Nicholas Rodney "
Nick"
Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician, known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work has gradually achieved wider notice and recognition. Drake signed to
Island Records when he was 20 years old and was a student at the
University of Cambridge, and released his debut album,
Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums—
Bryter Layter and
Pink Moon. Neither sold more than 5,000 copies on initial release. Drake's reluctance to perform live, or be interviewed, contributed to his lack of commercial success. There is no known footage of the adult Drake; he was only ever captured in still photographs and in home footage from his childhood.