Renaissance man Lawrence Lucie was a renowned jazz guitarist who performed with the likes of Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. (In fact, he was the best man at Armstrong’s wedding.)
He was also a former BMCC music professor who passed away at age 101 on August 14th in Manhattan. At the time of his death, he was living at the Kateri Residence nursing home on the Upper West Side.
For his 100th birthday last year, his former nursing home and the Musician’s Union in midtown Manhattan hosted parties in his honor. On his 100th birthday, Lucie told the media his father’s advice helped him enjoy his success in jazz and his longevity. “I didn’t have but one woman at a time,” he said. “I didn’t drink a lot of whiskey. I did what my father told me to do.”
Lucie taught the Music 180 course at BMCC from 1982 to 2004. He performed live in NYC throughout his 90’s—his final performance was at Arturo’s in the West Village in 2005.
Like father, like son
Born December 8, 1907 in Emoporia, VA, Lucie was the son of a barber who enjoyed playing jazz music. Lucie picked up a love of jazz from his father, and learned how to play the banjo, mandolin and violin at a young age.
Lucie later moved to Boston, then New York, to study guitar professionally. And just like his father, he worked as a barber while studying music.
He spent most of his professional as a rhythm guitarist, and was affectionately known by the jazz world as, “a master of the underrated art of keeping the beat.”
Other career achievements
During the “Big Band” era, Lucie played guitar for jazz greats Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Coleman Hawkins and, of course, Louis Armstrong. He also performed with Billie Holliday, Spike Hughes, Red Allen and Jelly Roll Morton.
He appeared on just about every significant jazz recording ever made, and in his heyday was known as a snazzy dresser who wore stylish suits when performing live.
In 2007, Lucie was honored by the Duke Ellington Society. Prior to his passing, Lucie was the last living person to have performed with Duke Ellington at New York’s famed Cotton Club. He also made a musical ‘name’ for himself he played with Benny Carter at the Apollo Theatre in 1934—the year it opened its doors to black customers.
Later in his career he performed and recorded with his wife, guitarist and singer Nora Lee King. The couple didn’t have any children, but did have a shared passion for music. In the 80s, Lucie and his wife created their own record label called Toy Records, where they recorded a series of easy-listening LP’s together.
The couple even had their own public-access cable television show in New York City for many years.
In his 70s and 80s, Lucie performed with the New York Jazz Repertory Company, the Harlem Jazz and Blues Band, Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans. He was 97 when he officially retired from teaching at BMCC.
Information about survivors is not available at this time. His wife died in the 90’s.
