington's book New Standards 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers featuring music by Mimi Jones, Monika Herzig, Connie Crothers, Geri Allen, Mary Lou Williams, Carla Bley and more. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by ...

Radio & Podcasts

Celebrating Jazz Scorpios Nellie Lutcher and More

by Mary Foster Conklin
November 2, 2020

Today's broadcast celebrates many Jazz Scopios, with birthday shoutouts to Nellie Lutcher ("He's a Real Gone Guy, Hurry On Down"), Dizzy Gillespie, Fred Hersch, Dianne Reeves, Magos Herrera, Jimmy Heath, Freddy Cole, Anita O'Day and Fran Landesman ("Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," “Ballad of the Sad Young Men"). Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of lockdown. Playlist Cedar Walton Ron Carter, Billy Higgins “He's ...

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Not For Sale

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Nellie Lutcher

by Ken Dryden
January 12, 2006

I had never heard of Nellie Lutcher when she appeared on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz during the mid-1980s, but I was taken with her right away. With her playful vocals and swinging piano, Lutcher was famous for a time during the 1940s, but her record sales declined during the following decade and after being dropped by Capitol and recording for a few independent labels, she only played on a part-time basis and worked for the musician's union.

Just ...