Tommy Lokey: Consummate Jazzman at The Church Studio

February 22, 2024
David Deller
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Blog, Guest Blog

Tommy Lokey was a jazz trumpeter from Tulsa, Oklahoma, co-founder of the Gap Band, and a frequent collaborator at The Church Studio. He bridged jazz, funk, rock, and gospel music, earning recognition for both his technical skill and his spiritual approach to performance.

Tommy Lokey Quick Bio:

Born: 1935, Henderson, Texas, U.S.
Died: 1999, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupations: US Army, oilfield worker, Jazz trumpeter, session musician, composer
Years active: 1950s–1990s
Instruments: Trumpet, flugelhorn, mellophone
Labels: Shelter Records, Tattoo/RCA, Passport Records, Horton Records
Spouses: Gwen Lokey, French wife (name unknown)
Children: Eden, Thierry, Maria, Chelsea, Carole
Notable associations: Leon Russell, Gap Band

Early Life and Education

Born in 1935 in Henderson, Texas, Tommy Lokey showed early talent on trumpet. In elementary school, he won a contest on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour , performing “Flight of the Bumblebee.” He attended Kilgore Junior College and earned a music scholarship to Lamar Tech Institute. Tommy first experienced live jazz at The Purple Onion club in Houston.

Tommy was drafted into the US Army in 1956, serving in France at Verdun. His younger brother Bob said he was “a hippie before they ever arrived, a beatnik I guess they called them back then.” Tommy often left the Army grounds for the local clubs to see Miles Davis perform, who reportedly said, “Well, the man is a trumpet player” after hearing Tommy play.

Early Career

Tommy came back to the U.S. in 1959 with a French wife and stepchildren. He worked periodically in the Oklahoma oilfields before moving to San Francisco, where he performed nightly in jazz clubs from 1962 to 1965.

He also played with Count Basie’s band and toured with other acts in California. Tommy’s son Eden recalled a story of Don Rickles ridiculing Tommy in Las Vegas: “Who let the Mexican mafia guy in here?” Basie defended him: “Don’t you talk to my trumpet player like that.”

Tulsa and the Gap Band

After moving back to Tulsa in the 1960’s, Lokey became a fixture in the local music scene into the 1970s. He played at venues including:

The Rubiot
The 9 of Cups
Magician’s Theater
Boston Avenue Market
The Cognito Inn

Lokey became a founding member of the Gap Band, a seven member funk band. The band got its name from the Greenwood, Archer, and Pine streets that defined the Tulsa downtown neighborhood where the founding members grew up. The Gap Band appeared in Shelter Records publicity photos in the 1970s.

Daughter Carole Lokey Ruffin said, “They used to practice in the living room of our house over at 15th and Elwood.”

The Church Studio / Stop All That Jazz album

The Gap Band essentially became Leon’s backing band and during concerts, Leon Russell would introduce Tommy by saying: “Here’s the jazz part.”

Lokey, the Wilson brothers and the rest of The Gap Band contributed significantly to Russell’s Stop All That Jazz album (1974), including a notable solo on “Smashed.” The Gap Band toured with Russell, and Lokey brought his current wife Gwen and newborn son Eden along. They found that Eden would often fall asleep to “Jumpin Jack Flash.”

Magicians Holiday Album

Tommy wrote two songs on the Gap Band’s first album, Magician’s Holiday: “I Yike It” and “Tommy’s Groove.” He also contributed to the 1977 Gap Band album on Tattoo/RCA, co-writing “Knucklehead Funkin” and “Thinking of You.” “Knucklehead Funkin” later appeared on Strike a Groove (1983), and “I Yike It” was included in Back to Paradise: A Tulsa Tribute to Okie Music (2020) .

He recorded with other artists, including Steve Gaines , Greg S. Page, and Nannette Workman.

Tommy’s Peers Comment on His Skill

Drummer David Teegarden said, “He was just a wonderful player.”
Another drummer, Dave Reynolds recalled, “It was one long, beautiful jam all weekend.”
Trumpeter Gary Leming said, “He could get more out of fewer notes than anyone I’d ever heard. And when he was on, he could take your breath away.”
Keyboardist Rudy Scott added, “That trumpet player, Tommy Lokey, that dude could really, really play.”
Trumpeter Mike Moore described him as “kind of a very spiritual, guru-like figure, a Jazz Buddha mentor in the jazz community.” Moore elaborated: “What you play has to be authentic. Improvisation in particular is an expression of yourself, it has to be real, as if representing a life, your life, and the story you tell as an artist has to be lived. You have to mean what you say.”
Bassist Jim Bates stated, “Tommy could fit into any situation, adapt to any kind of music, didn’t matter what it was. That’s easy on a bass, but not on a horn. And Tommy could make any band good.”

See and Hear Tommy Lokey Play

In this 1974 video featuring Leon Russell and the Gap Band, Tommy is in the horn section. This only known video recording of the group was recorded at The Church Studio in 1974. Watch for cutaways to the brass section and look for Tommy’s full head of hair and full beard:

Listen to “Tommy’s Groove,” written by Tommy Lokey:

Personal Life

During his time in the US Army, Tommy married a French woman who came into the union with two children. Tommy later married Gwen and had five children her: Eden, Thierry, Maria, Chelsea, and Carole.

Carole Lokey Ruffin said she always considered herself “Daddy’s girl.” Thierry said, “He just loved people, having them around all the time, listening to records and talking about music late into the night.” Daughters Maria and Chelsea described their father as curious, empathetic, and generous.

Later Years and Gospel Music

By the late 1980s, Lokey rededicated his life to God, performing primarily in church. At First Assembly of God in Skiatook, OK, as a newcomer to the church Lokey astounded the congregation with his abilities. Sister-in-law Diana Lokey remembers often whispering to Tommy, “What should we do for the offertory?” and he would say, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”

Lokey also contributed to gospel recordings including Danniebelle Hall’s He is King and inspired Falkner Evans “A Lokey Groove” (2002).  He also continued to play trumpet and sing for family, friends, and himself – “Happy Birthday” for everyone every year or singing scat in the car. Eden remembered interrupting his father’s playing while calling him on the phone, and hearing him play “Taps” while alone in his room.

Death and Legacy

Tommy Lokey died in 1999 from pancreatic cancer. The Tulsa World newspaper covered his memorial extensively. Chris Clayton of the Gap Band played soprano sax at his casket. His recordings with Leon Russell, the Gap Band, and other artists remain available online.

Tommy Lokey’s career left a lasting mark on Tulsa’s music scene, and he remains a treasured part of The Church Studio’s legacy

(Note: The author is grateful for the colleagues, friends, and family of Tommy Lokey for their contributions and kind assistance.)

Need More About Tommy Lokey?

Here’s a fuller version of this article as a downloadable PDF.