Drake was known for singing novelty tunes. His 1958 version of Bobby Darin's song Splish Splash, produced by George Martin, outsold the original in the United Kingdom. He continued to express his humorist view of the world with such songs as Starkle Starkle Little Twink, Mr. Custer, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, I Bent My Assagai, I've Lost the End of My Yodel, I'm Too Heavy for the Light Brigade, and The Reluctant Tight Rope Walker. He made a major comeback with his 1972 recording Puckwudgie.
Children's entertainment provided the initially forum for Drake's humor. He made his radio debut in 1951 as part of a duo, Jigsaw, that he shared with Jack Edwards until 1957, when he shifted his focus to entertaining adult audiences. Drake was seriously injured while filming the pilot for the show #Bingo Madness. When a gag misfired, he was knocked unconscious and spent several days in a coma. The show was subsequently canceled.
A demanding perfectionist, Drake acquired a reputation for being "difficult." Following an argument with British Equity, he was banned from working in provincial theaters for 18 months. Drake's autobiography, -Drake's Progress, was published by Century Benham, Ltd., in 1986.
~ Craig Harris, Rovi