Joseph Lucian Messina (December 13, 1928 – April 4, 2022) was an American guitarist. Dubbed the “white brother with soul“, he was one of the most prolific guitarists in Motown Records‘ in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers.

Messina was born in Detroit on December 13, 1928. He started playing the guitarwhen he was thirteen, after his father purchased one for him. Messina initially attended Central High School in his hometown, before studying music at Cass Technical High School. He eventually dropped out to focus on becoming a professional musician.

Messina first played in jazz clubs in Detroit starting in the late 1940s. By his mid-twenties, he was playing in the ABC Television studio band, accompanying such guests as Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Jack Teagarden, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Giuffre, Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Frank Rosolino, and Dizzy Gillespie. Also while at ABC, Messina played on The Soupy Sales Show, alongside guests such as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.