Aubrey Stephen Tucker

Dr. Aubrey Tucker was born to Aubrey and Marcelle Tucker in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on March 3, 1945. Aubrey had a wide-ranging career in music and education, including being a film, TV, jazz, Broadway musical, concert composer, arranger, ASCAP songwriter, vocalist, trombonist, recording and events producer. He attended University of Houston for his undergraduate degree in trombone performance and Rice University for his Masters in Theory and Doctorate in Composition. At the University of Houston, Aubrey founded the Cougar Brass, the Cougar Dolls, and the UH Jazz Studies program. As a young artist, he was chosen to represent the United States as the trombone soloist at the International Music Competition in Munich, Germany. In the U.S. Army, Aubrey composed and arranged music for the US Navy Show Band, the Army Chorus, and other military musical units. He was the founding Music Director at Astroworld Amusement Park. Aubrey toured America and the world with the great big bands of Woody Herman, Si Zentner, and Illinois Jacquet, among others, as a jazz trombonist and arranger. Throughout his career he performed with many major artists including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, and Tony Bennett, and was awarded five Las Vegas Entertainment Awards. Later, he was the founding educator of the Commercial Music program at Houston Community College. He was a founding member of the Jazz Houston Orchestra and served on the Board of Directors. Dr. Tucker was a devout Christian and played and sang at churches throughout his life, including his current church, Chapelwood United Methodist, as well as Lakewood Church and many others. He sang in the choir two days before going to be with God. Aubrey was a history buff who was deeply interested in politics. He was the Board Chairman of the Old Fort Velasco Historical Association, which currently is rebuilding the fort in which the Texas Revolution began and ended. Dr. Tucker was a true patriot, and when he wasn’t busy helping others, he enjoyed traveling around the country to visit family in his RV with his wife, Margie, who he met and married in 1979 during their time playing in orchestras in Las Vegas. He loved playing cards with friends and family, loved all pets, was passionate about teaching, and enjoyed sailing and spending time on the water. Dr. Tucker was an enthusiastic Houston sports fan and was absolutely ecstatic when the Astros won the World Series. Aubrey was a great storyteller and enjoyed laughing more than anything else, except maybe playing trombone. He was larger than life, and he leaves a legacy of his shining light of love, music, kindness, and joy in the lives of everyone he ever met and all who ever heard his music.

He joins parents as well as two of his siblings, brother Jim Tucker and sister Beth Cornett. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 38 years, Margie Tucker, his brother Michael Tucker; his daughters Stephanie Auton, Jennifer Balsano, and Emily Tucker, and his son Aubrey Tucker III; his sons-in-law, Matthew Auton and Philip Balsano; his grandchildren, Stephen Balsano, Stuart Balsano, Bethany Auton, and Meredith Auton; and his great-grandchild, Ava Shae Balsano.

Dr. Aubrey Tucker’s service will be at 2pm, Sunday, September 30, at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson with a reception to follow on the grounds. Aubrey loved a good jam session; musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments for one last jam with Dr. Tucker at the reception.