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Pete Drake
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Pete Drake
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Roddis Franklin "Pete" Drake (October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988)[1] was a Nashville-based American record producer and pedal steel guitar player.[2] One of the most sought-after backup musicians of the 1960s, Drake played on such hits as Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden", Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors", Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay", and Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man". Drake was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022.[3][4]

Career

[edit]

Drake was born in Augusta, Georgia,[1] the son of a Pentecostal preacher. In 1950, he drove to Nashville, heard Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry, and was inspired to buy a steel guitar. Later in the 1950s, in Atlanta, Georgia, he organized the country music band Sons of the South, which included future country stars like Jerry Reed, Doug Kershaw, Roger Miller, Jack Greene, and Joe South.

In 1959, he moved to Nashville, joined the Nashville A-Team, and went on the road as a backup musician for Don Gibson, Marty Robbins, and others. In 1964 he had an international hit on Smash Records with his "talking steel guitar" playing on Bill Anderson's 1963 album Still.

The single "Forever" charted in March 1964 and reached No. 25 in the Billboard Hot 100, eventually sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[5] His innovative use of what would be called the talk box, later used by Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Roger Troutman and Jeff Beck, added novel effects to the pedal steel guitar. The album Pete Drake and His Talking Steel Guitar harkened back to the sounds of Alvino Rey and his wife Luise King, who first modulated a guitar tone with the signal from a throat microphone in 1939. The unique sound of the talk box with a steel guitar was new in the 1960s, and it made the sounds of vocalizing along with the strings of the steel guitar. According to an interview of Drake:[6]

You play the notes on the guitar and it goes through the amplifier. I have a driver system so that you disconnect the speakers and the sound goes through the driver into a plastic tube. You put the tube in the side of your mouth then form the words with your mouth as you play them. You don't actually say a word: The guitar is your vocal cords, and your mouth is the amplifier. It's amplified by a microphone.

The equipment was only loud enough to be useful in the studio for recordings.[7]

Drake played on Bob Dylan's three albums recorded in Nashville, including Nashville Skyline, and on Joan Baez's David's Album.[1] He also worked with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass,[1] and produced Ringo Starr on Beaucoups of Blues in 1970.[6][8]

Drake produced albums for many other musicians, and founded Stop Records and First Generation Records, Countryrecords.com. Recording country legends, Ernest Tubb, Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Justin Tubb, Billy Walker, Ray Pillow, Ferlin Husky, Stonewall Jackson, The Wilburn Brothers, Lonzo & Oscar, Cal Smith, Charlie Louvin, Vic Willis Trio, George Hamilton IV.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame's Walkway of Stars in 1970 and the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame May 7, 1987 as a member of the "A" team Nashville Session players. On May 1, 2022,[3] Drake was one of four inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame for the year 2021 along with Ray Charles, The Judds, and Eddie Bayers.[9]

Death

[edit]

Developing emphysema and congestive heart failure after four decades of smoking, Drake's health began declining in 1985. He sold Pete's Place recording studio at 809 18th Avenue South to Mel Tillis in 1985, then built Pete's Place studio in Berry Hill (currently County Q studios) and the last recording studio he built was in the Drake's own home in Brentwood, Tennessee. He died on July 29, 1988, at the age of 55.[1] He is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.

References

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Pete Drake

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Roddis Franklin "Pete" Drake (October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988) was an American pedal , , and music innovator best known for pioneering the "talking " technique using a custom device, which bridged with rock and pop genres. Born in , to a Pentecostal father, Drake began his musical career in the , forming Sons of the South in alongside future stars like and . After moving to Nashville in 1959, he became a premier , performing on hundreds of recordings, including 59 of the top 75 country hits at one peak and 38 of 48 BMI award-winning tracks in 1966 alone. His distinctive work graced iconic songs such as Lynn Anderson's "," Bob Dylan's "," George Jones's "," Tammy Wynette's "," Kenny Rogers's "Lucille," and Elvis Presley's five movie soundtracks. Drake's innovations extended beyond performance; he invented the talk box in the early 1960s, creating a vocal-like effect on his steel guitar that led to his international hit "Forever" in 1964 and earned him the nickname "King of the Talking Steel Guitar." This device later influenced rock artists, including on Frampton Comes Alive! and on "Rocky Mountain Way," after Drake gifted prototypes to them. He also collaborated with rock icons, playing on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, Ringo Starr's Beaucoups of Blues (which he produced), Joan Baez's albums, and sessions with , , and . As a producer and entrepreneur, Drake founded Stop Records in the 1960s and First Generation Records in 1977 under the Pete Drake Music Group, releasing albums by artists like and . His contributions were recognized with awards including Instrumentalist of the Year from Cash Box (1964), induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame's Walkway of Stars (1970) and the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1987), and a posthumous elevation to the Hall of Fame itself in 2022 as the first pedal steel guitarist so honored. Drake died of in , at age 55, leaving a legacy as a Nashville A-Team staple who shaped modern .

Early life

Birth and family background

Roddis Franklin Drake, known professionally as Pete Drake, was born on October 8, 1932, in Augusta, Georgia. He was the son of John "Brother Johnny" Drake, a Pentecostal preacher, and Nora Blevins Drake, a housewife, in a devout religious household where church activities were central to daily life. This upbringing immersed young Pete in Pentecostal traditions, including fervent preaching and communal singing, which exposed him to gospel music and instilled values of faith, community, and expressive performance that would later influence his musical worldview. His brothers, Jack and Bill Drake, also contributed to the family's musical environment as performers known as the Drake Brothers, with Jack later playing bass for Ernest Tubb and Bill pursuing guitar and radio work in California. Augusta, a quintessential Southern town along the , faced economic hardships during the of the 1930s, with the cotton industry's decline due to the exacerbating local challenges, yet it retained strong cultural ties to religion and regional traditions. The 1930s and 1940s saw Georgia's broader musical landscape evolve, with gaining prominence through figures like , reflecting the South's deep-rooted blend of spiritual expression and emerging secular sounds that permeated communities like Augusta. This environment, combined with the city's historic religious institutions such as Springfield Baptist Church, fostered a vibrant local culture of faith-based music and storytelling.

Musical beginnings

At the age of eighteen in 1950, Pete Drake was inspired to pursue music after hearing steel guitarist Jerry Byrd perform on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville from his home in . This encounter prompted him to purchase a from an pawnshop upon his return. Drake taught himself to play the instrument without formal instruction, adapting it into a by constructing homemade pedals attached to the original lap steel during the early 1950s while living in . His family's Pentecostal background, where his father preached and his brothers sang in church settings, further nurtured his affinity for music rooted in . By 1954, Drake had progressed enough to form his own band, Sons of the South, in , blending styles with influences from traditions he encountered in his upbringing. The group, which featured emerging talents such as , , , , and , performed locally and gained exposure on Atlanta radio stations such as WLWA. These early performances honed Drake's skills on the pedal steel and established his presence in Atlanta's regional music scene.

Professional career

Session musician work

In 1959, Pete Drake relocated from Georgia to , where he quickly established himself as a by joining the renowned Nashville A-Team, an elite group of first-call studio players that shaped the city's burgeoning recording industry. His expertise, honed through earlier performances in Atlanta-area bands, proved instrumental in securing his position among these top-tier musicians. Drake's prominence as a performer surged in 1964 with the instrumental single "Forever," featuring his innovative "talking " technique, which peaked at No. 25 on the and sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc certification. This hit not only showcased his distinctive sound but also solidified his reputation within Nashville's competitive session scene, leading to a packed schedule of studio work. Throughout the and , Drake amassed extensive session credits on landmark country recordings, contributing his to hits that defined the era. Notable examples include his playing on Lynn Anderson's 1971 No. 1 country single "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden," which also crossed over to the pop charts. He collaborated with on various tracks during this period, adding texture to Cash's albums with his signature pedal steel lines. Additionally, starting in 1966, Drake worked extensively with , performing on the gospel album and soundtracks for films such as Double Trouble and .

Record production and business ventures

In the late , leveraging connections from his extensive session work in Nashville, Pete Drake transitioned into record production and entrepreneurship. He founded Stop Records in 1967, an independent label that released albums by artists including , , and George Morgan. Drake expanded his business interests in the 1970s by co-founding First Generation Records in 1977 with his wife, Trimble. The label quickly gained prominence by signing Hall of Fame member following his departure from after 35 years; Drake produced Tubb's album The Legend and the Legacy, a successful tribute that helped expand the label's roster to include a "Stars of the Grand Ole Opry" series. He also produced country albums for during this period, contributing to their polished sound in Nashville's evolving music scene. Drake's production credits included Grammy-winning work, such as B. J. Thomas's 1981 album , which earned both a Grammy Award and a Dove Award for its blend of and elements. These projects underscored his role in bridging traditional with broader audiences through innovative yet roots-oriented recordings. To support his growing production endeavors, Drake opened Pete's Place at 809 18th Avenue South on in the early 1970s, where he oversaw sessions for his labels and other artists until selling the facility in 1985. Following the sale, he built a new version of Pete's Place in his Brentwood home, continuing operations there into his later years.

Innovations and collaborations

Pete Drake pioneered the use of the , a device that routed the sound of his through a tube into his mouth to create vocal-like effects, dubbing it the "talking steel guitar." He first applied this innovation in 1964 on his own instrumental single "Forever," which reached No. 25 on the and showcased the technique's emotive potential in music. The gained wider popularity in rock after Drake demonstrated it to artists like during the 1970 sessions for George Harrison's album , influencing Frampton's use on his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!. Drake's collaborations extended his influence into rock and pop, leveraging his Nashville session expertise to bridge genres. He provided the distinctive on Bob Dylan's "" from the 1969 album , adding a warm, country-inflected texture that helped the track reach No. 7 on the Hot 100. Similarly, Drake contributed pedal steel to George Harrison's triple album (1970), enhancing tracks like "" with his signature slide work during recordings at . In another Beatles connection, Drake produced Ringo Starr's country album (1970), selecting Nashville musicians and infusing the project with authentic pedal steel sounds; the album peaked at No. 35 on the Top Country Albums chart. Through these efforts, Drake introduced the to rock artists recording in Nashville during the 1960s and 1970s, expanding its role beyond country traditions. His work with figures like Dylan and Harrison attracted non-country musicians to Music City's studios, fostering a cross-genre fusion that influenced subsequent rock recordings, such as Joe Walsh's 1973 hit "Rocky Mountain Way," where Drake shared his talk box prototype.

Personal life and later years

Family and personal relationships

Pete Drake married Trimble in the late 1970s after meeting her as a ; the couple co-founded the independent label First Generation Records in 1977, merging their professional endeavors with family life. He had been previously married and was the father of six children from that marriage—Jennifer, , Judy, Joyce, , and Jackie—who joined him for key family occasions, including the 1987 presentation of the CMA Award for Instrumentalist of the Year. During the height of his career in the and , Drake's family offered vital support amid his relentless schedule of studio sessions and productions, enabling him to maintain a stable home base in Nashville after relocating there in 1959 and bringing his family from once established. To further integrate work and family, he later constructed a studio in , with Rose, which allowed continued productivity without prolonged separations. Drake fostered deep personal ties in the Nashville music community, often extending hospitality to emerging steel guitarists such as and Paul Franklin, whom he mentored by inviting them to his home for instruction and practice sessions in the 1970s. He also enjoyed camaraderie through informal gatherings like the Sons of the South, a loose collective of close friends including , , , , and , highlighting his affable role beyond professional circles. Reflecting his childhood immersion in Pentecostal values, Drake emphasized faith in his own family traditions.

Health decline and death

In the 1980s, Pete Drake developed after four decades of heavy smoking, marking the onset of a significant decline that limited his mobility and professional engagements. This condition, compounded by related respiratory complications, forced him to scale back his studio production and session work and construct a more accessible home studio in , to sustain limited creative output. Drake passed away on July 29, 1988, at age 55 in his Brentwood home from complications of . He was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville. Survived by his wife, Rose Drake, and his children, his family mourned the loss of a pioneering figure in Nashville music while reflecting on his enduring contributions amid his shortened life.

Legacy

Awards and honors

Pete Drake received several notable awards and honors during his lifetime, recognizing his contributions as a and . In 1964, he was voted Instrumentalist of the Year by both Cash Box magazine and the . In 1970, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame's Walkway of Stars. In 1987, Drake was inducted into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and awarded the Nashville Entertainment Association's Master Award, honoring his mastery of the and influence in Nashville's music scene. As a , Drake earned accolades for his work on gospel and projects. He received a Grammy Award and a Dove Award in 1981 for producing B.J. Thomas's album , which achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the gospel genre. He also received SESAC recognition for his production efforts with B.J. Thomas. Following his death in 1988, Drake continued to receive posthumous honors that underscored his enduring legacy. In 1990, he was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame as part of . The Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducted him in 2010, celebrating his roots in , and his impact on the state's music industry. Finally, in 2022, Drake became the first pedal steel guitarist inducted into the Hall of Fame, a milestone that highlighted his innovative techniques and collaborations across genres. Pete Drake's contributions as a session musician with Nashville's A-Team solidified the group's dominance in the recording industry during the 1960s and 1970s, where he played on numerous chart-topping country hits such as Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man," Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," and George Jones's "He Stopped Loving Her Today." His pedal steel guitar work, featured on 59 of the top 75 Billboard country songs at one point, helped elevate the status of studio musicians from background players to essential architects of the Nashville Sound, blending traditional country elements with sophisticated production to create broadly appealing recordings. This era's output not only defined commercial country success but also demonstrated the instrument's versatility in supporting vocal-driven narratives. Drake played a pivotal role in bridging country with rock and pop through his early adoption of the effect, which allowed the instrument to produce vocal-like tones and extended its reach beyond genre boundaries. He introduced the device to during sessions for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass in 1970, inspiring Frampton's iconic use on Frampton Comes Alive! (1976), where tracks like "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do" popularized the effect in rock, selling over eight million copies and influencing artists such as and later bands including and . This innovation transformed the from a novelty in country recordings, like Drake's own "Forever," into a staple of effects. Drake's production techniques further shaped country hits and facilitated crossovers into the 1980s and beyond, as seen in his work on B. J. Thomas's Amazing Grace (1981) and Ernest Tubb's The Legend and the Legacy (1979), which incorporated pedal steel and talk box elements to blend traditional and contemporary sounds. Operating his own studio, Pete's Place, he mentored emerging artists and emphasized innovative arrangements that prioritized emotional depth, influencing the evolution of country production and inspiring modern pedal steel players like Paul Franklin to explore expressive, genre-blending styles. His legacy endures in the integration of steel guitar into broader popular music, where techniques he championed continue to inform recordings across country, rock, and hybrid genres.

References

  1. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/pete-drake-1932-1988/
  2. https://www.petedrake.net/bio/
  3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamwindsor/2022/05/02/steel-guitarist-pete-drake-inducted-into-country-music-hall-of-fame-also-influenced-rock--roll/
  4. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/augusta/
  5. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/topics/music/
  6. https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2010/04/05/many-famous-musicians-once-called-augusta-home/14294472007/
  7. https://countrymusichalloffame.org/exhibit/dylan-cash-and-the-nashville-cats-a-new-music-city/the-nashville-cats/pete-drake/
  8. https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/pete-drake
  9. https://www.petedrake.net/petes-career-timeline/
  10. https://nashvillemusicguide.com/musician-spotlight-pete-drake/
  11. https://thecountrynote.com/in-the-news/pete-drake-to-make-history-as-first-steel-guitarist-inducted-into-the-country-music-hall-of-fame/
  12. https://www.billboard.com/music/country/country-hall-fame-eddie-bayers-pete-drake-session-musicians-1235064842/
  13. https://www.wideopencountry.com/pete-drake/
  14. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/the-judds-country-music-hall-of-fame-2021-inductees-1212496/
  15. https://www.georgeharrison.com/releases/all-things-must-pass/
  16. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-beatles-solo-songs-1234972758/
  17. https://www.petedrake.net/photo-gallery/pete-the-masters-award-1987/jennier-janet-judy-joyce-johnny-jackie-and-pete/
  18. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11966/pete-drake
  19. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/07/31/Noted-musician-producer-Pete-Drake-dies/8404586324800/
  20. https://musicrow.com/2010/08/pete-drake-enters-georgia-musicians-hall/
  21. https://www.cmaworld.com/cma-announces-eddie-bayers-ray-charles-pete-drake-and-the-judds-as-the-country-music-hall-of-fame-class-of-2021/
  22. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/brief-history-talking-guitar/
  23. https://americansongwriter.com/speaking-volumes-peter-frampton-and-the-talk-box/
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