Roddis “Pete” Drake
October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988
L-R: Pete Drake, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston
Pete Drake was an in-demand Nashville producer and pedal steel guitarist during the ’60s and ’70s. In 1950, Drake formed an Atlanta based band that included Joe South, Doug Kershaw, Jerry Reed and Roger Miller. He later moved to Nashville where he played on hits by the likes of Bob Dylan, Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette, Joan Baez, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. While in Nashville he developed a unique device to play his guitar through – it was called a “talk box” and it would reach the masses in later recordings by Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh. Drake died of lung cancer on July 29, 1988. Pete Drake passed away of natural causes on July 29, 1988.
George Fullerton was a long time employee of Leo Fender, of Fender Guitar fame. Hired early on, Fullerton first worked in repair for Fender’s early guitars and amps. As Fender developed such models as the innovative Stratocaster and Telecaster, it was Fullerton’s job to figure out a way to mass produce them at an economical price. Where Fender designed the guitars, Fullerton created the machines that could mass produce them. George Fullerton died of congestive heart failure at the age of 86.
Tristram Cary was a British composer and pioneering electronic musician. But his greatest contribution to popular music was probably the EMS VCS3 portable synthesizer which he co-designed. The instrument became very popular with such English electronic and prog acts as Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Roxy Music. He also wrote music for British television show, Dr. Who, as well as some British films.
After World War II ended, the big band sound began to lose it’s luster and smaller boogie woogie, western swing, honky tonk and rhythm & blues combos began taking hold across America. It was inventor Leo Fender who figured out that the electric guitar was about to gain massive popularity with musician’s and audiences alike, so he set out to create one that was easy to hold, easy to tune and easy to play. And so came the birth of the Fender Stratocaster, and the company and lifestyle that would bear his name. Fender passed away in 1991 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease, but not before giving to us the guitar-of-choice of so many legends of pop music.
George Fullerton was a long time employee of 
Tristram Cary was a British composer and pioneering electronic musician. But his greatest contribution to popular music was probably the EMS VCS3 portable synthesizer which he co-designed. The instrument became very popular with such English electronic and prog acts as Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Roxy Music. He also wrote music for British television show, Dr. Who, as well as some British films. 
