John Paul “Bucky” Pizzarelli (born January 9, 1926) is an American jazz guitarist. He is the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and double bassist Martin Pizzarelli. He worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) and ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in (1952). The list of musicians he has collaborated with includes Benny Goodman, Les Paul, and Stéphane Grappelli. Pizzarelli cites as influences Django Reinhardt, Freddie Green, and George Van Eps.

Pizzarelli was born January 9, 1926 in Paterson, New Jersey. He learned to play guitar and banjo at a young age. His uncles, Pete and Bobby Domenick, were professional musicians, and sometimes the extended family would gather at one of their homes with their guitars for jam sessions. Pizzarelli cites as an inspiration Joe Mooney, a blind accordion player who led a quartet that included Pizzarelli’s uncle, Bobby Domenick. During high school, Pizzarelli was guitarist for a small band that performed classical music.

Pizzarelli began his professional career at 17 when he joined the Vaughn Monroe dance band in 1944.

In 1952 Pizzarelli became a staff musician for NBC, playing with Skitch Henderson. In 1964, he became a member of The Tonight Show Band on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During his time spent performing for the Tonight Show, he accompanied guest bands and musicians playing through a variety of musical genres, including playing with Tiny Tim (after tuning the performer’s ukulele) on the day that Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on Carson’s show. His solo on “Lipstick on Your Collar” by Connie Francis has been called as “the greatest pop rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo of all time.