Music
Ted Lucas
1939–1992 · singer-songwriter, guitarist, sitarist
Detroit folk guitarist of Greek descent, co-founder of the Spike Drivers and Motown session sitarist, whose private-press 1975 album became a cult classic after his death.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
aged 53- Detroit years
- 1939–1992
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Ted Lucas was born in Detroit to Greek immigrant parents and grew up in the Greek Orthodox church. In the early 1960s he made his name in the city's folk scene as a gifted guitarist, absorbing Balkan and other non-Western music. He co-founded the psychedelic band the Spike Drivers, which released singles on Reprise in 1966–1967, then played in the folk duo Misty Wizard and the rock band the Horny Toads. After studying sitar in Los Angeles with Ravi Shankar and Harihar Rao, he played sitar on Motown sessions for the Temptations, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye. In 1975 he released his only album, Ted Lucas, on his own OM Records; poorly distributed, it barely left the Detroit area. He died in 1992, but reissues on Yoga Records and Third Man Records, and a box set mastered by Warren Defever, made him a celebrated name in private-press folk, admired by Clairo and Devendra Banhart.
Highlights
- Co-founded the Spike Drivers (Reprise singles, 1966–1967)
- Sitar on Motown recordings for the Temptations, the Supremes and Marvin Gaye
- Self-released album Ted Lucas (OM Records, 1975)
- Reissued by Yoga Records and Third Man Records