- Born
- Died
- Birth nameNicholas Rodney Drake
- Height6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
- Fabled singer/songwriter who only recorded three albums in his short lifetime. "Five Leaves Left" rightly brought him acclaim from the folk crowd, although the exquisite arrangements on follow-up "Bryter Layter" received surprisingly stilted attention upon release. Nick became disillusioned with the music scene due to this lack of recognition (which he'd eerily predicted in the lyrics of "Fruit Tree" on his debut album). Besides the title track, final set "Pink Moon" is a sparse affair featuring only Nick and an acoustic guitar. Twenty years after his death, the adulation he craved finally began to arrive.
- IMDb mini biography by: sunlollyseller
- Somber folk music with thoughtful yet oblique lyrics
- Withdrawn and mysterious persona, contributing to his being posthumously viewed as "tragic romantic"
- His ashes are buried in the Churchyard of St. Mary Magdalene in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire. In the church itself there is a plaque on the organ in memory of Nick. His parents donated money for one of the organ stops in Nick's memory. Once a year, the church organist plans a special recital of Nick's songs, and the townspeople come and sing in tribute.
- The April full moon, known as a Pink Moon, is a traditional symbol of spring, rebirth and renewal. The sparse lyrics of Drake's song "Pink Moon" - "I saw it written and I saw it say/Pink Moon is on its way/And none of you stand so tall/Pink Moon gonna get ye all" - suggest it is an inescapable force that will affect everyone. However, the idea of a Pink Moon being a portent of death or calamity is a modern misconception, based in part on interpretations of this song that are influenced by the tragic fate of its author. It is also sometimes confused with a Blood Moon (lunar eclipse), which in The Bible is a sign of the end times.
- Parents were Rodney Drake and Mary Lloyd 'Molly' Drake; Gabrielle Drake was his older sister. Both parents were musical. His mother was a Welsh singer/songwriter and poet who had a strong influence on Nick's style. Rodney and Molly now rest in the same grave as Nick, having joined him there in 1988 and 1993.
- Grew up and died in a house called Far Leys (Old English for "distant field") in Warwickshire. The house now has a blue historical plaque noting that Nick Drake lived there. It was sponsored by the BBC and dedicated in 2017.
- His final album, "Pink Moon" (1972), was recorded over two nights in October 1971, with only Drake and producer/sound engineer John Wood in the studio. His label, Island Records, had no idea he was making an album until Drake showed up at their London offices and quietly left the master tapes with the receptionist.
- I can't cope, all the defences are gone. All the nerves are exposed.
- I can't think of words. I feel no emotion about anything. I don't want to laugh or cry. I'm numb-dead inside.
- Under moments of stress, you forget so easily the lies, the truth and the pain.
- If my music ever did anything to one single person, it would be worth it.
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