Reggie Lucas

{{Short description|American guitarist and record producer (1953–2018)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Reggie Lucas

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Reginald Grant Lucas

| birth_date = {{birth date|1953|02|25}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|5|19|1953|02|25}}

| death_place = New York City, U.S.

| instrument = Guitar

| genre = Jazz, soul, disco, R&B, pop

| occupation = Music producer, musician, songwriter

| years_active = 1970–2018

| label =

| past_member_of = {{ubl|Miles Davis|Madonna|Mtume|Stephanie Mills}}

| website = {{URL|reggielucas.com}}

}}

Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018)[https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?n=reggie-lucas&pid=189159775&fhid=17042 Reggie Lucas Obituary] legacy.com accessdate July 20, 2018 was an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Lucas is perhaps best known for producing the majority of Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album, and for playing rhythm guitar with the Miles Davis electric band during the first half of the 1970s.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=reggie-lucas-mn0000636692 |tab=biography |pure_url=yes}} |title=Reggie Lucas Biography |first=Ron |last=Wynn |author-link=Ron Wynn |publisher=All Media Network |website=AllMusic |access-date=May 19, 2018}}

Early life

Lucas was born on February 25, 1953, in Flushing, Queens, New York.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/reggie-lucas-who-worked-with-miles-davis-and-madonna-dies/2018/05/19/c0c5b1d4-5b94-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_story.html|title=Reggie Lucas, who worked with Miles Davis and Madonna, dies|agency=Associated Press|date=2018-05-19|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-05-20|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} He attended the Bronx High School of Science, but dropped out to focus on his music.[https://www.montclairlocal.news/2018/05/25/obituary-reggie-lucas-montclair/ "Obituary: Reggie Lucas"], Montclair Local, May 25, 2018. Accessed July 15, 2020. "Reggie Lucas, a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and longtime Montclair resident, died of complications resulting from heart disease on May 19, 2018 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The musician, who played with Miles Davis and helped to launch Madonna's career, was 65.... Unusually talented and independent, Mr. Lucas dropped out of Bronx Science High School after the New York City teachers' strike of 1968 and pursued a career in music."

Career

Early in his career, Lucas was an R&B and jazz guitarist, playing with Billy Paul in the early 1970s and then with Miles Davis from 1972 to 1976.{{cite book|last=Tingen|first=Paul|title=Miles Beyond : Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991|year=2001|isbn=0823083462|url=https://archive.org/details/milesbeyondelect00ting}} It was in Davis' electric band (one that included Pete Cosey, Michael Henderson and Al Foster) that Lucas met percussionist James Mtume, who would later become his production partner. The two joined singer Roberta Flack's band in 1976, and toured with her for several years.

Following his stint as a touring jazz guitarist, Lucas shifted his focus to songwriting and producing, where he gained both fame and critical praise. The production team of Lucas and Mtume would write and produce hits for a number of artists, including Stephanie Mills, Phyllis Hyman, Lou Rawls, The Spinners and Roberta Flack.{{cite book|last=Taraborrelli|first=J. Randy|title=Madonna: An Intimate Biography|year=2001|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0743227093|pages=[https://archive.org/details/madonnaintimateb00tara_0/page/76 76]|url=https://archive.org/details/madonnaintimateb00tara_0/page/76}}

As the 1970s came to a close, Lucas branched out and began to write and produce material on his own. In addition to his own instrumental record "Survival Themes" (1976), one of his first solo projects was Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album, including the song "Borderline".{{cite book|last=O'Brien|first=Lucy|title=Madonna: Like an Icon|year=2008|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0060898991|page=67}} Lucas produced the majority of the album, which sold more than five million copies.

Lucas later worked with Rebbie Jackson, Randy Crawford, and The Four Tops on his own. The Four Tops' 1985 "Magic", included the single "Sexy Ways" and "Maybe Tomorrow", a duet between Levi Stubbs and Phyllis Hyman. Lucas was also a member of the short-lived group Sunfire, who released one album in 1982. Lucas produced their single "Young, Free and Single".

In 1986, Lucas founded the Jersey City recording studio Quantum Sound.{{cite news|title=New Companies|newspaper=Billboard|date=Nov 1, 1986}} Clients of the studio included the Pet Shop Boys, Jodeci, Jeff Buckley and Sepultura.

Personal life and death

Lucas's daughter, Lisa Lucas, was the executive director of the National Book Foundation{{cite news|last1=Kellogg|first1=Carolyn|title=Lisa Lucas, head of the National Book Foundation, wants you to love reading|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/features/la-ca-jc-lisa-lucas-20160509-snap-story.html|access-date=19 October 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 27, 2016}} and is now the publisher of Pantheon and Schocken Books.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/likaluca|title=Lisa Lucas|website=Twitter.com|access-date=June 28, 2022}}

His son, Julian, is a staff writer for The New Yorker.

A longtime resident of Montclair, New Jersey, Lucas died of heart disease in New York City, at the age of 65.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/05/19/us/ap-us-obit-reggie-lucas.html |title=Reggie Lucas, Who Worked With Miles Davis and Madonna, Dies |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 19, 2018}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/reggie-lucas-madonna-producer-dead-at-65-w520529 |title=Reggie Lucas, Miles Davis Guitarist and Madonna Producer, Dead at 65 |first=Daniel |last=Kreps |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 19, 2018 |issn=0035-791X}}

Awards and honors

In the 1981 Grammy Awards, Lucas and James Mtume won a Best R&B Song for their composition "Never Knew Love Like This Before", which was performed by Stephanie Mills.{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/reggie-lucas |title=Grammy Award Results for Reggie Lucas |website=The Recording Academy |access-date=May 19, 2018}}