Biography
John Drakes Singer/Songwriter
John’s musical journey began when he was 19 years old, studying farming at the Lincolnshire College of Agriculture. Folk music was thriving in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Paul Simon, James Taylor, Donovan, Bob Dylan and many others, including Ralph McTell were at the forefront of the acoustic singer songwriter movement.
It was Ralph McTell and his song ‘Streets of London’ that first captivated, and later inspired John to purchase his first guitar and teach himself to play.
Here was a way to express himself and his feelings.
The music began to tumble from his guitar.
Words were soon to follow.
Moving bass lines, sparkling melodies and cascading harmonies seemed to invite poetic lyrics to join them. Songs were born.
Nothing would ever be the same for John.
Farming in Wales from 1977 was always hard but became impossible when the Bank withdrew its support for the business in the early ‘90s.
That was when John wrote one of his most poignant songs, ‘The Leaving of the Land’.
In 2016 John was nominated for UK lyricist of the year for this song.
He became a commercial beekeeper but continued to write and occasionally perform his songs, many of which reflected his deep love of nature and the countryside.
Folk clubs beckoned as John moved from Wales to Yorkshire in 2008. Here he found a thriving music scene and, as his confidence grew, a growing audience who wanted to hear his songs.
Songs flooded from his pen. Songs of love and loss, social commentary and environmental issues.
Thought provoking songs and stories that the audience connected with.
Many life experiences are common to us all and, when people came up to him after a performance and told John how his songs had touched them, he felt humbled.
“If a song moves someone, even to tears, then I have done my job”, says John.
A regular performer in many of the folk clubs in Yorkshire, John made the decision to try and reach a wider audience. Performances at the Saltburn Festival of Song and Dance, the Robin Hood’s Bay Folk Festival and the Scalby Folk Festival were an indication of things to come.
In 2016 John entered the UK Songwriting contest and was delighted to be a finalist in several categories. One song was runner up in the folk section, coming 2nd out of more than 600 entries.
John has had several songs played on BBC Introducing and also other local radio stations.
Talent is Timeless
In 2021 John joined ‘Talent is Timeless’, a movement founded by well-known London singer songwriter Saskia Griffiths-Moore. This was aimed at getting music industry recognition for songwriters who are over 50.
A small group within ‘Talent is Timeless’ embarked on a 5 month ‘Create and Release’ project, involving the writing of a new song to be released and performed live in London.
John wrote a Country style song called ‘Hard Travelling Man’ and performed it at the Bedford Club, Balham, London on 31st August 2021.
This also featured John playing harmonica for the first time!
In October 2021 John was delighted to be asked by Saskia to open a concert for her at her latest album launch at St. Pancras Old Church, London, along with fellow member Donna Canale.
The Valley of Tears
2022 was an exciting year with a trip to Argentina in December. For many years John had been fascinated by the amazing story of the 1972 Andes plane crash. 16 young men survived for 72 days by using the bodies of their dead friends for food.
After dreaming about the crash one night, John was inspired to write two songs, which were duly recorded and sent to Uruguay to Nando Parrado, one of the survivors.
Nando suggested John might like to go to the crash site and visit the grave where 29 bodies are buried. This is possible by horseback in the austral summer, but it is a difficult and dangerous trip.
The grave and memorial lie at 12,500 feet in the High Andes. The air is thin and the weather can change in a heartbeat.
John took a guitar up into the mountains and sang his songs in the evening to the small group who made their pilgrimage. It was a very moving experience. And the mountains were listening.
2024
The big project for 2024 is to record a studio album entitled “Real, Here and Now”, featuring 10 of John’s most requested songs. Another album is planned in late summer, followed by a short tour.
