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Home -> Hanging on a Star -> contents -> An English Artist -> next page
Nick Drake - An English Artist
I say English because, though he was in fact born in Burma, his life and music were very English. He came from a relatively affluent background and followed the typical privileged educational route of public School (Marlborough College) then Oxbridge (Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge) - not a background that one would expect much credibility to be attached to in the Music business - an industry that, often hypocritically, favours the 'authenticity' of the working class struggle.
Having bought a guitar at Marlborough for the sum of £13, at the great disapproval of his parents, Nick began to write - many of the songs he wrote whilst at school appeared on his first album Five Leaves Left, whilst others appeared as unrecorded demos on the post humous album Time of No Reply.
On going to Cambridge to read English, Nick gained many more musical and social influences and continued to work at his craft. Nick stopped paying much interest and attention to his academic work there, and having been given a recording contract and completing his first album whilst still at Cambridge, eventually left university before completing his degree. Nick went on to record two more albums (the second of which, Bryter Layter, is still quoted by producer Joe Boyd as being the most satisfying album to record, and still the album he is most satisfied with - 'The one record I can listen to with unalloyed pleasure and not think for a minute, Oh I wished I'd mixed that differently').
Unfortunately, though paradoxically Nick was a slave to his own sense of integrity, he became increasingly disheartened by his lack of acceptance and commercial success. Apparently towards the end of his life Nick had a serious argument with his friend and musical contemporary John Martyn, the singer/songwriter, about how one should be popular without having to sacrifice one's authenticity - Nick had accussed John's music of becoming more insincere in an attempt to be more commercially succesful. Having gone deeper and deeper into depression and into himself, he was found dead in his bed at his parent's home in Tamworth-in-Arden, on the 25th of November 1974. His death was caused by an overdose of the anti depressant Tryptizol. Though the verdict was suicide, it is still uncertain whether it was self inflicted or accidental.
Friends' websites: SPARE ROOM.co.uk for UK flat and house share, into London.com for flatshare and property lettings, roastbeef.co.uk for uni friends reunited