Listening to Nick Lucas' high-pitched voice and knowing that he introduced "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" makes one immediately realize that he was a major influence on the infamous Tiny Tim in the late '60s. But there was much more to Nick Lucas than that; even beyond his singing.
Lucas was a musical wizard, learning guitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele early in life. Born Domenic Antonio Nicola Lucalese, he and his brother played for money on trains, entertaining riders, at the age of ten. Lucas performed regularly in restaurants and cafes as a teenager. When he was 20 he for...