Nellie Rose Lutcher (October 15, 1912 – June 8, 2007) was an influential American R&B and jazz singer and pianist, renowned for her distinctive diction and exaggerated pronunciation. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, she was the eldest of 15 children in a musically inclined family; her father was a bass player and her mother a church organist. Lutcher's early exposure to music led her to play piano with Ma Rainey at the age of 12. By 15, she joined Clarence Hart's Imperial Jazz Band, and later the Southern Rhythm Boys, for whom she wrote arrangements and toured extensively.

In 1935, Lutcher moved to Los Angeles, where she developed her style influenced by Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, and Nat "King" Cole. Her breakthrough came in 1947 after performing at a talent show, leading to a contract with Capitol Records. She achieved significant success with hits like "Hurry On Down" and "He's A Real Gone Guy," both reaching No. 2 on the R&B charts. Lutcher was notable for retaining the publishing rights to her songs, a rarity for African-American artists at the time.

Despite her early success, Lutcher's popularity waned by the early 1950s, and she recorded with other labels such as Okeh, Decca, and Liberty. She gradually reduced her performance schedule, but her influence endured, with artists like Nina Simone citing her as an inspiration.