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 Nicholas
Rodney Drake was born in Rangoon, Burma on June 19, 1948 to Rodney and
Molly Drake. His father's occupation as an engineer saw them move from
Burma to India (where Nick's older sister, Gabrielle was born) and
eventually back to England in 1951.
The family settled in the county of Warwickshire in the quaint hamlet of Tanworth-in-Arden. The beautiful Far Leys estate was large but cosy and the family were happy there (his parents have since moved.) Nick's family was a musical one and home provided the perfect atmosphere to indulge in the world of music. Nick had an early love for classical music and as a young child had a desire to conduct. He learned to play the piano quickly and easily. He attended local schools and eventually entered Marlborough boarding school for boys. Students were honed for entrance into top-level universities. It was here that Drake became a bit of a distinguished athlete, winning several awards for his track and field performances (he held the school record for the 100m dash for some time.) He also became captain of his rugby team. He was a member of the school orchestra, and dabbled in clarinet and saxophone. Nick loved to listen to folk and rock and was also a big Beatles fan. He asked his parents for a guitar, and, sensing it might just be a phase before returning to piano, they honoured his request. But eventually Drake had invested in a proper six-string acoustic and was voraciously teaching himself the basics and perfecting his own intricate finger-picking style. He allegedly mastered his chosen instrument in a matter of months and immersed himself into composing. Drake accepted an English scholarship from Fitzwilliams College in Cambridge, and along with song-writing, delved into copious amounts of reading. He adored poetry, and was a great admirer of William Blake. Nick began performing around Cambridge, and at the age of 20, he caught the ear of Fairport Convetion's Ashley Hutchings. Hutchings brought him to producer Joe Boyd and upon listening to Nick's tapes, Boyd offered him a recording contract and studio time. (Island Records bought out Boyd's Witchseason Productions in 1970.) Nick recorded just three full-length albums during his career - Five Leaves Left in 1969, Bryter Layter in 1970, and finally Pink Moon in 1972. His vision for his music, right down to sound and presentation was something he would not allow to be compromised. This strength belied his reticent nature. But where this fierceness failed him was in a desire to tour, and therefore a major part of his vision was cheated. To add to Drake's woes were the lukewarm reviews his albums and handful of live shows garnered. After Pink Moon, Nick became deeply depressed and retreated to the sanctuary of Far Leys. He began shunning his close friends and his parents became increasingly worried. They finally sought professional help and Nick was prescribed anti-depressants. He managed to find his way into the studio once more in 1974 to record four more songs. They would find their way onto the Fruit Tree compilation. These songs, weary and dark, tell the tale of a young man terribly lost and despondent. "Black Dog", for instance seems to be his acceptance of death. In October of that year, Drake left for France to reunite with his friend and fellow folk singer, Francoise Hardy. She had earlier expressed interest in recording some of Nick's songs. Drake returned to England with some renewed buoyancy and direction. On the night of November 24, 1974, Nick was up and about at Far Leys suffering from insomnia, but in good spirits. This was not an unusual occurrence, and often his mother Molly would get out of bed and keep him company. On this night she could hear some of his favourite classical music wafting from the record player and, for reasons she is still unsure of, she decided to turn over and go back to sleep. It is said that Nick mistook his antidepressants (Tryptizol) for sleeping pills and took a few to help him sleep. What Nick and his parents were never told was that one of these pills over the legal dose was lethal. Nick found his way into bed and quietly passed away in his sleep. Molly found him early the next afternoon, having decided to let him lie in awhile. She recalls peering through the doorway and seeing "his long, long legs", his body laying across his bed. Nick Drake was a mere 26 years old. Nick is buried in a far corner of the Tanworth-In Arden churchyard. His modest stone gravesite overlooks a view cluttered with hills and meadows, a most fitting resting spot for a man so enamoured with nature's generous offerings. |
