Max Voorhees Drake II (born June 1, 1952) is an American blues guitarist and songwriter from Yanceyville, North Carolina. He has performed with musicians such as B.B. King,

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined a ...

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list o ...

, and Nappy Brown.

Biography

Early life and career

Max Drake was born in

Burlington, North Carolina Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the ...

and grew up in Reidsville. He started his first band at age 23 in 1975. From the mid-1970s until 1989 he gained distinction as a guitarist in Arhooly R&B Deluxe Band. While in Arhooly, there were performances with prominent bluesmen including B.B. King, Bo Diddley, and

Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was stationed a ...

. Drake became especially known for his agility on slide guitar. In the 1990s, Drake performed with the Charlotte-based Extraordinaires and also Thomas "Mookie" Brill before recording and performing frequently with Skeeter Brandon. In the 2000s, he played rhythm guitar in Big Bill Morganfield's band, going on worldwide tours. Morganfield is the son of

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

(aka McKinley Morganfield) often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues." As the band toured Europe, blues enthusiasts became increasingly interested in Morganfield. Many were familiar with his father's seminal contributions to electric blues from his work on

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and r ...

. It was said that the band's version of Waters' " Got My Mojo Working" stood up to the original. Tours in Spain that Drake accompanied him on particularly enjoyed popularity due to the legacy connection to Waters. After the multiyear run with Morganfield ended, Drake stayed closer to his home and family in

Caswell County, North Carolina Caswell County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is located in the Piedmont Triad region of the state. At the 2020 census, the population was 22,736. Its county seat is Yanceyville. Partially bordering the state of Virgin ...

. He went on to work extensively with Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos in the 2010s while teaching aspiring blues artists. Drake has performed at public schools in North Carolina in partnership with the Greensboro-based Piedmont Blues Preservation Society.

Discography

*''Got it Bad'' (1995) *''New Moon Blues on Rise'' (1996) *''Global Voices: Traditional, Sacred & Contemporary Vocal Music'' (1998) *''Contemporary Global Voices'' (2000) *''Popskull & High Art'' (2008)

References

External links

Skeeter Brandon: "The Sky is Crying" (Max Drake, guitar)

Extraordinaires: "Dark End of the Street" (Max Drake on lead guitar)

All Music – Max Drake
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Max 1952 births American blues guitarists American male guitarists People from Burlington, North Carolina People from Reidsville, North Carolina People from Yanceyville, North Carolina Guitarists from North Carolina 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians Living people