Ervin Drake dies; 'It Was a Very Good Year' songwriter and Great Neck resident was 95

Ervin Drake, a prolific songwriter who wrote the words and music to "It Was a Very Good Year," an introspective ballad that helped define the autumn of Frank Sinatra's career, and the lyrics for "Good Morning Heartache," a song that Billie Holiday made a mournful jazz standard, died Wednesday at his home in Great Neck. He was 95.

The cause was complications from bladder cancer, said his stepson, Jed Berman.

Drake's name did not carry the instant recognition of the Gershwin brothers, Irving Berlin or Cole Porter, and his lyrics did not always sparkle with sophisticated wit or polish. Nevertheless, he showed versatility and a workmanlike skill that was widely admired by many of the last century's biggest pop singers and bandleaders.

Those who interpreted his songs included Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett. His music popped up in movies as varied as Woody Allen's "Radio Days" (1987) and Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" (1991).

The son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe -- he had changed his surname from Druckman -- Drake began composing music at 12.

While attending City College, he hung out at the offices of music publishers. He told music scholar Will Friedwald that his breakthrough came in the early 1940s, when he accepted a job that more experienced tunesmiths turned down: supplying English words to Latin American melodies.

His "Tico-Tico" proved a hit for the Andrews Sisters, followed by "(Yo Te Amo Mucho) And That's That" for Xavier Cugat. He had a smash with the boogie-woogie flavored "The Rickety Rickshaw Man.".

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If these were not songs for the ages, Drake soon showed his ability to craft far more enduring lyrics. An early example was his collaboration with Irene Higginbotham on "Good Morning Heartache," a song about persistent romantic gloom that features the lyrics: "Good morning, heartache, here we go again, Good morning, heartache, you're the one who knew me when, Might as well get used to you hangin' around, Good morning, heartache, sit down."

Drake wrote the words in 20 minutes to Higginbotham's melancholy melody, inspired by what he called his own "true despondency" over a lost love.

He also worked on Broadway, writing words and lyrics for "What Makes Sammy Run?," which starred Steve Lawrence, and "Her First Roman," a short-lived 1968 musical based on George Bernard Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra" that starred Leslie Uggams and Richard Kiley.

His first wife, Ada Sax, died in 1975. He later wed the former Edith Bein, a childhood love who broke his heart and inspired parts of "Good Morning Heartache" and "It Was a Very Good Year." In addition to his wife and stepson, survivors include two daughters from his first marriage; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.