Bobby Tucker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Tucker
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Bobby Tucker and Billie Holiday in 1948
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Nathaniel Tucker |
| Also known as | Piano Man |
| Born | January 8, 1923 Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Origin | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 2007 (aged 84) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, composer, arranger |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1946–2007 |
| Associated acts | Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine |
Bobby Tucker (born Robert Nathaniel Tucker; January 8, 1923 – April 12, 2007) was a talented American musician. He was a pianist and arranger during the exciting jazz and swing music eras. Bobby Tucker is best known for playing piano for two very famous singers: Billie Holiday from 1946 to 1949, and Billy Eckstine from 1950 until 1993.
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Bobby Tucker's Music Journey
Bobby Tucker started his music career in the 1940s. He became a well-known pianist and arranger. An arranger is someone who creates or adapts music for different instruments or voices.
Playing with Billie Holiday
On November 12, 1946, Bobby Tucker got a big chance to play with the legendary singer Billie Holiday. This happened at the Down Beat Club. Another pianist, Eddie Heywood, was supposed to play but couldn't. So, Bobby Tucker stepped in.
Billie Holiday's performances at the Down Beat Club were a huge hit, partly because of Tucker's amazing piano playing. She was so impressed that she asked him to be her regular accompanist. They worked together for several years. Their musical partnership lasted until 1949. At that time, Tucker decided to leave due to some personal difficulties related to Holiday's life.
Working with Billy Eckstine
After leaving Billie Holiday in 1949, Bobby Tucker began playing for another famous singer, Billy Eckstine. This partnership lasted for a very long time, until Eckstine's death in 1993.
While much of their work together isn't widely known, Bobby Tucker played piano on Eckstine's 1960 album, No Cover, No Minimum. He also helped arrange music for Eckstine. On the 1959 album Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, Tucker arranged eight of the eleven songs. He even played piano on most of the songs, stepping in for Count Basie.
In 1960, Bobby Tucker also released his own album called Too Tough. He continued to perform with Billy Eckstine for many years. For example, in 1973, they played together at the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, Australia.
Billy Eckstine and Bobby Tucker became very close friends. Eckstine often called Tucker "Tuck" and said he was like a brother. Tucker was truly a part of the Eckstine family.
Bobby Tucker passed away on April 12, 2007, at the age of 84. He died from a heart attack.
Images for kids
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Bobby Tucker and Billie Holiday in 1948
