Saying Goodbye to a Friend
Tony
Drake
In the year and a half that I
was the Entertainment Editor of The Vegas Voice newspaper and Radio Host, I was
privileged to meet a number of wonderful people who devote their lives to making
people happy....
...those who are members of The
Entertainment industry.
I had an opportunity many don't
have...getting to know a number of them "up close and personal", looking at the
difficult roads they travel....their hours of dedication...so many without compensation....
...because of a love...a desire...a
need...to express the talent God gave them.
Time and again, I would watch these caring
individuals devote themselves to charitable events in order to promote the
worthiest of causes....
...so many times...at their own
expense....always...giving, giving, giving.
...and...at times watching some forego the
basic necessities of life...
..to "give" to
others.
This passion became so strong that one
of the last articles I wrote for The Vegas Voice, was a plea to support these
unique individuals...
...the people who make Las Vegas...."The
Entertainment Capital of the World".
I'm writing this article because I lost a
friend...a friend who was one of those giving individuals...one half of a loving
partnership that has graced the music world for
decades.
We lost Tony
Drake...
"talented" Tony Drake....
"hard working" Tony
Drake...
"giving" Tony
Drake...
"generous" Tony
Drake...
"appreciative" Tony
Drake...
"kind" Tony Drake.
...and his passing leaves a void in an
industry he proudly served.
For those of you who attended the Vegas
Voice "An Afternoon Affair" shows or any of the other production shows....Tony
was usually a part of the band.....
..playing his guitar...as he did for some of
the most famous musicians in our time.
His widow, Lisa
Gay-Drake, who shared his life....
Tony Drake
& Lisa Gay (Drake)
...was kind to send a synopsis of Tony's professional life, and I would like to ask all of you to take a few moments to see the litany of "who's who" Tony Drake accompanied over the years....
TONY DRAKE'S BIOGRAPHY
One
of soul music’s most respected session and touring guitarists, Tony Drake has
worked with some of the genre’s top artists.
Mr.
Drake started playing professionally at the age of 14, at clubs and parties in
the Los Angeles area along with a “permission slip” from his mother.
While growing up in Compton, California, at the age of 16, he was
accepted into the Dawkins Conservatory of Music where he studied classical
guitar for two years, and later studied privately with the well known guitarist,
John Blaylock, in the South Bay area.
After studying with Mr. Blaylock, Tony traveled with ”Little”
Johnny Taylor, Mr. Johnny Taylor, Ronnie Dyson, T-Bone Walker and many other
professional groups in the 60s even alongside then unknown guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, on the same bill.
In the 70s, Mr. Drake became a staff musician for 20th
Century Fox Studios doing numerous T.V. shows such as “Julia” starring Diahann Carroll,
“The Lucille Ball Show” and the “Leslie Neilson Show”.
In the later part of the 70s, Mr. Drake was signed with
A&M Records as a staff musician and recorded and toured with most of the
artists on the label including, Herb Alpert, Merry Clayton, Cheech and Chong,
and many others.
He was also a member of the Count Basie Orchestra, H.B. Barnum’s Big Band, and performed on various television specials, award shows and movies such as the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethons, Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, American Music Awards, The Grammy Awards, “American Hot Wax” and “Mother, Juggs and Speed” with Bill Cosby.
It was also during this time that Mr. Drake became the lead
guitarist for the Checkmates and traveled extensively
with them for four years.
When the Checkmates disbanded, he began to tour with such groups
as The Fifth Dimension, Marilyn
McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. (when they left the
group to do their own act), James Brown, Gloria Lynn,
Little Esther Phillips, Aretha Franklin, Marla Gibbs, The Crusaders, Jimmy Witherspoon, Cher, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, The
Sylvers, Connie Stevens, Ray
Charles, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Etta James and
others.
Tony
Drake was also one of the “LA Motown Funk Brothers” (when Motown moved their
studio from Detroit) and recorded countless hit tracks with James Jamerson, Earl
Palmer, David T. Walker, Ray Parker Jr., Wah Wah Watson, Bill Upchurch, Ron
Brown, James Gadson, Nate Neblett and Paul Humphrey for many artists at the
time, some of the greatest entertainers of all time.
This
experience benefited Tony and gained him even more
recognition going forward.
Later in the early 80s Tony toured with groups such as
The Supremes, En Vogue,
The Temptations, The Sylvers, The
Four Tops and others.
Through
the mid 80s, Mr. Drake became the cherished personal guitarist of the renown
singer and actress Della Reese for many years and
joined back up touring with Barry White on 2 world
tours in Europe, Africa, and Australia throughout the 90s followed by touring
exclusively with the great Lou
Rawls.
Tony’s
exquisite style and signature sound can be heard around the globe on such hit
recordings as Carl Carlton’s “Bad Mamma Jamma”, Little Johnny Taylor’s “Part
Time Love”, Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff”, and Marvin Gaye’s “Here My Dear”and
Cher’s “Half Breed”, Joe Williams “Here’s To Life”, Ray Charles’s “A Song For
You”.
Tony Drake was
also part of a Las Vegas “Springs Preserve Commercial” and appeared in the Oscar
Academy Award Winner Documentary Film, “20 Feet From Stardom” with Merry Clayton
on the hit song “Gimmie Shelter” from Legendary Rock Band, “The Rolling Stones”
collection.
Just some of
the other Artists Tony Drake has recorded, performed and toured with
include:
Percy Sledge
Sam Cooke
James Ingram
Richard and Karen Carpenter
Jackie Wilson
BB King (Created/ recorded the original demo with opening
famed Guitar lick for “Thrill Is Gone”)
Arthur Adams
Joe Williams
Quincy Jones
Phil Spector (The Ronnetts/Darlene
Love)
Captain and Tennille
Frankie Lymon
Tony passed
away on his 69th birthday, April
16, 2015.
Rest in peace,
Tony. This will be your legacy for all time.
His widow,
Lisa Gay, has asked his friends and those who loved him, to attend a special
benefit performance in his honor, which has been scheduled for
Sunday, May 31,
2015.
Further
details are still pending and we will keep you informed as to the place and
time.
Dick
Arendt
From Lisa Gay (Drake) ...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteThis was just exquisite my/our dear friend....brought tears to my eyes...I am speechless and so thankful.
From Sandra Benton (formerly of Menopause the Musical)...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteDick,
Such a lovely article about a wonderful artist.
Sending energy, strength and peace to Lisa.
Sending love to you and Marla!
From Rosanna Telford....singer & accompanist to Rob Garrett...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful Dick... yes he will be missed..... very much...