by Patrick Mulgrew, Historical Interpreter
June 26, 2025 – In honor of the 12th anniversary of the passing of renowned jazz bassist, songwriter, entrepreneur, and icon of the Savannah music community, Ben Tucker, let us take a look at the life and works of this truly one-of-a-kind man.
Tucker was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, in December of 1930, and in his early life, he taught himself how to play upright bass and tuba. He served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954, and by the 60s, he had cemented himself as a well-recognized bassist in both the New York and Los Angeles jazz scenes.
His bass can be heard in hundreds of songs, where he played alongside many jazz musicians such as Art Pepper, Herbie Mann, and Savannah’s own James Moody. Not only was he an amazing musician, he was also a songwriter, composing the instrumental of “Comin’ Home Baby!” while part of the Dave Bailey Quartet. The song then rose to be into the Billboard Top 40 hits when it was accompanied with lyrics by Tucker’s longtime friend and fellow musician Bob Dorough, and sung by Mel Torme. Tucker worked alongside Bob Dorough in the 1970s to compose the pilot episode of Schoolhouse Rock.
In 1972, Tucker and his wife relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where he became the owner of two radio stations WSOK-AM and WLVH-FM, which he used as a way to give a voice to the African-American population of Savannah. In the 1990s, he then opened a jazz club named Hard Hearted Hannah’s, where he’d play six days a week.
Visit Savannah History Museum to see Ben Tucker’s bass on display in the Savannah Jazz exhibition.
