Rusty Draper

Born Farrell Draper in Kirksville, MO, on January 25, 1920, he received his first guitar at age ten, and within two years made his radio debut on Tulsa station WTUL's Cy Perkins Show. From there, Draper hosted his own show on Des Moines outlet WWHO, occasionally substituting for sports announcer Ronald "Dutch" Reagan. He also cut a demo for RCA Bluebird, but the label declined to offer a contract. In 1938 the Drapers relocated to San Bernardino, CA. When he proved unable to resume his fledgling music career, Rusty worked as a Western Union messenger boy before pawning his guitar to fund a trip to San Francisco in search of a performing gig. He finally landed a residency at the Bay Area nightclub the Barn, after a year accepting a proposed two-week stay at the nearby Rumpus Room; two weeks ultimately turned into eight years, and during his tenure at the Rumpus Room, Draper met his wife Macia Willsey, who soon took over management of his career. Willsey landed him appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts as well as his own local San Francisco television showcase, and in mid-1952 the singer signed to Mercury and issued his debut single, "How Could You (Blue Eyes)." With 1961's rendition of Cowboy Copas' "Signed, Sealed and Delivered," Draper scored his final hit for Mercury, and after issuing "Beggar to a King" the following summer, he left the label to sign with Monument, reaching number 57 on the pop charts in the fall of 1953 with Willie Nelson's "Night Life." A comeback was not in the cards, however, and subsequent Monument efforts "It Should Be Easier" and "I'm Worried About Me" went nowhere. The label terminated his contract following 1966's "Mystery Train," although he hung around the lower rungs of the country charts for the remainder of the decade via minor hits like "My Elusive Dreams," "California Sunshine," and "Buffalo Nickel." Draper remained a steady concert draw in years to follow, and also appeared in stage musicals and on television; in 1980, he squeaked into the country charts one final time with "Harbor Lights." Draper died of pneumonia in Bellevue, WA, on March 29, 2003. https://od.lk/fl/NjlfNjI3NjYzXw