He was never a commercial success. The three albums he recorded had barely sold 20,000 copies in the 25 years after his death. But now, largely due to a car commercial, interest in Nick Drake's life and work has hit an all time high.
A very shy person and prone to extreme stage anxiety, Nick Drake was seldom able to promote his music through performing. Despite this, he was able to gather a loyal group of people who would champion his music both before and after his death. One such person was his manager, Joe Boyd, who had a clause put into his own contract with Island Records that ensured Nick's records would never go out of print.
Nick's last album, Pink Moon, was released in February of 1972. Within months of the release, he had a breakdown and was hospitalized. After five weeks in hospital, he returned to Far Leys, his parents' home, where he lived in relative isolation until his death of an anti-depressant overdose in late 1974.
Alex Chadwick explores the music, life, and posthumous success of British musician Nick Drake.
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