Tony Lucca
Encyclopedia
Tony Lucca is an American
singer, songwriter
, producer
, and sometime actor
. He is perhaps best known for starting his career on the Mickey Mouse Club. After the Mickey Mouse Club, Lucca went to LA for a brief career as an actor, then became a full-time musician, releasing over seven studio albums and five EPs. He is a consistent touring artist and has toured with a multitude of acts, including *NSYNC, Josh Hoge, Sara Bareilles
, the late Chris Whitley
, Matt Duke
and Tyrone Wells
.
, the son of Sally and Tony Lucca. Lucca is of Italian
, Welsh
, French
and English
descent. Lucca grew up around a large and musical extended family, as his mother Sally was tenth of twelve children of the Detroit jazz piano player James "Jimmy" Stevenson. Lucca grew up in Waterford, Michigan and began signing at age 3 and child modeling at age 9. When he was 12, he began playing in Detroit-area bands with his cousin, Cole Garlak
, only to find out that the audition was for the Mickey Mouse Club instead. Encouraged by his sister, he auditioned for the show and was picked for callbacks in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he was selected along with 8 other kids to join the cast for the fourth season of the show. Lucca moved to Orlando, Florida with his mom and lived in an apartment complex with other castmates and traveled back to Michigan between seasons. He remained with the show for four seasons until being let go during the seventh season when the show was canceled.
, his girlfriend at the time. Russell and Lucca were cast and played leads together on the Aaron Spelling-produced Malibu Shores, a teen drama which lasted for one season. During this time he filmed commercials for Levi Jeans
, J.C. Penney
and Blockbuster Video. He had minor success in movies, appearing in an NBC movie of the week, Her Last Chance with Kellie Martin
and Jonathan Brandis
, as well as two independent features. He left acting in 1997 to pursue music.
, a boy band that featured fellow Mickey Mouse Club co-stars Justin Timberlake
and JC Chasez.
was released in 2004 in conjunction with Lightyear and New Vibe Records, and was executive co-produced by JC Chasez, who Lucca toured with to support the album. Following that release was 2006 album Canyon Songs
, recording in both Laurel and Beachwood Canyons, and in that same year a live concert album Live In Hollywood both of which were distributed by Rock Ridge Music. Come Around Again was released in 2008
Lucca also participated in a cooperative tour with Jay Nash and Matt Duke
, which resulted in the 2009 EP entitled TFDI. The collaboration, which stands for "Totally Fuckin' Doing It" was recorded in the Evanston, Illinois studio SPACE during an impromptu visit to the studio, after the three artists formed a friendship during the tour. Lucca's sixth album was released in 2010, entitled Rendezvous With the Angels, on Rock Ridge Music. Solo, an acoustic CD composed of b-sides and previously unreleased recordings was released in November 2010, and given away for free in conjunction with Amazon.com's MP3 web store. Lucca has recorded a second collaborative CD with Jay Nash and Matt Duke, TFDI II, which is due to be released in the summer of 2011.
, Brothers & Sisters, Shark
and Felicity and in the movie Open Range
. He appeared in an episode of the E! True Hollywood Story series, covering his time spent on The Mickey Mouse Club in 2007. He has performed numerous times on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly
as a part of the show's band.
He briefly returned to acting in 2010, starring in a 901 Silver Tequila commercial, which was directed by the brand founder Justin Timberlake. He also played himself on an episode of Parenthood
, appearing as a performing musician.
on-and-off for eight years. From 2000 to 2007, Lucca dated NYC dancer Gaby Moss.
On July 7, 2007 Lucca married single mom Rachel, adopting her son Liam. They live in Los Angeles, California
and have a daughter, Sparrow Jane Lucca (born October 17, 2009). A former fan of tequila, he has been sober since 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and sometime actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is perhaps best known for starting his career on the Mickey Mouse Club. After the Mickey Mouse Club, Lucca went to LA for a brief career as an actor, then became a full-time musician, releasing over seven studio albums and five EPs. He is a consistent touring artist and has toured with a multitude of acts, including *NSYNC, Josh Hoge, Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
, the late Chris Whitley
Chris Whitley
Christopher Becker Whitley was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Whitley changed his sound frequently, and achieved modest mainstream success while maintaining a small but devoted following...
, Matt Duke
Matt Duke (musician)
Matthew Thomas Duke is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was born in Reston, Virginia and raised in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. He released an independent album, Winter Child, through the student-run Mad Dragon Records at Drexel University in Philadelphia...
and Tyrone Wells
Tyrone Wells
Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter in the folk-pop genre from Spokane, Washington. His songs have been featured in television shows Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter in the folk-pop genre from Spokane, Washington. His songs have been featured in television shows Tyrone Wells is a...
.
Early life
Lucca was born in Pontiac, MichiganPontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, the son of Sally and Tony Lucca. Lucca is of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent. Lucca grew up around a large and musical extended family, as his mother Sally was tenth of twelve children of the Detroit jazz piano player James "Jimmy" Stevenson. Lucca grew up in Waterford, Michigan and began signing at age 3 and child modeling at age 9. When he was 12, he began playing in Detroit-area bands with his cousin, Cole Garlak
1991-94: Mickey Mouse Club
When Lucca was 14 he went to Detroit to audition for the Disney movie NewsiesNewsies
Newsies is a 1992 Disney musical film starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie is widely claimed to have gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office...
, only to find out that the audition was for the Mickey Mouse Club instead. Encouraged by his sister, he auditioned for the show and was picked for callbacks in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he was selected along with 8 other kids to join the cast for the fourth season of the show. Lucca moved to Orlando, Florida with his mom and lived in an apartment complex with other castmates and traveled back to Michigan between seasons. He remained with the show for four seasons until being let go during the seventh season when the show was canceled.
1995-97: Hollywood
After the cancellation of the Mickey Mouse Club, Lucca moved to Los Angeles to begin an acting career in 1995. He lived with fellow Micky Mouse Club castmate Keri RussellKeri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
, his girlfriend at the time. Russell and Lucca were cast and played leads together on the Aaron Spelling-produced Malibu Shores, a teen drama which lasted for one season. During this time he filmed commercials for Levi Jeans
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
, J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
and Blockbuster Video. He had minor success in movies, appearing in an NBC movie of the week, Her Last Chance with Kellie Martin
Kellie Martin
Kellie Noelle Martin is an American television actress who is known for her roles as Rebecca Thacher on Life Goes On, Christy Huddleston on Christy, Lucy Knight on ER, and Samantha Kinsey on Mystery Woman.-Early life:...
and Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
, as well as two independent features. He left acting in 1997 to pursue music.
1997-2003: Independent music
In 1997 Lucca self-released his first CD, So Satisfied that he co-produced. In 1998 he started his website www.tonylucca.com and began to sell the CD and its self-released follow-up, Strong Words Softly Spoken through the website and at his live shows. Lucca also released two EPs and a limited series of Live & Limited CDs through his site; each CD sold was numbered and signed. In 2001 and 2002 he served as an opening act for 'N Sync'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, a boy band that featured fellow Mickey Mouse Club co-stars Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and JC Chasez.
2004-now: Lightyear and Rock Ridge Music
Lucca's third full-length album and his first commercially-distributed, ShotgunShotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
was released in 2004 in conjunction with Lightyear and New Vibe Records, and was executive co-produced by JC Chasez, who Lucca toured with to support the album. Following that release was 2006 album Canyon Songs
Canyon Songs
Canyon Songs is the fourth full length studio album by Tony Lucca released on August 8, 2006.-Album information:This album marks the second album Lucca released with his record label, Rock Ridge Music. The album was almost entirely written and recorded by Tony Lucca in the canyons of the...
, recording in both Laurel and Beachwood Canyons, and in that same year a live concert album Live In Hollywood both of which were distributed by Rock Ridge Music. Come Around Again was released in 2008
Lucca also participated in a cooperative tour with Jay Nash and Matt Duke
Matt Duke (musician)
Matthew Thomas Duke is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was born in Reston, Virginia and raised in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. He released an independent album, Winter Child, through the student-run Mad Dragon Records at Drexel University in Philadelphia...
, which resulted in the 2009 EP entitled TFDI. The collaboration, which stands for "Totally Fuckin' Doing It" was recorded in the Evanston, Illinois studio SPACE during an impromptu visit to the studio, after the three artists formed a friendship during the tour. Lucca's sixth album was released in 2010, entitled Rendezvous With the Angels, on Rock Ridge Music. Solo, an acoustic CD composed of b-sides and previously unreleased recordings was released in November 2010, and given away for free in conjunction with Amazon.com's MP3 web store. Lucca has recorded a second collaborative CD with Jay Nash and Matt Duke, TFDI II, which is due to be released in the summer of 2011.
Other Ventures
Many of Lucca's songs have been featured in various TV shows, including Friday Night LightsFriday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, Brothers & Sisters, Shark
Shark (TV series)
Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:...
and Felicity and in the movie Open Range
Open Range
Open Range is a 2003 American Western film co-starring, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Costner, based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. Starring alongside Costner are Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, and Michael Gambon....
. He appeared in an episode of the E! True Hollywood Story series, covering his time spent on The Mickey Mouse Club in 2007. He has performed numerous times on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
as a part of the show's band.
He briefly returned to acting in 2010, starring in a 901 Silver Tequila commercial, which was directed by the brand founder Justin Timberlake. He also played himself on an episode of Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
, appearing as a performing musician.
Personal life
Lucca dated fellow Mouseketeer (and eventual Malibu Shores co-star) Keri RussellKeri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
on-and-off for eight years. From 2000 to 2007, Lucca dated NYC dancer Gaby Moss.
On July 7, 2007 Lucca married single mom Rachel, adopting her son Liam. They live in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and have a daughter, Sparrow Jane Lucca (born October 17, 2009). A former fan of tequila, he has been sober since 2007.
Albums
- So Satisfied (1997)
- Strong Words Softly Spoken (1999)
- ShotgunShotgun (album)Shotgun is the third album by Tony Lucca and it was released on March 30, 2004.-Album information:Tony Lucca released two albums prior to Shotgun, independently and both were met with moderate success. Shotgun was Lucca's first commercially distributed full-length studio album...
(March 30, 2004) - Canyon SongsCanyon SongsCanyon Songs is the fourth full length studio album by Tony Lucca released on August 8, 2006.-Album information:This album marks the second album Lucca released with his record label, Rock Ridge Music. The album was almost entirely written and recorded by Tony Lucca in the canyons of the...
(August 8, 2006) - Live in Hollywood, (December 5, 2006)
- Come Around AgainCome Around AgainCome Around Again is the fifth full length studio album by Tony Lucca released on August 26, 2008.-Album information:Stylistically, the electric and rock songs on this album differed from Tony's prior acoustic releases. Lucca wrote or co-wrote most tracks on the album. -Track listing:1. "Foxy...
(August 26, 2008) - Rendezvous With The Angels (July 13, 2010)
- Solo (November 11, 2010)
EPs
- So Far, (2001)
- Simply Six, (2002)
- Through The Cracks, (2006)
- Close Enough, (2008)
- TFDI, (2009)
Selected filmography
- 1991 The All New Mickey Mouse Club as Himself
- 1993 Emerald CoveEmerald CoveEmerald Cove is a cove 2 nautical miles wide, lying between North Foreland and Brimstone Peak on the north coast of King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. The name Shireff's Cove was given by William Smith in 1819, after Captain William H. Shirreff, Royal Navy, to whom he reported...
as Jeff Chambers - 1996 Her Last Chance as Cody
- 1996 Malibu ShoresMalibu ShoresMalibu Shores is an American primetime teen drama/soap opera that aired from March to June 1996 for ten episodes on NBC. Created by Aaron Spelling and starring Keri Russell and Tony Lucca, the program followed the exploits of Southern California teens....
as Zack Morrison - 1997 Take a Number as Todd
- 1998 Too Pure as Jared
- 2004 The Wayne Brady ShowThe Wayne Brady ShowThe Wayne Brady Show was a variety show hosted by Wayne Brady that originally ran from August 8, 2001 to March 11, 2002 on ABC. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled by ABC and reformatted into a daytime variety talk show for syndication...
as Himself - 2007 E! True Hollywood StoryE! True Hollywood StoryE! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and well-known public figures...
: The Mickey Mouse Club as Himself