TONY DRAKE, guitarist, is one of soul music’s most respected session and touring guitarists, having worked with some of the genre’s top artists. At the age of 14, along with a “permission slip” from his mother, Tony started playing professionally at clubs and parties in the Los Angeles area. He grew up in Compton, California, and at the age of 16, he was accepted into the Dawkins Conservatory of Music where he studied classical guitar for two years.  He later studied privately with the well-known guitarist, John Blaylock in the South Bay area.

After studying with Mr. Blaylock, Tony traveled with ”Little” Johnny Taylor, Mr. Johnny Taylor, Ronnie Dyson, T-Bone Walker and many other professional groups in the 60s including alongside the then unknown guitarist, Jimmy Hendrix on the same bill. In the 70s, Tony became a staff musician for 20th Century Fox Studios doing numerous TV shows such as “Julia” starring Diahann Carroll, “The Lucille Ball Show” and the “Leslie Neilson Show.” Later, Tony was signed with A&M Records as a staff musician and recorded and toured with most of the artists on the label including Herb Alpert, Merry Clayton, Cheech and Chong, and many others. He was also a member of the Count Basie Orchestra, H.B. Barnum’s Big Band, and performed on various television specials, award shows and movies such as the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethons, Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, American Music Awards, The Grammy Awards, “American Hot Wax” and “Mother, Juggs and Speed” with Bill Cosby. It was also during this time that Tony became the lead guitarist for the Checkmates and traveled extensively with them for four years. When the Checkmates disbanded, he began to tour with such groups as The Fifth Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. (when they left the group to do their own act), James Brown, Gloria Lynn, Little Esther Phillips, Aretha Franklin, Marla Gibbs, The Crusaders, Jimmy Witherspoon, Cher, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, The Sylvers, Connie Stevens, Ray Charles, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson and others.

Tony Drake was also one of the “LA Motown Funk Brothers” (when Motown moved their studio from Detroit) and recorded countless hit tracks for many artists at the time, such as James Jamerson, Earl Palmer, David T. Walker, Ray Parker Jr., Wah Wah Watson, Bill Upchurch, Ron Brown, James Gadson, Nate Neblett and Paul Humphrey, some of the greatest entertainers of all time. This experience benefitted Tony and gained him even more recognition going forward. Later in the early 80s Tony toured with groups such as The Supremes, En Vogue, The Temptations, The Sylvers, The Four Tops and others.  Then, through the mid-80s, Tony became the cherished personal guitarist for many years for the renowned singer and actress Della Reese.  Then throughout the 90s, he joined back up touring with Barry White on two world tours in Europe, Africa, and Australia, followed by touring exclusively with the great Lou Rawls.

Tony’s exquisite style and signature sound can be  heard around the globe on such hit recordings as Carl Carlton’s “Bad Mamma Jamma,” Little Johnny Taylor’s “Part Time Love,”  Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Here My Dear” and Cher’s “Half Breed,” Joe Williams’ “Here’s To Life,” Ray Charles’s “A Song For You” along with many other notable recordings still going strong today  He currently headlines with wife and singer Lisa Gay at The Foundation Room and other major venues and shows in Las Vegas.