Nick Drake

Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Best known for the sombre pieces composed on his primary instrument, the guitar, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone. Although he failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, Drake's work has gradually achieved wider notice and recognition; he now ranks among the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years.
Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums—Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. None of the albums sold more than 5,000 copies on their initial release. His reluctance to perform live or be interviewed further contributed to his lack of commercial success. Despite this, he was able to gather a loyal group of fans who would champion his music. One such person was his manager, Joe Boyd, who had a clause put into his own contract with Island Records that ensured Drake's records would never go out of print. Drake suffered from depression and insomnia throughout his life, and these topics were often reflected in his lyrics. Upon completion of his third album, 1972's Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of amitriptyline, a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old.
== Books about Nick Drake ==
*1994 - Way to Blue: an Introduction to Nick Drake
*1997 - Nick Drake: The Biography by Patrick Humphries
*1997 - Nick Drake: The Sweet Suggestions of the Pink Moon by Luca Ferrari
*1998 - The Nick Drake Song Collection by Mcfarlane Saywell James
*2005 - Le Provenienze Dell'Amore by Stefano Pistolini
*2006 - Darker Than the Deepest Sea: The Search for Nick Drake by Trevor Dann
*2008 - Nick Drake: L'abecedaire by Henri Chartier
*2009 - Nick Drake: Complete Guide to His Music by Peter Hogan
== Magazine articles ==
*1974 June issue of ZigZag
*1975 January issue of ZigZag
*1976 August issue of rock & folk
*1978 January issue (#25) of Trouser Press 
*1992 Oct/Nov issue (#42) of Dirty Linen
*1997 February issue of MOJO features a cover story
*1999 February issue of MOJO ('Inside the Mind of a Boy Genius')
*2000 November issue of Strange Days
*2008 January issue of Paste 
*2009 June issue of MOJO features a cover story ('The Rise and Fall of Island's Lost Boy')
Category:Index of People