Nellie Rose Lutcher (October 15, 1912 – June 8, 2007)[1] was an American R&B and jazz singer and pianist, who gained prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Searching for a temporary replacement in Lake Charles, one of the neighbors told Rainey that there was a little girl who played in church who might be able to do it.

The same year, her records began to be released in the UK and were actively promoted by radio DJ Jack Jackson.

With an orchestra for the first time, Lutcher recorded "The Birth of the Blues" and "I Want to Be Near You" in 1951, but she was losing her appeal with the record-buying public and Capitol dropped her the following year.

[5] She went on to record, much less successfully, for other labels including Okeh, Decca and Liberty, and gradually wound down her performance schedule.

In 1952, Lutcher was contacted to perform on first a "happy new years" television special, however after she finished her song, it was revealed that she was on the set of, and the honoree of, a This Is Your Life episode.