Posted on Fri, Apr. 04, 2003

Rusty Draper, 80, was country and pop singer

Associated Press

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Farrell H. "Rusty" Draper, a country and pop singer with a number of recordings that sold more than a million copies in the 1950s and '60s, died of pneumonia March 28. He was 80.

Draper's hits included "Gambler's Guitar," "Shifting Whispering Sands" and "Night Life."

Besides music, his career included acting appearances in the television Western shows "Rawhide" and "Laramie" and the stage musicals "Oklahoma!" and "Annie Get Your Gun."

He recorded his first million-seller in 1953, "Gambler's Guitar," which reached No. 6 on the pop and country charts, and went gold again two years later with "Shifting Whispering Sands," which made No. 3 on the pop charts.

Draper's other pop hits included "Seventeen" and "Are You Satisfied" in 1955, "In The Middle of the House" in 1956, "Freight Train" in 1957 and versions of "Muleskinner Blues" in 1960 and "Night Life" in 1963.

In the 1970s, Draper performed often at Diamond Jim's in Lilydale, Minn.

He had his own radio show in San Francisco and Los Angeles and was often on television, including two appearances on Ed Sullivan's variety show.

Draper had minor hits with "My Elusive Dreams," "California Sunshine" and "Buffalo Nickel" in the late 1960s and "Two Little Boys" in 1970. His last appearance on the charts was in 1980 with a country version of "Harbour Lights" by the Platters.

Draper became interested in music after his father gave him a guitar for his 10th birthday. He worked at a radio station at Des Moines, Iowa, where he often filled in for sportscaster — and future U.S. president — Ronald Reagan.