Luckey Roberts
Charles Luckyth Roberts (August 7, 1887 – February 5, 1968), better known as Luckey Roberts, was an American composer and stride pianist who worked in the jazz, ragtime, and blues styles. ==Biography== Luckey Roberts was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and was playing piano and acting professionally with traveling Negro minstrel shows in his childhood. He settled in New York City about 1910 and became one of the leading pianists in Harlem, and started publishing some of his original rags. Roberts toured France and the UK with James Reese Europe during World War I, then returned to New York where he wrote music for various shows and recorded piano rolls. With James P. Johnson, Roberts developed the stride piano style of playing about 1919. Roberts' reach on the keyboard was unusually large (he could reach a fourteenth), leading to a rumor that he had the webbing between his fingers surgically cut, which those who knew him and saw him play live denounce as false; Roberts simply had naturally large hands with wide finger spread. In the 1920s, Roberts teamed up with lyricist Alex C. Rogers and co-wrote three Broadway musicals, Go-Go (1923), Sharlee (1923) and My Magnolia (1926), the later which starred Adelaide Hall, a major black revue star. Luckey Roberts noted compositions include "Junk Man Rag", "Moonlight Cocktail", "Pork and Beans", and "Railroad Blues". "Moonlight Cocktail" was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and was the best selling record in the United States for ten weeks in 1942. An astute businessman, Roberts became a millionaire twice through real estate dealings. He died in New York City and is buried at the Frederick Douglass Memorial Gardens in Bay Terrace on Staten Island, New York. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 7, 1887 (Philadelphia), Died February 5, 1968 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, songwriter
Notes: Name also spelled Lucky Roberts.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 50 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-14042 | 10-in. | 11/6/1913 | The junk-man rag | Victor Military Band | Band | composer | |
Victor | C-15455 | 12-in. | 12/3/1914 | The music box rag | Victor Military Band | Band | composer | |
Victor | B-16310 | 10-in. | 8/3/1915 | Bon ton one-step | Conway's Band | Band | composer | |
Victor | B-16414 | 10-in. | 8/27/1915 | Junk man rag | Lionel Belasco | Piano solo | composer | |
Victor | B-24483 | 10-in. | 9/20/1920 | Railroad blues | Roy Bargy ; Benson Orchestra of Chicago | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | B-26700 | 10-in. | 7/19/1922 | Entangled, part 1 | Alex Rogers ; Tennessee Four | Monologue, with male vocal quartet and piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | B-26701 | 10-in. | 7/19/1922 | Entangled, part 2 | Alex Rogers ; Tennessee Four | Monologue, with male vocal quartet and piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | B-28008 | 10-in. | 5/15/1923 | Rosetime and you | Zez Confrey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | B-28419 | 10-in. | 7/25/1923 | Complainin' (It's human nature to complain) | Eddie Hunter | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Victor | B-28420 | 10-in. | 7/25/1923 | I got | Eddie Hunter | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
Victor | B-28897 | 10-in. | 11/16/1923 | Hard times | Eddie Hunter | Male vocal solo, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | B-28898 | 10-in. | 11/16/1923 | Mamie | Eddie Hunter | Male vocal solo, with piano | instrumentalist, piano, composer | |
Victor | B-28899 | 10-in. | 11/16/1923 | I'm done | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | B-29010 | 10-in. | 11/16/1923 | Bootleggers' ball | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Comic dialogue and male vocal solo, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-39674 | 10-in. | 7/19/1927 | Baby wants | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-39675 | 10-in. | 7/19/1927 | Gallopin' dominoes | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-39676 | 10-in. | 7/19/1927 | Peace of mind | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-39677 | 10-in. | 7/19/1927 | Gravy | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-39678 | 10-in. | 7/19/1927 | Up in my sweetie's suite | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | instrumentalist, piano, composer | |
Victor | G-181 | 10-in. | 9/16/1914 | The junk man | Lionel Belasco | Piano solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-068456 | 10-in. | 12/8/1941 | Moonlight cocktail | Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet | composer | |
Victor | BS-071781 | 10-in. | 2/9/1942 | Moonlight cocktail | Joe Reichman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
Victor | BS-074798 | 10-in. | 7/31/1942 | Massachussetts | Tony Pastor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | [Trial 1924-03-12-01] | 10-in. | 3/12/1924 | Baby wants | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | [Trial 1924-03-12-02] | 10-in. | 3/12/1924 | Satin finish | Eddie Hunter ; Alex Rogers | Male vocal duet, with piano | composer, instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Roberts, Luckey," accessed August 20, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/100075.
Roberts, Luckey. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/100075.
"Roberts, Luckey." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 20 August 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Luckey Roberts
Discogs: Luckey Roberts
Grove: Luckey Roberts
IMDb: Luckey Roberts
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Roberts, Luckey, 1887-1968 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88116207
Wikidata: Luckey Roberts - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q725945
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46959914
MusicBrainz: Luckey Roberts - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3175ad92-981d-4be6-b7de-5bce9de3faa9
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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