Max Drake

Max Voorhees Drake II (born June 1, 1952) is an American blues guitarist and songwriter from Yanceyville, North Carolina. He has performed with musicians such as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Nappy Brown. Drake became especially known for his agility on slide guitar. In the 2000s, he played rhythm guitar in Big Bill Morganfield's band, going on worldwide tours. Morganfield is the son of Muddy Waters (aka McKinley Morganfield) often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues."

As the band toured Europe, blues enthusiasts became increasingly interested in Morganfield. Many were familiar with his father's seminal contributions to electric blues from his work on Chess Records. It was said that the band's version of Waters' "Got My Mojo Working" stood up to the original. Tours in Spain that Drake accompanied him on particularly enjoyed popularity due to the legacy connection to Waters.

Drake has performed at public schools in North Carolina in partnership with the Greensboro-based Piedmont Blues Preservation Society.

Discography Got it Bad (1995) New Moon Blues on Rise (1996) Global Voices: Traditional, Sacred & Contemporary Vocal Music (1998) Contemporary Global Voices (2000) Popskull & High Art (2008)