The Valdosta Daily Times

Lillian Luckey is the real deal. At a time when the music profession — especially instrumental music — is still largely dominated by men, this diminutive songstress has held her own.

Surrounded by mirrors, glittering place settings on white tablecloths, soft candlelight, multi-colored bottles and polished wood floors, patrons of The Bistro restaurant at 132 N. Ashley St. in Valdosta can hear her most weeknights thumping out the blues or crooning timeless ballads in the bar.

Jazz has found a home at The Bistro, thanks to owner Charles Wiggins’ patronage. Between sets, the overhead speakers play a variety of jazz, from Hard Bop to the smooth sounds of singers like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

Visitors to The Bistro are often surprised at this little jazz oasis in the heart of Valdosta’s downtown, where live music is performed seven days a week.

It’s no wonder Lillian feels at home there.

Her elegant renditions of familiar standards like “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” “I’ll Remember You,” “Once Upon A Time,” and many others are the perfect complement to the romantic atmosphere and good food to be found there.

Lillian got her start as a child when her parents took her to the Oriental Theater in Chicago to hear Ella Fitzgerald. When they came out of the theater, she told her mother — a former schoolteacher — she wanted to be a singer and entertainer like Ella Fitzgerald when she grew up.

Her father, George Clifford, was a concert violinist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Her parents took her to a piano teacher when she was 4 years old, but the teacher told them to bring her back when she had learned how to read. She later continued the lessons under a different teacher.

When she was 18, Lillian worked as a waitress at Ma Stram’s Hot Dog Stand. Ma’s husband, Hank Stram, was a coach for the New Orleans Saints.

Her career took off when she married guitar virtuoso Ray Luckey. Lillian said her husband, whom she later divorced, taught her a lot about the music business.

“Even if there’s only two people in a room, he said you play like it’s a packed house,” she said.

He had been a child prodigy, performing with the Chicago Plectrophonic Orchestra at the age of 14.