Nick Lucas - Rosy Cheeks (1927)

Nick Lucas sings "Rosy Cheeks" (recorded on March 29, 1927) issued on Brunswick 3518.

The song is by Seymour Simons and Richard A. Whiting.

I was strollin' up and down the street
Goin' along, hummin' a song
Who'd have thought that I would ever meet sweet little you?
Why, how do you do?

Say, rosy cheeks,
Where ya goin' with those rosy cheeks?
I've been chasin' you for weeks and weeks,
Rosy cheeks.
You surely got me goin',
My love for you is growin'

Rosy cheeks,
When you smile a little dimple peeks at me
It seems to say beware,
But I don't care
I love you, rosy cheeks

Nick Lucas, born Dominic Nicholas Anthony Lucanese on August 22, 1897, was most popular in the late 1920s when he was exclusive to Brunswick, but his career lasted for decades.

The Roaring '20s was a decade for nicknames, so Lucas was dubbed "The Crooning Troubadour" around the time Jack Smith was labeled "The Whispering Baritone" and Paul Whiteman was crowned "King of Jazz."

He was a unique entertainer--like no other musical artist. He was an outstanding guitarist, his singing stylish, sensitive, and memorable.

His handsome face graced sheet music covers, and he appeared in films. He is noteworthy in Gold Diggers of Broadway, introducing "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine" and "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." He likewise shines in the all-star revue titled The Show of Shows.

He was featured on radio, and he worked nightclubs. He enjoyed fame though without reaching the status of an icon like Al Jolson.

Tiny Tim, among others, took inspiration from Nick Lucas. The song "Tiptoe Thru the Tulips" is associated with two musical artists--first Nick Lucas and later Tiny Tim.

After his Brunswick heyday, Nick Lucas made recordings for various small labels, including Cavalier Records. I especially admire his recording of "Lady, Be Good" on this label.

Over the decades he gave many interviews to journalists, always coming off as a true gentleman. On July 28,1982, Nick Lucas died at age 84 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, of double pneumonia.