Reginald Grant Lucas (February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018)^[1] was an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. Lucas is best known for producing the majority ofMadonna's 1983self-titled debut album, and for playing rhythm guitar with theMiles Davis electric band during the first half of the 1970s.^[2] He received a Grammy award for Best R&B Song.^[3]

Lucas was born on February 25, 1953, inFlushing, Queens, New York.^[1][4] He attended theBronx High School of Science, but dropped out to focus on his music.^[5]

Early in his career, Lucas was an R&B and jazz guitarist, playing withBilly Paul in the early 1970s and then withMiles Davis from 1972 to 1976.^[6] It was in Davis' electric band (one that includedPete Cosey,Michael Henderson andAl Foster) that Lucas met percussionistJames Mtume, who would later become his production partner. The two joined singerRoberta Flack's band in 1976, and toured with her for several years.

Following his stint as a touring jazz guitarist, Lucas shifted his focus to songwriting and producing, where he gained both fame and critical praise. The production team of Lucas and Mtume would write and produce hits for a number of artists, includingStephanie Mills,Phyllis Hyman,Lou Rawls,The Spinners andRoberta Flack.^[7]

As the 1970s came to a close, Lucas branched out and began to write and produce material on his own. In addition to his own instrumental recordSurvival Themes (1976), one of his first solo projects wasMadonna's 1983 self-titled debut album, including the song "Borderline".^[8] Lucas produced the majority of the album, which sold more than five million copies.^[4]

Lucas later worked withRebbie Jackson,Randy Crawford, andThe Four Tops on his own.The Four Tops' 1985Magic, included the single "Sexy Ways" and "Maybe Tomorrow", a duet betweenLevi Stubbs andPhyllis Hyman. Lucas was also a member of the short-lived group Sunfire, who released one album in 1982. Lucas produced their single "Young, Free and Single".

In 1986, Lucas founded theJersey City recording studioQuantum Sound.^[9] Clients of the studio included thePet Shop Boys,Jodeci,Jeff Buckley andSepultura.

Lucas's daughter,Lisa Lucas, was the executive director of theNational Book Foundation^[10] and is now the publisher of Pantheon and Schocken Books.^[11]

His son, Julian, is a staff writer forThe New Yorker.

A longtime resident ofMontclair, New Jersey,^[5] Lucas died ofheart disease in New York City, at the age of 65.^[12][3]

In the1981 Grammy Awards, Lucas andJames Mtume won aBest R&B Song for their composition "Never Knew Love Like This Before", which was performed byStephanie Mills.^[13]

• Madonna –Madonna (Sire, 1983)
• Models –Out of Mind, Out of Sight (Mushroom, 1985)
• The Four Tops –Magic (1985, Motown, 1985)
• Randy Crawford –Abstract Emotions (Warner Bros., 1986)
• Rebbie Jackson –Reaction (Columbia, 1986)
• Bunny DeBarge –In Love (Motown, 1987)
• John Adams –Strong (A&M, 1987)
• Elisa Fiorillo –Elisa Fiorillo (Chrysalis, 1987)
• The Weather Girls –The Weather Girls (Columbia, 1988)
• Nick Scotti –Nick Scotti (Reprise, 1993)

• Stephanie Mills –What Cha' Gonna Do with My Lovin' (20th Century, 1979)
• Phyllis Hyman –You Know How to Love Me (Arista, 1979)
• Rena Scott –Come On Inside (Buddah, 1979)
• Stephanie Mills –Sweet Sensation (20th Century, 1980)
• Gary Bartz –Bartz (Arista, 1980)
• Stephanie Mills –Stephanie (20th Century, 1981)
• Marc Sadane –One Way Love Affair (Warner Bros., 1981)
• Stephanie Mills –Tantalizingly Hot (Casablanca, 1982)
• Lou Rawls –Now Is The Time (Epic, 1982)
• The Spinners –Can't Shake This Feeling (Atlantic, 1981)
• Marc Sadane –Exciting (Warner Bros., 1982)
• The Best of Mtume & Lucas (Expansion, 2004) – compilation

• Roberta Flack andDonny Hathaway – "The Closer I Get to You" (written by Reggie Lucas andJames Mtume) onBlue Lights in the Basement (Atlantic, 1978)
• Stephanie Mills –What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin' (20th Century Fox, 1979)
• Phyllis Hyman – "You Know How to Love Me" (1979)
• Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway – "Back Together Again" (1980)
• Stephanie Mills – "Never Knew Love Like This Before" onSweet Sensation (20th Century Fox, 1980)
• Madonna – "Borderline" and "Physical Attraction" onMadonna (Sire, 1983)

• Survival Themes (East Wind, 1976)
• Sunfire (Warner Bros., 1982)

WithMiles Davis

• On The Corner (Columbia, 1972)
• In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall (Columbia, 1973)
• Dark Magus (CBS Sony, 1974)
• Get Up With It (Columbia, 1974)
• Agharta (CBS Sony, 1975)
• Pangaea (CBS Sony, 1976)
• The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux (Columbia, 2002) - 1973 only
• The Complete On the Corner Sessions (Columbia, 2007)
• Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

WithCarlos Garnett

• Black Love (Muse, 1974)
• Journey to Enlightenment (Muse, 1974)
• Let This Melody Ring On (Muse, 1975)

WithNorman Connors

• Slewfoot (Buddah, 1974)
• Saturday Night Special (Buddah, 1975)
• Romantic Journey (Buddah, 1977)
• Aquarian Dream (Buddah, 1976) - arranger

With others

• Babatunde Olatunji –Soul Makossa (Paramount, 1973)
• Vitamin E –Sharing (Buddah, 1977) - arranger
• Flora Purim –Nothing Will Be As It Was... Tomorrow (Warner Bros., 1977)
• Lonnie Liston Smith –Visions of a New World (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
• Hubert Eaves –Esoteric Funk (East Wind, 1979)
• Roberta Flack –Blue Lights in the Basement (Atlantic, 1977)
• Roberta Flack –Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (Atlantic, 1980)
• Urszula Dudziak –Urszula (Arista, 1975)
• James Mtume –Rebirth Cycle (Third Street, 1977)
• Gary Bartz –The Shadow Do (Prestige, 1975)
• Zbigniew Seifert –Zbigniew Seifert (Capitol, 1977)
• John Lee/Gerry Brown –Still Can't Say Enough (Blue Note, 1976)
• Masabumi Kikuchi's Kochi –Wishes (East Wind, 1976)
• Shunzo Ohno –Bubbles (East Wind, 1976)

• Reggie Lucas discography atDiscogs
• Reggie Lucas atIMDb

• 1953 births
• 2018 deaths
• 20th-century African-American musicians
• 21st-century African-American musicians
• Record producers from New York (state)
• Songwriters from New York (state)
• The Bronx High School of Science alumni
• Grammy Award winners
• Musicians from Queens, New York
• People from Flushing, Queens
• Musicians from Montclair, New Jersey
• MFSB members

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