Reggie Lucas, Who Worked With Miles Davis and James Mtume, Dies at 65
Grammy-winning musician Reggie Lucas, who worked with Miles Davis and James Mtume, passed away on Saturday (May 19) from complications related to heart disease, according to Rolling Stone. He was 65.
Lucas’ daughter and son, Lisa and Julian, respectively, confirmed the sad news on Twitter. They tweeted:
A native of Queens, New York, Lucas was a guitarist for Miles Davis and appeared on many of the legendary jazz man's live recordings. After his stint with Davis, he would formed a musical partnership with instrumentalist James Mtume and together they wrote hits like Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's “The Closer I Get to You” and Stephanie Mills’ “Never Knew Love Like This Before," which won them a Grammy for Best R&B song in 1981.
Lucas also produced the bulk of Madonna’s 1983 self-titled debut album, which included the chart-topping hits “Borderline” and “Lucky Star.” "So Sad to hear that Reggie Lucas is Gone.........An important part of my musical past!" Madge tweeted.
During his illustrious career as a songwriter-producer, Lucas also worked with artists like Phyllis Hyman, the Spinners, the Four Tops Lou Rawls and more. He also released a solo project, Survival Themes, and formed his own group Sunfire during the 1970s as well.
Upon hearing the sad news of Lucas' death, musicians like Questlove, Nile Rodgers and James Mtume went on social media to send their heartfelt condolences.
Lucas leaves behind his his mother, Annie Wolinsky, his wife Leslie Lucas, his son Julian Lucas and his daughter, Lisa, who is the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, in mourning.
"Two things you can do if you’d like to grieve with me for a moment," Lisa tweeted to her followers on Twitter. "Listen to his songs. Look him up. Donate in his memory to the Cardio-Thoracic ICU at NY Presbyterian, because those people fought for him, cared for him, cried with us and are soldiers for their patients."
Listen to Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's Song "The Closer I Get To You"
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