Q Lazzarus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Q Lazzarus
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Luckey's junior yearbook photo, 1978
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Diane Luckey |
| Also known as | Q |
| Born | December 12, 1960 Neptune Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 19, 2022 (aged 61) |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1985–1996 |
| Children | 2 |
Diane Luckey (born December 12, 1960 – died July 19, 2022) was an American singer. She was known by her stage name, Q Lazzarus. She became famous for her 1988 song "Goodbye Horses". This song became very popular after it was used in the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs. Q Lazzarus had other songs featured in movies by director Jonathan Demme. She stopped making public appearances in the mid-1990s.
Contents
Life and Music Career
Diane Luckey was born on December 12, 1960. She grew up in Neptune Township, New Jersey. She was the youngest of seven children. As a child, she sang in the youth choir at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church.
After finishing Neptune High School, Diane moved to New York City. She was 18 years old and wanted to become a singer. She was inspired by a Broadway show called Bubbling Brown Sugar. She started working as a backup singer. She also wrote short songs for commercials, known as jingles, at Sigma Sound Studios.
Starting a Band
In the 1980s, Diane formed her own band called Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection. While making music, she also worked as a taxi driver in New York City. The band included Q Lazzarus, songwriter William Garvey, and backup singer Gloriana Galicia. Janice Bernstein and Mark Barrett were also members.
Gloriana Galicia said that by 1985, Q Lazzarus worked as a housekeeper. She also worked as an au pair, helping with children, for a businessman. The band would record their singing at his house. Q Lazzarus had many different jobs at that time.
Meeting a Director
Record companies often turned Q Lazzarus away. They said they couldn't promote her because of her unique look. One day, during a snowstorm, she picked up filmmaker Jonathan Demme in her taxi. She asked him if he worked in music.
Q Lazzarus played her demo tape for him. Demme was very impressed. He said, "Oh my God, what is this and who are you?" Soon after, her song "Candle Goes Away" was used in Demme's 1986 movie Something Wild.
"Goodbye Horses" and Other Songs
In 1988, Q Lazzarus released her most famous song, "Goodbye Horses". William Garvey wrote and produced this song. That same year, the song was also featured in Demme's movie Married to the Mob.
Q Lazzarus also appeared in Demme's 1993 movie Philadelphia. In the film, she sang a cover of the Talking Heads song "Heaven".
Later Life
In 1996, the band Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection broke up. After this, Q Lazzarus stopped appearing in public. By 2015, she was working as a bus driver in Staten Island.
In August 2019, filmmaker Eva Aridjis met Q Lazzarus in New York City. They started working on a documentary about Diane Luckey's life. The film is called Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus.
Q Lazzarus passed away on July 19, 2022. The cause of her death was not shared publicly.
See also
In Spanish: Q Lazzarus para niños
