Lucky Millinder

Biography

Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader born in Anniston, Alabama, and raised in Chicago. Despite his inability to read or write music, play an instrument, or sing regularly, Millinder became one of the most successful bandleaders of his era through exceptional showmanship and musical taste. He began his career in the 1920s working as a master of ceremonies and dancer in Chicago clubs and theaters, fronting his first band in 1931 for an RKO theater tour. In 1932, he took over Doc Crawford's orchestra in Harlem, and by 1933, he was leading bands in Europe with residencies in Monte Carlo and Paris.

Millinder's most significant period came after 1934 when he took leadership of the Mills Blue Rhythm Band at The Cotton Club in New York, featuring accomplished musicians like Henry "Red" Allen, Charlie Shavers, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. By 1940, he formed his own Lucky Millinder Orchestra and established a residency at New York's Savoy Ballroom, which became the foundation of his greatest success. His band achieved major commercial success with hits including "When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)" (1942), which reached number 1 on the R&B chart and number 14 on the pop chart, and "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" (1945), which stayed at number 1 on the R&B chart for eight weeks and reached number 7 on the pop chart. By the mid-1940s, his orchestra had shifted stylistically toward rhythm and blues, moving away from the jazz format of Cab Calloway and Count Basie.

Millinder's band was renowned as the greatest big band to play rhythm and blues and served as a launching pad for numerous musicians who became influential in the rock and roll era. The band's last major hit was "I'm Waiting Just for You" (1951) with singer Annisteen Allen, reaching number 2 on the R&B chart. Millinder effectively retired from performing around 1955, though he made final recordings in 1960, and subsequently worked as a radio DJ, in music publishing, and in public relations. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986 and died of a liver ailment in Harlem, New York, in September 1966.

Fun Facts

• Despite being unable to read or write music, not playing an instrument, and rarely singing, Millinder became one of the most successful bandleaders of his era through pure showmanship and musical taste.
• According to legend, gangster Al Capone lost $10,000 at a dice game, and Millinder offered to "rub the dice for luck." Capone then won $50,000 and allegedly nicknamed him "Lucky," even buying him his first band in gratitude.
• Millinder's band was said to have been the greatest big band to play rhythm and blues and served as a training ground for numerous musicians who later became influential at the dawn of the rock and roll era.
• Millinder transitioned from being a master of ceremonies and dancer in Chicago clubs during the 1920s to becoming one of Harlem's most prominent bandleaders, eventually working as a radio DJ and in music publishing after his performing career declined.

Associated Acts

• Lucky Millinder & His Orchestra - original
• Mills Blue Rhythm Band

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Bill Doggett - Pianist who teamed up with Millinder to front Doggett's group and remained a key member of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra (Lucky Millinder Orchestra) [1938-1940s]
• Dizzy Gillespie - Trumpeter who played in Millinder's band and was featured on the hit "When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)" (When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)) [1942]
• Wynonie Harris - Singer recruited in 1944 whose recording with Millinder of "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" became the group's biggest hit (Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well) [1944-1945]
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Gospel singer and guitarist discovered by Millinder with whom his ensembles performed for many years, first recording together in 1938 (Four cuts for Decca Records; later recordings including "Big Fat Mame," "Trouble In Mind," "Shout Sister Shout," "That's All") [1938-1950s]
• Bull Moose Jackson - Saxophonist who was a band member in the mid-1940s as the orchestra drifted toward rhythm and blues (Lucky Millinder Orchestra) [mid-1940s]
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Saxophonist who played in Millinder's band during the mid-1940s transition to rhythm and blues (Lucky Millinder Orchestra) [mid-1940s]
• Panama Francis - Drummer who was part of Millinder's completely new orchestra formed by 1940 (Lucky Millinder Orchestra) [1940s]
• Annisteen Allen - Singer who recorded with Millinder, including the hit "I'm Waiting Just for You" (I'm Waiting Just for You) [1949-1951]
• Thelonious Monk - Pianist who passed through the ranks of the Lucky Millinder Orchestra (Lucky Millinder Orchestra) [1940s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #jump-blues, #r&b, #swing