Diane Luckey

Diane Luckey was born in Neptune, New Jersey on December 12, 1962 to parents James and WillaMae Luckey.  The second youngest of seven siblings, Diane grew up in Neptune and attended Neptune High School and Mount Pisgah Baptist Church.

Following in the footsteps of her parents and sisters, Diane loved music and singing from a very young age and was part of the Mount Pisgah Youth Choir.  After seeing the Broadway musical, “Bubbling Brown Sugar” in New York City while on a class field trip, she decided that she wanted to dedicate her life to singing. She moved to New York City when she was eighteen and immediately started working at Sigma Sounds Studio as a backup singer and writing jingles for commercials.  Shortly thereafter, she started writing songs, recording music, and headlining concerts under the name Q Lazzarus. Diane was a multi-talented instrumentalist, writing lyrics and singing, playing guitar and piano and producing as well.
Diane’s song “Goodbye Horses,” became an instant hit, which generated a large following that continues to this day.  She appeared in the movie Philadelphia during a party scene with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, singing the Talking Heads song “Heaven.”  
Diane also spent several years in London where she fronted the rock and roll band Q Lazzarus where she wrote dozens of songs and toured the United Kingdom.  She also performed at and hosted many parties at large clubs and arenas in London and collaborated with her friend Danny Z on house music tracks when back in the United States.
At the time of her death, Diane was finishing work on a feature documentary about her life and music with filmmaker and friend, Eva Aridjis.  The film will be released in 2023, along with an album of songs spanning her entire musical career.
Diane was a big-hearted, fun-loving and passionate woman who loved traveling, adventure, music, cooking and people.  Amongst her other transformative experiences was a six-month stint on a fishing boat in Alaska, and a long trip through South America with a friend.  She had a great sense of humor, loved to tell stories and jokes, and also had a unique and wonderful style of dress that was all her own.  She was fiercely devoted to her family, children, and friends, and was also a devout Baptist.  Diane will be sorely missed by all of those who knew her.  She lit up the room and turned heads everywhere she went and has always been a larger than life legend in the music world.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents, James and WillieMae and by her sister, Sharon.  She is survived by her husband Robert Lange of Staten Island, New York, her son James Luckey Lange of Staten Island, New York and daughter Sayydina of Santa Barbara, California; her sisters Abbie Luckey of Clementon, New Jersey, and Debbie Luckey and her husband, Walter Walker of Ewing, New Jersey; her brothers Jimmy Luckey and his wife, Sharon Luckey of Neptune, New Jersey, Garen Luckey of Asbury Park, New Jersey and Michael Luckey and his wife, Sharon Luckey of Yeadon, Pennsylvania; nephews Deron Luckey of Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dereck Luckey of Neptune, New Jersey and Garen Luckey, Jr. of Toms River, New Jersey and brother in law, Bucky Jones of Neptune NJ.  She is also survived by numerous other relatives, friends and collaborators.