Nick Drake | Artist

Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician born 1948 in Rangoon, Burma, but lived most of his life in Cambridge, UK. He was best known for his acoustic guitar-based songs and poignant lyrics. Although largely unknown during his lifetime, except in UK contemporary folk circles, and by fellow Island Records artists such as Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention, and Danny Thompson of Pentangle. Drake also collaborated with Robert Kirby, a music student who went on to orchestrate many of the string and woodwind arrangements for Drake's first two albums. The three albums he made between 1969-1972: Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon are masterpieces. None of them sold more than a few thousand copies at the time and this may have contributed to Nick's increasing mental problems. Drake died of a drugs overdose in 1974 at the age of 26. Drake has since become widely acclaimed for his melancholy yet emotionally charged contemporary folk songs. By 2014, more than 2.4 million Nick Drake albums had been sold in the UK and the US. There are many posthumous archival and compilation albums. Amongst these, outstanding albums include Time of no Reply ('87) and Fruit Tree: The Complete Recorded Works ('79).

Artist Website: brytermusic.com

Featured Albums: Nick Drake

Related Artists: Robert Kirby, Richard Thompson

Collections: Music Visionaries