Dominic Nicholas Anthony Lucinese (August 22, 1897 â€" July 28, 1982),
known professionally as Nick Lucas, was an American jazz guitarist and
singer. He was the first jazz guitarist to record as a soloist. His
popularity during his lifetime came from his reputation as a singer.
His signature song was "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".Lucas was born into
an Italian family in Newark, New Jersey. In 1922, at the age of 25, he
gained renown with his hit renditions of "Pickin' the Guitar" and
"Teasin' the Frets" for Pathé. In 1923, Gibson Guitars proposed to
build him a concert guitar with a deeper body. Known as the "Nick
Lucas Special," it became a popular model with guitarists. It was this
guitar's outline that was later used as the basis for the Gibson Les
Paul solidbody electric guitar. Also in 1923, he began recording for
Brunswick and remained one of their exclusive artists until 1932.In
1929, Lucas co-starred in the Warner Bros. musical, Gold Diggers of
Broadway, in which he introduced the two hit songs "Painting the
Clouds with Sunshine" and "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". The same year,
Lucas was featured in the studio's all-star revue, The Show of Shows.
Lucas turned down Warner Bros. seven-year contract offer, which went
instead to fellow crooner Dick Powell.In April 1930, Warner bought
Brunswick and gave him his own orchestra, billed on his records as
"The Crooning Troubadours". This arrangement lasted until December
1931, when Warner licensed Brunswick to the American Record
Corporation (ARC). The new owners were not as extravagant as Warner
Bros. had previously been and Lucas lost his orchestra and eventually
left Brunswick in 1932. He made two recordings for Durium in 1932 for
their Hit of the Week series. These would prove to be his last major
recordings.
known professionally as Nick Lucas, was an American jazz guitarist and
singer. He was the first jazz guitarist to record as a soloist. His
popularity during his lifetime came from his reputation as a singer.
His signature song was "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".Lucas was born into
an Italian family in Newark, New Jersey. In 1922, at the age of 25, he
gained renown with his hit renditions of "Pickin' the Guitar" and
"Teasin' the Frets" for Pathé. In 1923, Gibson Guitars proposed to
build him a concert guitar with a deeper body. Known as the "Nick
Lucas Special," it became a popular model with guitarists. It was this
guitar's outline that was later used as the basis for the Gibson Les
Paul solidbody electric guitar. Also in 1923, he began recording for
Brunswick and remained one of their exclusive artists until 1932.In
1929, Lucas co-starred in the Warner Bros. musical, Gold Diggers of
Broadway, in which he introduced the two hit songs "Painting the
Clouds with Sunshine" and "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". The same year,
Lucas was featured in the studio's all-star revue, The Show of Shows.
Lucas turned down Warner Bros. seven-year contract offer, which went
instead to fellow crooner Dick Powell.In April 1930, Warner bought
Brunswick and gave him his own orchestra, billed on his records as
"The Crooning Troubadours". This arrangement lasted until December
1931, when Warner licensed Brunswick to the American Record
Corporation (ARC). The new owners were not as extravagant as Warner
Bros. had previously been and Lucas lost his orchestra and eventually
left Brunswick in 1932. He made two recordings for Durium in 1932 for
their Hit of the Week series. These would prove to be his last major
recordings.
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