[Dixielandjazz] Nellie Lutcher dies in LA at age 94

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Tom Wiggins wrote:

> R.I.P. Nellie:
>
> A nice lady with a lot of unused talent that was sadly overlooked or even 
> shunned by TRADITIONAL JAZZ ORGANIZATIONS.
>
> I tried to book her along with anita O'Day and Hadda Brooks,  a classic 
> Trio of Jazz Divas if there ever were any, and not one society even so 
> much as responded to book them.  Sadly, because they were still singing 
> wonderfully up until shortly before their deaths.
(snip)

I didn't know Nellie was still singing recently.  She sure was a very nice 
lady.

We had her as a guest star at our Jazz club in Sacramento in the 70s and she 
was wonderful.  We may have had her at our festival also, can't remember.

In the 80s or so, when I was living in Tinsel Town, we had a band from 
scotland over for the Los Angeles Classic or Sweet and Hot Festival, 
whatever it was called at the time.  The gband had a wonderful singer named 
Feona (SP) Duncan.  She idolized nellie.

I called up Nellie and she came over and met Feona.  She was so gracious and 
Feona was out of her mind what with getting to meet Nellie.

--Bob Ringwald