Luckey Roberts facts for kids

Charles Luckyth Roberts (born August 7, 1887 – died February 5, 1968), known to many as Luckey Roberts, was an amazing American musician and composer. He was a master of the stride piano style and played jazz, ragtime, and blues music.

Early Life and Music

Luckey Roberts was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. He started playing the piano and acting professionally when he was just a kid. He performed in traveling shows called minstrel shows.

Around 1910, he moved to New York City. He became one of the top pianists in Harlem, a famous neighborhood in New York. He also began to publish some of his own original ragtime songs.

During World War I, Roberts traveled to France and the UK. He toured with another famous musician named James Reese Europe. After the war, he came back to New York. There, he wrote music for different shows and recorded special piano rolls. These rolls were used to play music on player pianos.

Developing Stride Piano

Around 1919, Luckey Roberts helped create the stride piano style of playing. He worked with another great pianist named James P. Johnson. Stride piano is a lively and rhythmic way of playing the piano. The left hand plays a "striding" bass pattern, while the right hand plays melodies and chords.

Roberts had unusually large hands. He could reach a very wide span on the piano keyboard. Some people even rumored that he had surgery to make his fingers spread wider. However, those who knew him well said this was not true. He simply had naturally large hands and could spread his fingers very wide.

Broadway and Hit Songs

In the 1920s, Roberts worked with a lyricist named Alex C. Rogers. A lyricist writes the words for songs. Together, they wrote three Broadway musicals. These shows were Go-Go (1923), Sharlee (1923), and My Magnolia (1926). The last show, My Magnolia, starred Adelaide Hall, who was a very popular black revue star.

Some of Luckey Roberts' most famous songs include "Junk Man Rag," "Moonlight Cocktail," "Pork and Beans," and "Railroad Blues." His song "Moonlight Cocktail" became a huge hit. The Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded it, and it was the best-selling record in the United States for ten weeks in 1942.

Beyond Music

Luckey Roberts was also a very smart businessman. He made a lot of money, becoming a millionaire twice! He did this through buying and selling real estate.

He passed away in New York City on February 5, 1968. He is buried at the Frederick Douglass Memorial Gardens in Bay Terrace, Staten Island, New York.

See also

In Spanish: Luckey Roberts para niños

• List of ragtime composers