Lucky Spaulding

Lucky Spaulding has been performing, writing, and recording original music since the age of seven, and has become a household name on the Midwest music scene in the last decade.

In 1992 Lucky founded the reggae band Zionites, which swiftly became one of the hottest acts in the Midwest. The ultra-smooth style of Lucky’s music earned him a string of awards from the C.E.A / Cammys (Cincinnati): 1998, 2000, 2001.

Being born into a musical family, where love and understanding have always been the rule, has helped to shape Lucky into the artist he is today. Lucky has been heavily influenced by the music of Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Steely Dan, to name a few of his heroes. Lucky also has a natural ear for the vast wealth of World, Latin, and Eastern music that has more recently made its mark on the mainstream.

A two-page article about Lucky was included in the 2003 edition of Songwriters Market in which editor Ian Bessler talked with Lucky about his first two solo releases, ‘Living’ (2000) and ‘Dinosaur Love’ (2001). Lucky was hired by Nick Lachey and and Justin Jeffrie (of 98º fame) to play a string of summer events in 2004. It was at this point which he began to break out of the Midwest.

In 2005, Lucky joined the Cincinnati soul band Low Key, and quickly melded his reggae roots with the R&B sounds of his new friends and bandmates: Michael Shearer, Nate Clark, Ian Hudgins, Joel ‘Crank-J’ Cotton, and Brian Losekamp. They have helped Lucky to refine his songwriting, and he can depend on them to deliver the goods in a live scenario.

Lucky feels that the world today is in dire need of love in all its many forms, and that music is a strong vehicle for global unity understanding. He looks forward to what the future might hold for him, and hopes that he might have the chance to become an ambassador for peace through the message in his songs. - City Beat

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Committee
has placed Lucky Spaulding on the
Official Ballot for the 2007 Grammy Awards in the following categories:

Category 1 - Record of the Year
Lucky Spaulding - 'The Heart of A Girl'
Award goes to Artist, Producer, Recording Engineer, and Mixer:
Lucky Spaulding and Ian Hudgins

Category 2 - Album of the Year
Lucky Spaulding - 'The Heart of A Girl'
Award goes to Artist, Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixer,
and Mastering Engineer: Lucky Spaulding, Ian Hudgins and Toby Donahue

Category 3 - Song of the Year
Lucky Spaulding - 'Dinosaur Love'
Award goes to Songwriters: Lydia Penaranda and Seven Spaulding

Category 3 - Song of the Year
Lucky Spaulding - 'Silver Lady of the Stars'
Award goes to Songwriter: Lucky Spaulding

Category 6 - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Lucky Spaulding - 'The Heart of A Girl'
Award goes to Artist: Lucky Spaulding

Category 11 - Best Pop Vocal Album
Lucky Spaulding - 'The Heart of A Girl'
Award goes to Artist: Lucky Spaulding - National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences

By Mike Breen

Late last year, Lucky Spaulding released the EP, 'Lucky,' his first CD under his own name (last year's 'Living' is credited to Lucky & The Zionites). The CD, produced by local musician/studio wiz, Rob Fetters (who also plays the majority of guitars on the disc), finds Spaulding moving even further away from the Reggae sound that The Zionites had become known for, showing off a distinct Pop/Soul feel.

"I started out playing Reggae, and I still love it," Spaulding says. "But there's a big world out there. And it's hard to play Reggae music and get it played on the radio, unless you sound like Shaggy. I just thought there was a better way to get my songs across to a wider audience."

Spaulding is a veteran local performer, launching The Zionites when he was just 15 years old. Since then, besides being a main draw on the local club front, he has managed to make a lot of solid industry contacts, which he has high hopes will help him land a record deal.

Fan Justin Jeffre of the locally-spawned Pop group, 98°, helped Spaulding realize he needed to have a more focused sound (leading to the sessions with Fetters), and Jeffre also passed Spaulding's music around to high-profile industry connections. Those connections have led to an upcoming trip to Los Angeles, where Spaulding will record some material this winter. Spaulding's drummer, Greg Slone, has spread the word, too. The experience with his former band, Moth (releasing their major label debut on Virgin this April), has helped get Spaulding's music to producers and label folks on the East Coast.

But perhaps Spaulding's most important "contacts" are the ones that helped shape him as a musician: his family. Spaulding has two brothers (Shake and Seven, who gig in the area) and a sister (Silver) who are all musically inclined. His mother, Lydia Peñaranda (who he says dated David Crosby, pre-Woodstock) and father, Seven Spaulding (who played with Roberta Flack, among others) are also musicians. And his grandfather started local rock radio station, WEBN.

Spaulding recalls being surrounded by music as a youngster, running around the halls of WEBN (which was then quite the hip station) and absorbing the sights and sounds. His uncle worked at the famous Fifth Floor Studios, the biggest pro-studio in town in its day. As a tot, Spaulding remembers hanging around the studio during a Bootsy Collins session.

"I was sitting on (Collins') lap at the studio," says Spaulding, who eventually became a giant P-Funk fan. "And he would say, 'You like Funk; you like my Rubber Band?' When I grew up, I listened to his CDs and I was just like, 'Man, that's good stuff.' "

Spaulding's other major influences include Steely Dan, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. Spaulding says Marley's influence goes beyond just introducing him to Reggae.

"I loved Bob Marley not just for his music, but for his message," he says. "Like 'Don't be a racist,' and 'Try to live your life to the fullest.' " - City Beat

Lucky Spaulding -- 'LUCKY' (J.L.S Music).

Cincinnati's Lucky Spaulding was a staple in local clubs with his band The Zionites the past several years, and his latest CD, 'Lucky,' marks his third independent release.

On his last disc, 2002's 'Dinosaur Love,' Spaulding flirted with Pop/Rock and radio-friendly Top 40, sounding like a Midwestern version of Seal. But Lucky feels the closest to his true soul, pimping a slick, liquid brand of R&B and Neo Soul. Spaulding's strong Reggae influence -- outside of the opening cut, "Dance With You," the occasional rhythmic cue and the use of the word "irie" -- is reflected in the mystical, uplifting lyrics, which, even when he's playing the "lover man" role, are respectful and life-affirming.

When the material clicks, Spaulding as Soul Stirrer is highly effective, particularly within the layers of spine-tickling background vocals and the minimalist but tastefully assembled musical base provided by the fantastic production (98 Degrees vocalist Justin Jeffre co-produced and also has a role in Spaulding's career management these days). The slow burn of "The Heart of a Girl" drips like candle wax with a sensual melody and slithering back beat that would make D'Angelo put his shirt back on, while "Alive" has the careening Soul glide of today's best classic R&B revivalists.

It's on these kind of timeless bedroom mood pieces where Spaulding shines brightest; the few "party-startin'" cuts, while surely useful in a live set, come up a little cheesy on record and Spaulding's break-it-down "speech" in "Savin' the World," while admirably optimistic and socially conscious, is ill-advised. But, luckily, Spaulding and his crew have crafted an album heavy on incense ambience and sensual exhilaration.

Spaulding comes off like a natural, born-to-be performer and musician and 'Lucky' shows him at the top of his game. - City Beat