Dusty Drake
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| Dusty Drake | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dean Buffalini[1] |
| Born | February 23, 1964 |
| Origin | Monaca, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2002-present |
| Label(s) | Warner Bros. Nashville Big Machine |
| Associated acts | Joe Diffie Brett James Josh Turner |
| Website | Official website |
Dusty Drake (born Dean Buffalini, February 23, 1964 in Monaca, Pennsylvania) is an American country music singer-songwriter.
Drake played various venues in his native Pennsylvania for several years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, eventually having his material cut by Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt and The Oak Ridge Boys. By 2003, He was signed to Warner Bros. Records as a recording artist. That year, he landed his first Top 40 hit on the Billboard country music charts with "One Last Time", a song inspired by the 2001 crash of United Airlines Flight 93.[2] This song was included on his self-titled debut album, also issued that year; after charting three more singles, he was dropped from Warner Bros. in 2004.
In 2007, Drake signed to the independent Big Machine Records label, charting with the single "Say Yes". An album for Big Machine was originally slated to be released in 2007; however, he has since been dropped from their roster.
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[edit] Biography
Dean Buffalini was born in Monaca, Pennsylvania[1] on February 23, 1964[3] as the middle child of seven children.[4] He gained an early interest in music from his father and grandfather, both of whom enjoyed listening to country and bluegrass music.[5]
While in high school, he sang lead and played drums in local bands. After graduating high school, Buffalini studied to be an air traffic controller; he held that position for four years at a regional airport. At the same time, he pursued his career in country music, eventually fronting a band called Silverado in addition to performing solo.[1]
Signed as an opening act for Garth Brooks at a venue in Salem, Ohio, Buffalini was mistakenly identified as "Dusty" by a concert promoter; as a result, he began to use Dusty Dean as his stage name.[1][4]
[edit] Musical career
Dean moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1993 in search of a record deal. There, he changed his stage name to Dusty Drake, because he felt that "there were Deans coming out the wazoo" (such as Billy Dean, Dean Miller and Dean Dillon).[1] Drake then found work as a demo singer and songwriter. His first cut as a songwriter was "C-O-U-N-T-R-Y", a hit for Joe Diffie in 1996.[2] Other artists who recorded Drake's songs included Janie Fricke, Ricochet, The Oak Ridge Boys and Mark Chesnutt.[6]
In 2002, Drake was signed to Warner Bros. Records as a recording artist.[4] His first single, "And Then", peaked at #57 on the Billboard country music charts. Following this song was a ballad entitled "One Last Time"; inspired by the crash of United Airlines Flight 93,[2] the song became his first Top 40 country hit, peaking at #26. Both songs were included on his debut album (also titled Dusty Drake), which was released in mid-2003.
After the release of his album, Drake went on to become an opening act for Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn, as well as performing on the Grand Ole Opry. His album's third single, "Smaller Pieces", reached a peak of #50; by 2004, a fourth single entitled "I Am the Working Man" was released, reaching a high point of #43 on the country charts. This latter song was not included on any albums, and Drake was dropped from Warner Bros.' roster after its release.
By 2007, Drake had signed to Big Machine Records. His first single for the label, "Say Yes" (co-written by Josh Turner), became his second Top 40 country hit, peaking at #36. Drake's firat album for Big Machine, tenatively titled Dusty Drake at a Honky-Tonk Near You, was originally slated for release in June of 2007. The album was not released, however, and Drake exited Big Machine by the end of the year.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Label | US Country | US Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dusty Drake | Warner Bros. | 30 | 22 |
| 2007 | Dusty Drake at a Honky-Tonk Near You | Big Machine | unreleased | |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "And Then" | 57 | Dusty Drake |
| 2003 | "One Last Time" | 26 | |
| "Smaller Pieces" | 50 | ||
| 2004 | "I Am the Working Man" | 43 | single only |
| 2007 | "Say Yes" | 36 | Dusty Drake at a Honky-Tonk Near You |
