Pomona,Calif. RIP " Eddy Drake " Heaven Bound!

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 8 Jul 2009 5:14 pm

Today Wedesday July 8th,2009 at 2:30pm in Pomona,California at Pomona Vista Care Center our Neighborhood Super Talented Musician-Artist-Songwriter, our friend Mr.Charles " Eddy " Drake took the call from God for Heaven Bound.

RIP Eddy, your friend forever Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

Scott Wehmeyer · Post by **Scott Wehmeyer** » 8 Jul 2009 6:16 pm

RIP Eddy

Thanks for the music.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 8 Jul 2009 6:27 pm

Sad to hear. Eddie was such a part of So Cal. it's hard to believe he couldn't live forever. RIP.

Ray Riley · Post by **Ray Riley** » 8 Jul 2009 7:27 pm

L.j. Sorry to hear of his passing . I've followed your post on his journey.May the Good Lord comfort you and his family. Ray

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 8 Jul 2009 9:45 pm

R.I.P; Eddy Drake. About six years ago I had the pleasure of working a New Years Eve gig with Eddy when he subbed for Carl Walden. We had a great time.

Leo: Will you be posting Funeral arrangements ?

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 9 Jul 2009 3:44 am

Leo, thanks for posting this and also for the way you supported Eddy through your visits during his illness. I really enjoyed my stint as his steel player in the early eighties. He was one of the lead guitarists who played very tasty and always gave his steelmen plenty of room to stretch out....JH in Va.

Richard Bass · Post by **Richard Bass** » 9 Jul 2009 6:12 am

Rip Eddy.
Richard

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 9 Jul 2009 12:18 pm

I will post funeral arrangements soon as I get this from Eddy's family. My sincere thanks to all of you for your prayers and support in this Musician brother of ours.RIP Mr.Eddy (Eddie) Drake.Leo

Carol Johnson · Post by **Carol Johnson** » 9 Jul 2009 7:23 pm

RIP my good friend. May God richly welcome you into eternity. I was truly blessed to have known you and I will always remember your smile and unique sense of humor. I will miss you.
Forever your friend, Carol

Dale Bennett · Post by **Dale Bennett** » 10 Jul 2009 8:30 am

Well, once again my heart is broken, i'm so glad i got to let him know i loved him. I have so many good memories of him being my friend and getting to work with him some, he also sent me more memories that i will cherrish until my time comes when he sent me cd's and tapes. When we play a job now i still do the song (Completly Destroyed) which is one of my favorites. You will very much be missed. We love you Eddy.May you rest in peace, Your friend, Dale Bennett.

Ron Epperson · Post by **Ron Epperson** » 10 Jul 2009 10:33 am

thanks everybody for taking time say things about eddy alot of good memories abd stories to be told eddy is my vrey best friend i will miss him very much i worked with him for about ten years in the good ole days we had alot of fun times together

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 10 Jul 2009 6:54 pm

I see Earl Ball about every week and he always asks if there's any news on Eddy. I will sadly inform him of Eddy's passing. One of Earl's first jobs in CA was with Eddy Drake.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 10 Jul 2009 7:06 pm

I played a couple gigs with Eddie in the '80's, and he was a class act.
Sorry to see another original gone...
Vaya con Dios...

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 11 Jul 2009 2:37 am

Eddy's Memorial to Honor him will be on Thursday July 16th,2009 at 11:30am at Todd Mortuary right off of Holt Ave & Garey in Pomona,California. Another ture brother of our who has been there all the time with Eddy like Ron Epperson and myself is our good friend Bill Rees. We hope to see you here with us for Eddy's Honor. He will be burried at Arlington Cemetary in Riverside,California around 1:30 pm After his Memorial Honor.RIP Eddy,your Brother,Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

Tommy Young · Post by **Tommy Young** » 12 Jul 2009 8:06 am

My condolences to him and his many friends and family.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 12 Jul 2009 11:18 am

For those of you who have not heard Eddy, he could get it done.

Here is a sample from the early 60s in the classic Southern California style of the period, kicked off by steel (Mooney I think). Hard to believe this recording is nearly 50 years old. It's been a long, slow slide since then to where we are now:

Key To My Heart

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 12 Jul 2009 12:41 pm

Thanks, Mitch. Being only a couple of years older that that recording and from the other side of the country, I am not familiar with Eddy Drake. But that number is as fresh as if it had been recorded last week!

My prayers and smpathy to Eddy's family and friends.

Kevin Quick · Post by **Kevin Quick** » 12 Jul 2009 2:09 pm

i used to sit in with eddie at the old band box in pomona or montclair? i dropped out of the music bus. in the early 90's and lost track of a lot of people. was he still active until recently? i remember fritz the drummer joe savage on bass and a keyboard player can't remember his name.

Kevin Quick · Post by **Kevin Quick** » 12 Jul 2009 2:12 pm

oh and ron epperson. did you used to play on a Dekley?

Ron Epperson · Post by **Ron Epperson** » 12 Jul 2009 6:21 pm

yes kevin i played a Dekley at the band box with eddy

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 13 Jul 2009 7:32 pm

Todd Memorial CHAPEL for " Eddy Drake " is at 507 North Garey Avenue,Pomona,California. The Phone number is 909-622-1217. This Chapel is south of the I-10 freeway just before Holt Avenue. This is on Thursday July 16ht at 11:30am. See'ya there for our brother Eddy. Leo J Eiffert,Jr.

Carol Johnson · Post by **Carol Johnson** » 15 Jul 2009 7:34 pm

Sadly I will be unable to attend Eddy's memorial service. Yesterday a hose to the washing machine broke and caused a massive flood in several rooms. There is a cleaning and restoration crew coming back again tomorrow. In the meantime I have about 10 huge fans generating heat in here at night. Although I don't think it's related, the a/c also quit working. Someone will be coming to check that out tomorrow too. Leo...thank you so much for all you have done for Eddy. He was the best. Even though I cannot be there in person I will be there in spirit. -Carol.

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 15 Jul 2009 9:52 pm

Carol,I will let everybody know in his (Eddy) family your feelings that you are here with us in spirit for him.Leo

ROBERT LEE CRIGGER · Post by **ROBERT LEE CRIGGER** » 18 Jul 2009 7:30 pm

LEO--I'm so sorry to hear of Eddie's passing. I got an e-mail from Bobby George's neice and she told me about it last night. I worked with Eddie 6 nights a week at the Aces for awhile. J.D. played steel, Jerry Lee Carol drums, but Jerry Lee got shot and Fred Lenghurkie (spelling?) became the drummer. I played piano there right after Earl Ball went to the Palomino to work with Red Rhodes. Earl still came down and ran the all night jam session for awhile after he quit the 9-2 job there with Eddie.
Eddie was also working out in Pomona at a radio station as a D.J. at the time. We hit it off right away because not only we both loved country music, but Eddie was originally from Kentucky and I'm from Tennessee, so two hillbillies away from home have a lot to talk about.
Eddie was one of the very best all around singers/players in the S. California music scene and I will miss him and the good old days very much. Thank you for being his friend and visiting him and helping him when he needed it.--ROBERT LEE CRIGGER--(AKA Bobby Lee)

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 18 Jul 2009 8:57 pm

Hello Bobby Lee,If it had been you I would have done the same as I have for Eddy.You and so many others have helped me learn alot from them Gold Star Recording days when I was green and them after hours jam sessions to be a better Musician & feel like a brother in the enighborhood family.Thank you and everybody for the kind words on and off of this forum. Your friend forever,Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

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Pomona,Calif. RIP " Eddy Drake " Heaven Bound!

Pomona,Calif. RIP " Eddy Drake " Heaven Bound!

Eddy Drake

eddy drake

Ca,Eddy Drake's Memorial July 16th Holt & Garey,Pomoma.

eddy drake