Tracy Sugarman

Who was Tracy Sugarman?

Tracy A. Sugarman was an American illustrator. He illustrated hundreds of books and record covers in a career lasting over 50 years. He authored an annotated work on his sketches from World War II.

Following his service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Sugarman moved to Connecticut, USA and embarked on a career in illustration. He has illustrated books and articles for more than 50 years, including numerous children's books.

He is also an illustrator of record covers, primarily for Waldorf Music Hall Records/Grand Award Records. The early ten inch records on Waldorf Music Hall are apparently also designed by him. The later covers on Grand Award use his illustrations in the middle of a frame design. Many illustrations from the earlier series reappear on the later records. Apparently no book on record cover design includes any Sugarman covers, but they are nevertheless a unique and beautiful body of work. He designed more than 100 covers in the years 1950-1959. Perhaps the best known are the covers for albums by "Knuckles O'Toole", a ragtime piano player made up by the Grand Award company. The real pianist is either Billy Rowland or Dick Hyman. These have been reissued on CD with the original covers on Siggnal Sounds records.