Lucian Piane obit

Lucian Piane Dies: Former ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Judge & Music Producer Was 46

 

He was not on the list.

Lucian Piane, a songwriter and music producer known best for his work on multiple seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, died October 12 in a traffic accident, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office records. He was 46.

The online records note that Piane died in the street. He reportedly was struck by a car Monday morning in Glendale and died from his injuries.

Piane worked as a composer and producer on the first eight seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and was behind some of the show’s biggest musical numbers including The Baddest Bitches in Herstory,” “Shade: The Rusical,” “Rucapella,” “Glamazonian Airways (Part 1 and Part 2),” “Hot in Tuckahoe” as well as several finale songs including the three from Season 8: Bob the Drag Queen’s “I Don’t Like to Show Off,” Naomi Smalls’ “Legs” and Kim Chi’s “Fat, Fem & Asian.”

He co-wrote and produced RuPaul‘s biggest hits including “Cover Girl,” “Sissy That Walk,” “Jealous of My Boogie,” “Peanut Butter,” “Geronimo,” “Freaky Money,” “The Beginning,” “Born Naked,” “Champion,” “Sexy Drag Queen,” “I Bring the Beat,” “Let the Music Play,” “Feel Like Dancin” and “Main Event.”

Born on October 4, 1980, in Kansas City, Missouri, Piane was a classically trained composer and graduate of New York University. He composed scores for the HBO documentary An Omar Broadway Film and the film Pretty Ugly People. He wrote the song “Year End Rap,” which blogger Perez Hilton performed on his VH1 special, What Perez Sez. Piane also wrote the song “Stunning” for Calpernia Addams for her reality television show Transamerican Love Story.

He earned a Grammy nomination and an RIAA Platinum Album Award for his production work alongside Marc Shaiman on the Hairspray film soundtrack. His credits also included arrangements for the film Team America: World Police and writing music for the 76th Annual Academy Awards.

Prior to his death, on October 10 he was taken into custody by Glendale police for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was detained again the following day for an alleged assault on an officer or emergency personnel. He was issued citations for both incidents and given a court date of October 12. Worried fans and friends previously had commented on some alarming videos he had posted on Instagram, saying ,”You gotta get sober and stay sober Lucian. Please ❤️ we love you” and “This is so sad to see. Lucian please seek help.”

Music Department

Dan Bittner, Thomas Langston, and Jorge Vega in Wallykazam! (2014)

Wallykazam!

7.6

TV Series

composer: additional music

2014

1 episode

 

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

music provided bycomposer: title musiccomposer: additional music

2009–2012

23 episodes

 

RuPaul's Drag U (2010)

RuPaul's Drag U

6.3

TV Series

composer: additional music

2010

1 episode

 

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010)

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

6.7

TV Special

composer: additional music

2010

 

Josh Hopkins, Jack Noseworthy, Phill Lewis, Missi Pyle, Octavia Spencer, and Larry Sullivan in Pretty Ugly People (2008)

Pretty Ugly People

5.0

orchestrator

2008

 

Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Elijah Kelley, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, and Nikki Blonsky in Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray

6.7

music & tech assistant: Mr. Shaiman

2007

 

Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, and Mark Ruffalo in Rumor Has It... (2005)

Rumor Has It...

5.5

scoring assistant (uncredited)

2005

 

Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Masasa Moyo, and Kristen Miller in Team America: World Police (2004)

Team America: World Police

7.2

arranger

2004

 

The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004)

The 76th Annual Academy Awards

6.7

TV Special

music assistant

2004

 

Composer

Nicholas Braun and Zoey Deutch in Good Kids (2016)

Good Kids

6.1

Composer

2016

 

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

Composer

2009–2016

7 episodes

 

Dragula (2014)

Dragula

4.8

Short

Composer

2014

 

Kill of the Night

Short

Composer

2013

 

Kevin Spacey in The Ventriloquist (2012)

The Ventriloquist

7.2

Short

Composer

2012

 

Envelope (2012)

Envelope

7.2

Short

Composer

2012

 

Kevin Spacey in Spirit of a Denture (2012)

Spirit of a Denture

6.4

Short

Composer

2012

 

Making the Boys (2011)

Making the Boys

7.3

Composer

2011

 

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix! (2009)

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix!

7.8

Short

Composer

2009

 

Little BFFs

4.8

Short

Composer

2009

 

Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung, and Audrina Patridge in Sorority Row (2009)

Sorority Row

5.2

Composer

2009

 

Seeds

4.4

Short

Composer

2009

 

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!

7.7

TV Series

Composer

2009

 

An Omar Broadway Film (2008)

An Omar Broadway Film

5.8

Composer

2008

 

Josh Hopkins, Jack Noseworthy, Phill Lewis, Missi Pyle, Octavia Spencer, and Larry Sullivan in Pretty Ugly People (2008)

Pretty Ugly People

5.0

Composer

2008

 

Dirty Laundry (2007)

Dirty Laundry

7.2

Short

Composer

2007

 

Producer

RuPaul in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2012)

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

8.5

TV Series

creative producer

2016

5 episodes

 

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

creative producer

2015–2016

6 episodes

 

RuPaul: Sissy That Walk (2014)

RuPaul: Sissy That Walk

7.4

Music Video

producer

2014

 

Vicky & Lysander (2012)

Vicky & Lysander

8.2

TV Series

producer

2014

10 episodes

 

Soundtrack

Carrie Preston in Elsbeth (2024)

Elsbeth

7.5

TV Series

performer: "Cover Girl"writer: "Cover Girl"

2025

1 episode

 

Vanessa Williams, Graham Norton, Michelle Visage, Pierre Alexandre, Jazell Barbie Royale, Alan Geraci, Militia Scunt, Chloe V, Viola, Miss Sistrata, Taiga Brava, Trevor Ashley, Trixie Mattel, and Maxie Andreison in Queen of the Universe (2021)

Queen of the Universe

7.1

TV Series

writer: "Sissy That Walk"

2023

1 episode

 

Jan, Peppermint, Krysta Rodriguez, Jaymes Mansfield, Ginger Minj, and Brock Hayhoe in The Bitch Who Stole Christmas (2021)

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas

5.6

TV Movie

writer: "Sissy That Walk"

2021

 

Udo Kier in Swan Song (2021)

Swan Song

7.0

writer: "Sissy That Walk"

2021

 

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme", "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)"writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme (Original)", "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)"Soundtrack (uncredited) ...

2009–2020

140 episodes

 

RuPaul in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2012)

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

8.5

TV Series

Soundtrackwriter: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme", "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)"writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme" (Put the Bass in Your Walk", (writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme", "Cover Girl, uncredited, uncredited, uncredited) ...

2012–2019

16 episodes

 

RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular (2018)

RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular

4.9

TV Special

writer: "Can I Get An Amen"

2018

 

Drag Race Thailand (2018)

Drag Race Thailand

7.5

TV Series

writer: "Cover Girl", "Fly Tonight", "Sissy that Walk", "If I Dream"writer: "Cover Girl", "Fly Tonight", "Glamazon"writer: "Cover Girl", "Fly Tonight" ...

2018

8 episodes

 

Denise Drysdale, Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Caitlin Stasey, Charlotte Nicdao, Renee Lim, Keegan Joyce, Nikita Leigh-Pritchard, Hannah Gadsby, Josh Thomas, Charles Cottier, and Thomas Ward in Please Like Me (2013)

Please Like Me

8.5

TV Series

writer: "Geronimo"

2016

1 episode

 

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!

7.7

TV Series

writer: "Sissy That Walk"writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme"Soundtrack ((writer: "RuPaul's Drag Race Theme", "Cover Girl) ...

2013–2014

16 episodes

 

Certain People (2011)

Certain People

5.6

music: "Cover Girl"writer: "Cover Girl"

2011

 

Making the Boys (2011)

Making the Boys

7.3

lyrics: "For You and I"performer: "Find a Way", "Without The Wind"writer: "Find a Way", "Without The Wind"

2011

 

RuPaul's Drag U (2010)

RuPaul's Drag U

6.3

TV Series

writer: "RuPaul's Drag U Theme"

2010

7 episodes

 

Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung, and Audrina Patridge in Sorority Row (2009)

Sorority Row

5.2

writer: "Tear Me Up", "Jealous of My Boogie", "This Night", "Emergency"

2009

 

Midgets vs. Mascots (2009)

Midgets vs. Mascots

5.1

writer: "Champion"

2009

 

Josh Hopkins, Jack Noseworthy, Phill Lewis, Missi Pyle, Octavia Spencer, and Larry Sullivan in Pretty Ugly People (2008)

Pretty Ugly People

5.0

performer: "Tell Me, Tell Me", "Maybe They Know"writer: "Fed My Bitch a Blade", "Tell Me, Tell Me", "Great Big Bear", "I'm Here", "Maybe They Know"

2008

 

Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Elijah Kelley, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, and Nikki Blonsky in Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray

6.7

producer: "Cooties" (2002)

2007

 

Writer

RuPaul: Sissy That Walk (2014)

RuPaul: Sissy That Walk

7.4

Music Video

Writer

2014

 

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix! (2009)

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix!

7.8

Short

Writer

2009

 

Actor

Little BFFs

4.8

Short

Additional Voices

2009

 

Prop 8: The Musical (2008)

Prop 8: The Musical

7.5

Short

The Frightened Villagers

2008

 

Director

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix! (2009)

Bale Out: RevoLucian's Christian Bale Remix!

7.8

Short

Director

2009

 

Sound Department

Double B-side (2013)

Double B-side

Short

sound: dialogue

2013

 

Thanks

Salut

7.1

Short

special thanks

2009

 

Self

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

Self - Guest JudgeSelf - Special GuestSelf - Audience Member ...

2011–2016

11 episodes

 

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!

7.7

TV Series

Self - Guest Judge

2014

1 episode

 

Life with La Toya (2013)

Life with La Toya

7.1

TV Series

Self - Composer

2013

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

RuPaul's Drag Race (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race

8.5

TV Series

Self - Guest JudgeSelfSelf - Special Guest (archive footage, archive footage, uncredited, archive footage)

2012–2014

4 episodes

 

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! (2009)

RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!

7.7

TV Series

Self - Special Guest (archive footage, uncredited)

2013

1 episode