Tom Drake (Director)

Tom Drake ( Thomas Y. Drake , TY Drake , pseudonym Steven Yates ; born June 28, 1936 in Vancouver , † August 8, 2008 ) was a Canadian singer-songwriter , screenwriter and director .

Life

Drake appeared in radio plays for the CBC as a child . He came to the United States with his family at the age of 12. He was a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral in Los Angeles and studied English literature at the University of California at Los Angeles . Since 1960 he has been writing lyrics for The Kingston Trio . With Michael Storm he founded the group The Other Singers , whose album The Other Singers Sing Other Songs for Other People was released in 1963. For the album Time To Think he wrote the title Ally Ally Oxen Free with Rod McKuen under the pseudonym Steven Yates .

During an appearance by the Other Singers, manager Andy Williams 'noticed Drake, who was looking for a replacement for The New Christy Minstrels on Williams' weekly show on NBC . Drake quickly put together The Goodtime Singers , which made their first appearance on Williams' show ten days later. The group recorded two albums on Capitol Records and toured the US and Canada during the show's breaks.

In the mid-1960s, Drake gave up his musical career and began to work as a screenwriter. In 1971 he returned to Canada and settled on a farm in the Canadian Rockies. Since 1984 he lived in Vancouver again. His sons Steve and Adam Drake became known as musicians.

Discography

• The Other Singers Sing Other Songs for Other People
• The Good Time Singers
• One step more

Filmography (selection)

• 1969–1970: Then Came Bronson (TV series)
• 1976: The Keeper (writer and director)
• 1980: Monster in the night express ( Terror Train )
• 1990: The Visionary

Web links

• Tom Drake in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Tom Drake on lazyka.com
• Allmusic - discography