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Barry's Biography 

BARRY DRAKE has often been called a walking encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. A graduate of Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, he has been totally involved in the world of music since buying his first Rock & Roll records when he was 10 years old. Growing up in the New York City area, Barry went everywhere there was music to be heard. He saw everyone from Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry at the Brooklyn Paramount, to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at the Fillmore East & West. He watched Bob Dylan go electric at The Newport Folk Festival and when San Francisco exploded with the Summer Of Love, Barry was there, hanging out on the streets of Haight-Ashbury with The Grateful Dead and The Jefferson Airplane and attending the legendary Monterey Pop Festival. Later on in the 70s, he witnessed everything from the birth of Punk Music at CBGB'S to the arrival of Bruce Springsteen from the clubs of the Jersey shore.

Starting in 1965, Barry became a performer and songwriter, playing alongside Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Emmylou Harris, Loudon Wainwright III, Richie Havens and James Taylor in the clubs of New York's Greenwich Village. In 1970 he was signed to Capitol Records and hit the road, playing colleges and clubs from coast to coast. In the hectic years that followed, he recorded three albums and extensively toured the United States and Europe.  

In 1984 Barry added Rock & Roll Lectures to an already busy concert schedule. From their humble beginnings, Barry's Rock & Roll Multimedia Presentations on the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s have become some of the most popular shows on college campuses. He has been voted Campus Lecturer Of The Year 5 times by The National Association For Campus Activities and Campus Lecturer Of The Year 3 times by Campus Activities Magazine.

Barry's goal has always been very simple, to keep great music alive and to make every campus in America ROCK!

Barry's 4 Shows 

THE ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL - 1953-63

60s ROCK - WHEN THE MUSIC MATTERED

70s ROCK-THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

80s ROCK - MUSIC IN THE VIDEO AGE

.....doing a gig with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

"THE ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL 1953-63"

Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley....They broke the rules. They fused black rhythm & blues with white hillbilly and pop music. They sparked a cultural revolution that would continue for decades. For the first time, music belonged to young people. This is how rock & roll began. This was history in the making.

The Roots Of Rock & Roll 1953-63 begins just before the dawn of rock & roll and examines the styles of music that came together on the early recordings. It follows the music's development through the 50s and early 60s covering rhythm & blues, rockabilly, doo-wop, teen idols, girl groups and early soul, concluding with an examination of how this music was given back to us by the groups of The British Invasion.

So put on your Blue Suede Shoes and get ready to Rock Around The Clock with everyone from Chuck Berry to the Beatles.

"60s ROCK - WHEN THE MUSIC MATTERED"

The decade of the 60s was one of the most interesting periods in American history. Through all of the good and bad times, it was the music that brought us together and sometimes tore us apart. The political turmoil, the social upheaval, the hippie movement, the Vietnam War and the generation gap were all reflected in the popular music of the day. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, and yes, even The Monkees, were the sounds filling the airwaves throught those turbulent years.

60s Rock - When The Music Mattered will celebrate, examine, clarify and put into perspective one of the most exciting decades in our music history.

"70s ROCK-THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

The 60s were over, but were they really? As the 70s began, the Vietnam War, the draft and Richard Nixon were still with us and so was some of the best rock music ever made!

Groups like Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd were just reaching their full potential in the early 70s. Singer-songwriters such as James Taylor, Elton John and Joni Mitchell would make rock music more personal than ever. By the mid 70s, rock was no longer the music of the counterculture, it WAS the culture. With this growth and mass acceptance, the fiery spirit of the music began to go soft, allowing for the rise of pop rock and disco. Punk and reggae appeared, restoring the outlaw spirit of rock & roll and by the late 70s triggered a new wave explosion which brought excitement and creativity back to rock.

70s Rock - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly will examine one of the most confusing, misunderstood and criticized decades in rock & roll history.

"80s ROCK - MUSIC IN THE VIDEO AGE"

As the 80s began there was a well needed burst of energy in rock & roll. The 70s had left us disappointed, exhausted and questioning whether anything positive and new could come from a 25 year old music form. Fortunately, the 80s proved that rock & roll was capable of reinventing itself with new music styles, artists and attitudes. We couldn't go back to the 60s, so we charged head first into the unknown territory of the 80s and held on for a bumpy ride.

The decade began with the election of Ronald Reagan and the death of John Lennon. On a more uplifting note, MTV and CDs gave us a new way to experience the music of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, U2, R.E.M., Michael Jackson, Tom Petty, The Police, Run DMC, Prince, Aerosmith and yes, even Milli Vanilli. Rock & roll was back, alive and well, but it sure had changed.

80s Rock - Music In The Video Age will take us on an exciting trip through rock's fourth decade.

Barry's Awards

 

 *NACA is The National Association For Campus Activities

One of Barry's 8 Campus Lecturer of The Year Awards!

Some Reviews

Click here to read a great review from the University Of Virginia

 

"A great show! The audience loved it. Barry was awesome. The best show we had this year. HE ROCKED OUR WORLD!".

Lafayette College, PA

"Another fantastic show at UT. Like Barry's other shows, the 80s was a hit!"

The University Of Tennessee, TN

"Stop thinking about booking Barry Drake! What's to think about? Barry delivers a professional, fun and thought provoking lecture every time. This is a definite no-brainer. Do it today!".

Brookdale Community College, NJ

"Barry Drake's show was awesome. He is a wonderful, charismatic lecturer. He knows what he is talking about and the audience respects him for that!""

USC Spartanburg, SC

"Tremendous turnout! 60s Rock is a great Parent's Weekend event! Barry will be invited back!"

Roger Williams University, RI

"Barry's presentation is superb! Publicity materials are great. The entire show is professional!"

SUNY Geneseo, NY

"Barry Drake is my idol. He knows everything about Rock & Roll. I'd sit through all four lectures three times a week. We love him!"

The University Of Akron, OH